Grasshopper Summer
The background of this shot reminds me of a slice of Watermelon, which immediately floods my mind with childhood memories of biting into a big, juicy, cooling s...
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The background of this shot reminds me of a slice of Watermelon, which immediately floods my mind with childhood memories of biting into a big, juicy, cooling slice of watermelon during a hot summer day in South Florida. Watermelon-Summer-the Beach go hand-in-hand
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Jun, 2018Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Winner in Insects Photo Challenge
Community Choice Award
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Genius
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at my local Library. During the Summer months in southwest florida these gigantic, colorful grasshoppers gather in groups all over the Palm Trees. Sometimes its hard to get a shot because as you line up to snap the shutter they circle the tree. I was lucky to capture this one looking directly at me. The colorful background is a red wall about 4 feet high with bushes behind it that separates the parking lot from the main entrance to the library.Time
I noticed these magnificent creatures gathered in groups all over the palm trees as soon as i pulled into the parking space. They are so colorful that they really stand out against the darker color of the tree. It was around 11am, which was perfect time because i had been there days earlier at about 9am and there were no grasshoppers in sight. I got lucky with the colorful background because the grasshopper had to be right around 4 feet up the tree to have the red wall in the background. I parked the car, hopped out and immediately started framing a shot, no time for a tripod. This was the third picture i took out of about 10 and its the only one to capture the creature posed as it is, and at the right height up the tree to get a nice background.Lighting
11am during the summer months in Southwest Florida the sun is absolutely blazing. This worked out in my favor as i used a faster shutter speed with no tripod and didn't have to worry much about blur.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D3300 with a Nikon DX 55-200mm lens. HandheldInspiration
The amazing bright colors and great size of these grasshoppers all over the trunk of a palm tree is a sight to see. They really stand out and are so big and colorful they can be seen from a great distance. I originally wanted a shot that had a group of the grasshoppers together on a tree. Unfortunately they move a bit too fast and as i tried to hone in on a group of them they disbanded. So i just snapped a few of the same grasshopper, this one came out best.Editing
No photoshop, minimal post-processing. I just did some noise reduction and clarity in Adobe Lightroom. With all of my photos I strive to do everything with the absolute minimum post-processing, I love getting nice shots relying on my eye and using the camera's shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to make a nice image.In my camera bag
I usually have my Trusty Nikon D3300 and a standard 18-55 kit lens on it. When i shoot with my ranger tripod I always use a remote shutter release or cable,just to make sure i get the best clarity possible. I always try to shoot with my ISO at 100 and move-up from there for maximum clarity.Feedback
In a Sub-Tropical Climate like the one in Southwest Florida, always remember to keep your eyes open and look at the details. Thats where you find all the color of the Region. Be calm, Truly Observe Nature- you will be rewarded every time you do so
