Crane Fly
This bug decided to pay me a visit. So, I thanked the bug and took this photo.
This bug decided to pay me a visit. So, I thanked the bug and took this photo.
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KODAK EasyShare Z990 Digital Camera 
Aperture f/4 ISO 125 Shutter 1/50 Focal Length 254/10 
Gloversville, New York, US
Sep, 2019Views
919
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Awards
Hidden Gem Award
Winner in Any Bugs Macro Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Virtuoso
Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took the image of this Crane Fly in a backyard in Gloversville, New York. It was sitting quite still on a child's orange plastic ball. I though the insect's colors and details were quite amazing.Time
The image was taken in late morning, but before the sun became too harsh.Lighting
The sun was at an angle that provided wonderful color, detail and shadowing. I was able to catch a nice reflection of the trees and sky on the crane fly's head.Equipment
I used a Kodak Easyshare Z990 camera. It's an older camera that's no longer in production. It was the first camera I'd ever owned that had full-manual mode. I normally use my newer Nikon D7200 camera for my shots, but decided to go out and take some shots with the older Kodak. I actually like the camera, and still periodically use it. I have taken many images with it over the years. The camera has a built-in 30x zoom, which helps to capture macros and close-ups. The natural lighting from the sun was good enough for me to take the shot of the crane fly without a tripod or flash. The crane fly was quite co-operative, as it didn't move a bit. I got a clear shot because it stayed so still. I didn't need a faster shutter speed to reduce any motion blur.Inspiration
I thought the crane fly was really quite beautiful. The colors and details certainly caught my eye. Many people see the crane fly as a scary-looking insect. It does look a bit scary, but it's not. It's actually quite harmless.Editing
Besides the basics of contrast and clarity, the only real post-processing that I needed to do was to crop the image, change the color of the ball, provide a little dodge and burn, and, finally, add a vignette. The orange color of the ball was quite pronounced, and took one's eyes away from the full beauty of the crane fly. I had to replace the orange color of the ball with a color that better matched the insect's colors, and enhanced the details. I also did a little dodge and burn to enhance the details of the wings, legs and shadow under the body. I wanted to push the viewer's eyes to the insect, so I added the vignette.In my camera bag
I normally use a Nikon D7200, as it's my favorite camera. I usually carry that in my bag. I also carry a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens...and, of course, my lens cleaning kit.Feedback
My advice for others is to just go outside and look around. There are so many wonderful and interesting subjects just begging for a shot to be taken. Yes, there are some shots that take quite a bit of planning to get. There are also so many others that take no real planning at all. This shot was one of those. There was no planning needed. I just grabbed the Kodak and went looking for something interesting to capture. It doesn't always matter if one is using the newest, latest equipment. Whatever you've got, just take the shot!
