Wow, Endre, the real deal!!! He's so handsome and so beautifully captured!!!! I love your composition and his silhouette, too. You never cease to amaze me.
Awesome Endre, just awesome! The DOF is just right and the texture on the leaf really is the icing on the cake. My camera bag might get lonely this week...
Thanks for the comment, Steve! Actually these bugs are part of an ongoing science experiment that we have going at out home. My dar son, Antal, got one baby stick bug at a children's science class he took over the summer when he was 6 years old. It grew up to be big and lived in a plastic box/bug container for about a year before dying. When i went to clean out the container I noticed that there were about 100 little baby stick bugs! Doing research on the internet I discovered that stick bugs can reproduce parthenogenically - meaning in the absence of a member of the opposite sex the bug turns into a female and lays eggs. Essentially, the baby bugs are all clones of the parent bug and are all female. In the intervening 6 years we've had several generations of bugs all descended from that one original one. Now, with the tragic passing of my little boy, I'm keeping the experiment going in his memory. They are very friendly and move quite slowly so I got one out of the box and let her explore a leaf out in the sun. it's the first time one of these stick bugs has been in the sun for several generations.
All best wishes,
Endre
Steven Roberts wrote:
Do you have this sort of thing around you? I would never get such a cool find like this. I am jealous!
Aw shucks, Bev! You're too kind. Thanks so much. She was just sitting on the leaf and then i'd reposition her for another shot. Basically she was an ideal subject for a photo since she was so cooperative. the silhouette is her shadow coming through the leaf. I thought that looked pretty interesting. Tanks for noticing.
Fond regards,
Endre
Beverly Guhl wrote:
Wow, Endre, the real deal!!! He's so handsome and so beautifully captured!!!! I love your composition and his silhouette, too. You never cease to amaze me.
Thank you so much, Louis! So glad you like it. I'm always delighted to read your kind comments.
All best wishes,
Endre
Louis Simpson wrote:
Awesome Endre, just awesome! The DOF is just right and the texture on the leaf really is the icing on the cake. My camera bag might get lonely this week...
Endre! Here I sit looking at our ice and snow (with yet another major storm warning posted) wondering how the heck I can come up with an insect, any insect. And you - you have PET insects? Biiiiiig pet insects, that willingly POSE for you?? Jeeeeeesch! But anyhoo, that is a great photo, as always. I'll just have to come up with drastic measures, somehow. Barbara proudly found me a very dead spider, but I hardly think that will hack it!!!!
Calw, I completely know the feeling. There are no bugs around right now and in Virginia Beach, wereally don't get anything cool anyhow outside of waterbugs, lady bugs, lightning bugs, ants, typical stuff. I have no idea what to do especially coming off of a pretty decent entry. He got pet bugs just chillin around! that to much, but Endre at the same time the story and purpose is just chilling to me. I have a six year old little boy. I really respect you for what you are doing way beyond photography!
I have no fear, Cal! I'm sure you will come up with something wonderful, as always. I was just lucky that Fred came up with the topic "The Insect" this week. If it had been "Snow" I'd have been out of luck. Thanks so much for the kind comments. I always appreciate hearing from you.
All the best,
Endre
PS. I don't think spiders count as "insects". They are arachnids.
CalW wrote:
Endre! Here I sit looking at our ice and snow (with yet another major storm warning posted) wondering how the heck I can come up with an insect, any insect. And you - you have PET insects? Biiiiiig pet insects, that willingly POSE for you?? Jeeeeeesch! But anyhoo, that is a great photo, as always. I'll just have to come up with drastic measures, somehow. Barbara proudly found me a very dead spider, but I hardly think that will hack it!!!!
Thanks so much, Steve! It is really, really tough sometimes without my pal but we've had a lot of love and support from friends - even from some dear friends I've made here at this forum. Antal was known to a lot of the old timer FM'rs here because he often served as my model for shots for the WA. You can see a lot of photos of him on my website. He would've been 12 years old on Thanksgiving Day and died just 11 days short of that. Lots of people loved him and as testament to that, almost 600 people came to the funeral which, ironically, was on our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Crummy day.
Best,
Endre
Steven Roberts wrote:
Calw, I completely know the feeling. There are no bugs around right now and in Virginia Beach, wereally don't get anything cool anyhow outside of waterbugs, lady bugs, lightning bugs, ants, typical stuff. I have no idea what to do especially coming off of a pretty decent entry. He got pet bugs just chillin around! that to much, but Endre at the same time the story and purpose is just chilling to me. I have a six year old little boy. I really respect you for what you are doing way beyond photography!
The bug looks to be struggling to get over. You however captured the dof of the details in the leaf perfectly and I like how the silhouette fades into the blur of the leaf details. Great shot
Thanks so much, HH! I really appreciate your kind comment. I'm so glad you like it.
All the best,
Endre
hhski wrote:
The bug looks to be struggling to get over. You however captured the dof of the details in the leaf perfectly and I like how the silhouette fades into the blur of the leaf details. Great shot
Endre, another great photograph, fantastic! The gradient selective focus on the leave adds an extraordinary 3D effect to the picture.
The insect looks like he’s just hanging out after feasting on your friend’s chili sauce…
I'm so glad you've done this shot, and **such** a fantastic one at that.
I remember last year... (I think it was last year, gosh how time seems to fly...) when you posted a stick insect shot for the WA - I can't remember now if the photo was taken with your beloved son, but I remember it was his stick insect (please correct me if I'm wrong!). As soon as I saw this this title, I thought of you and your family. I guess that how the FM family works. Believe me, we don't forget.
Endre.....wonderful shot of the stick bug thing. .......perfect for 'the insect'
I was going to say about what Suse said, so I won't repeat.....but the feeling is there. Thanks for sharing again.
now, on to the bug issue. Like Cal, when i saw this theme i said to myself.....holy cow I'm going to have to take a fast trip to find a bug. So...cal....what's wrong with a dead spider?. That was certainly going to be an investigated subject by me....... we'll see.
Endre, I love your stick bug, and your story. I arrived here just after you lost your son, and didn't know anyone, but said prayers for you and your family anyway.
Your bug is gorgeous....but who knew they had such fierce little faces?
As always, you and Beverly sure make it tough on the rest of us. (But, so much fun trying to compete!)
An excellent capture....in more ways than one.
(Pet bugs indeed! )
Thanks you so much, John, my friend. I'm so glad you like it. These are the leaves of Bird Of Paradise plant and they have a nice shape for that sort of thing. These bugs don't eat those kinds of plants so all she could do is hang out enjoying her first trip into the sun.
If you think I'm going to let a bug eat your famous chili sauce, you're nuts.
Fond regards,
Endre
jban99 wrote:
Endre, another great photograph, fantastic! The gradient selective focus on the leave adds an extraordinary 3D effect to the picture.
The insect looks like he’s just hanging out after feasting on your friend’s chili sauce…
You're so kind, Sue, my friend! It is always wonderful hearing from you! So glad you like the shot.
You're right - it was about a year ago. That was a shot of a stick bug - possibly this one's mother as that crop have all died off by now. It wasn't a shot involving Antal, though - just one of his bugs. I was never entirely pleased with it although it did make it to the finals that week. I can't remember what the topic was. It's up at my website in the "Critters" category. I've posted another shot from today. I also liked it because of the interesting abstract shapes the bug and the plant makes although the first one is a better insect photo. You can se, how these insects use their long front legs like antennae (even though they have antennae) to feel for things. When the sit on my hand they are very cute because they will wave their front legs as if they are conducting. And, because they really do look like sticks, they don't move very fast lest they blow their camoufalge. Fascinating creatures.
I so appreciate you continued good thoughts. It means a lot to all of us.
Much Love back,
Endre
suse wrote:
Hi Endre
I'm so glad you've done this shot, and **such** a fantastic one at that.
I remember last year... (I think it was last year, gosh how time seems to fly...) when you posted a stick insect shot for the WA - I can't remember now if the photo was taken with your beloved son, but I remember it was his stick insect (please correct me if I'm wrong!). As soon as I saw this this title, I thought of you and your family. I guess that how the FM family works. Believe me, we don't forget.
Thank you so much, Peter, my friend. your kind words are very meaningful. Much appreciated to say the least.
So glad you like the photo. There are advantages to living in California - at least if you want insect shots while Global Warming causes the rest of the world to freeze.
As I told Cal, I don't thin a dead spider will do since it is technically not an insect.
Fond regards,
Endre
canandaigua ph wrote:
Endre.....wonderful shot of the stick bug thing. .......perfect for 'the insect'
I was going to say about what Suse said, so I won't repeat.....but the feeling is there. Thanks for sharing again.
now, on to the bug issue. Like Cal, when i saw this theme i said to myself.....holy cow I'm going to have to take a fast trip to find a bug. So...cal....what's wrong with a dead spider?. That was certainly going to be an investigated subject by me....... we'll see.
Thanks so much for the kind comments. I always appreciate hearing from you.
