Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Ladybug in natural light

This ladybug is in natural light but it's a completely staged photo. She was actually inside my house, and I decided to take her outside and find something green to put her on. So I carried her outside, but then I got distracted by my neighbor walking by with her new puppy. I put the bug in the pocket of my jeans and visited with my neighbor and the dog a little bit. After they left I dug the ladybug out of my pocket, placed her on this leaf, and took the photo. Problem is, I think she may have been dead at this point. I think I smothered her when I put her in my pocket, or maybe gave her grave internal injuries when I dug her out. Please don't call PETA on me.
DRebel XT w/ 100mm macro lens handheld
Custom White Balance
Av mode: F2.8 SS1/800 ISO200
I'm thinking this could benefit from a crop so the ladybug isn't smack in the middle of the frame. What do you think?

And now to distract you from my animal cruelty, I will tell you the rest of my eyeball story. My ophthalmologist boss had removed a patient's eye the previous day (sometimes when an eye goes blind for various reasons, it goes on to become very painful and needs to be removed), and he wanted me to send it to Mass. Eye and Ear for pathology testing. Why he brought it back to the office instead of leaving it at the hospital and having them send it, I don't know. My gosh, this was almost 20 years ago now. That doctor has been retired since 1994 and is in his late 80s and living in Reno now. We still exchange Christmas cards.

22 comments:

Val said...

LMBO at the ladybug story and the eyeball story. hehe We come up with some specimens I could really make someone's day with in OB too! hehe

My son was talking with a dead ladybug today. he was cracking me up, calling it little fella. hehe

Margaret said...

That ladybug looks cute...even if it's dead. My son once had a dead cricket for a pet....
I love your story about the eyeball, too!

Anonymous said...

Hehehe! Cute!

Sharon said...

You are too silly! Love the photo.

pat said...

Hahaha! Love that ladybug--at least she was still shaped correctly. I'd crop the shot a little, just so she isn't an orange target in the middle. Great color!

Stacey said...

I love ladybugs... too cute!

pakosta said...

wow! so vibrant!
and perfect focus and colors!
tara

Jason said...

Awesome Macro! great shot!

Shawna said...

Too funny! What a pretty ladybug (dead or not), great idea putting it on the green leaf!

Heather said...

I like this shot a lot:) Very nice clarity and I like the contrast of the leaves around the bug. I agree that it would def benefit from a tighter crop:)

Michelle said...

ROFL! your "cruelty" to animals just about made me spit out my hot chocolate. i really like what you've done here but try a crop on it. you may like it better.

Amy said...

Poor little ladybug! Great shot though and I do agree that a bit of crop would benefit. Too funny about the eyeball, that would have freaked me out for sure! I was in Reno tonight, my oldest dd plays all of her soccer games in either Reno or Carson City. We get a bit too much snow here, the fields are still covered! :)

periwinkle eye images said...

Your "specimen" lady bug still has a live look about her; poor thing had to be dead to have her photo published. Great shot though, and yes, I think just a little crop to put the bug off center. ML

Katie said...

lovely!

Bobbi said...

Poor little bug lol. Love the red colors here.

Anonymous said...

OMFG! What a total riot. Girl...you crack me up. I love your randomness. Its so poetic.

The ladybug, despite it's deadness, has a lovely color. Lady bugs never loose their color when they die. I know this because I have a dead one sitting on my window sill. I don't know why I don't throw it away. I just don't.

I would love to live in Reno.

Reds said...

You are too funny! Love that you staged the shot!! Gives me ideas for photo ops!! :)

Jess said...

Whoah! Awesome focus and color on the ladybug photo, and don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I have killed many a ladybug by vacuuming them up in my sweeper, lol!

And that is funny about the eyeball!

Anonymous said...

That was funny story. I hope he recovered and later flew away : )

Tori said...

LOL at the ladybug story! I'd try to crop it some so that she isn't smack in the middle of the frame....

April said...

oh that is incredible..great shot. i love ladybugs.

mel said...

LOL! great photo! I've been gone for a few days, and had to go back and read about the eyeball. So funny!