ugly - or just different?
by primabarbara

Comment:
Maybe ugly but it stands out in a crowd. Be proud!

Warts and All
by vawendy

Comment:
Yes, definitely ugly but I’ll bet he has a great personality! Great capture.

In Training
by Pangurban

Comment:
Really good capture and very ugly! Definitely works for this challenge.

Bug Ugly
by Lydia

Comment:
I hear they are really good on the grill. Haven’t tried it yet myself! You have achieved really good DOF with only one shot. That makes life a lot easier!!

Before Coffee
by jomari

Comment:
Sounds like you owe your husband for risking his life for you. What if the UPS truck came. They don’t look for bodies in the driveway! I think your son should be a dentist. He is very artistic and those teeth look awesome! Congrats on a memorable and excellent composition.

ugly to some
by roz

Comment:
Just an amazing capture. I love it in black and white. The detail is incredible. They are so skidish I can only imagine your sneaking up to him to get the shot or do you wait for him to come to you? I wouldn’t be able to get this so sharp on a moving target without a tripod.

But... she has a really good personality
by SandyP

Comment:
One of my favorites. Love the perspective. I kinda think she is cute! Congrats on the Red.

A Stinkbug
by Refocused

Comment:

Originally posted by roz: well you had me fooled .. !! .. you have been hiding under a bushel .. unless i have missed previous incredible macro images of yours .. this is up there as a fantastic and wonderful stinkbug photo .. or rather 17 photos .. you are very dedicated .. 17 would be a lot of work unless you used some software/program to stack them .. there is always too much movement in my insect photos to use those programs .. which is a bummer .. must say .. in the right hands that lens is the best for very close up macro work .. i bought one a long time ago .. didnt work with my flash because the lens extends .. would have had to get a twin flash .. i also found it a bit difficult to use .. so i sold it .. i feel that its something that you need to take the time to learn and get accustomed to .. which you obviously have done in spades .. i'm sooooo impressed .. anyway .. CONGRATULATIONS on the blue for this superb macro image .. would love to know your setting too .. :)

Thank you Roz for the wonderful comments. Coming from you that is quite flattering!
I have played around with the MP-E 65 but never really used it in a challenge. I knew there was going to be some outstanding bug pictures in this challenge so I had to try to take my effort to the next level. I used a Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX flash which I like a lot. I used it for dental photographs. I also had purchased the Super Mag Slider a while ago which I had used with my 100mm macro in the "Still Life With Pure Sadness" Challenge (April, 2020). It is a relatively inexpensive slider, but takes some getting used to. My camera settings were ISO 250, F/9, 2 second exposures (I know that's weird but it worked!) and spot metering. The images were combined using photoshop Scripts-Load Files into Stack and Photomerge.

A Stinkbug
by Refocused

Comment:

Originally posted by nam: Amazing! One of my few 10's - there were some great shots in this challenge. 17 stacked . . . was he dead? (That's a serious question - I can't imagine getting even two stackable files from a live bug but maybe stinkbugs freeze when you stare them down?). Congratulations on the Blue.

No. He was not dead! I have found that they can be heavily "sedated" using bug insecticide by putting them in a small container and let them breath the fumes! It takes several minutes to work! It also helps to cool them down in the refrigerator to limit movement.

Thanks for the 10 :)

Charlie
by salmiakki

Comment:
Outstanding portrait. It was my favorite of the challenge. Congratulations.