Slurping Stamens

Fantastic eye detail and great colour harmony

Great Shot !

Love the details

Excellent shot. If it's possible to make a fly pretty, you did it.

That's absolutely stunning. I'm trying to get into macro photography.

 

Could you tell me how long it took you to set up the picture? How far was the fly from the tip of the lens?

 

Tkx!

Slurp is right. And here's to mud in your eye, or pollen, as the case may be. Slurp!

Mark, just looking through some of your folders, I must say that I am not only impressed, but very jealous. I yearn to get photos like the ones you have. The quality is fantastic. The focus on this tiny subject in just incredible. Congratulations and thank you for inspiring me to do better!! :O)

Even nicer!

I cant believe your folders...

your pictures are so nice and you are making everybody jealous with your skill...

congratulations.

BTW, where do you live so as to find all these colorful 'mini' nature?

yet another stunner Mark (but you knew that) When is the book coming out?

 

Is there a picture of your rig on the site? if not would you be interested in putting one up.. I think a lot of people would be interested.

This is incredibly good, but so many of your photos are also incredibly good. I don't know which I like best. I, too, would like to know more about you proceed.

I am stunned! This one deserves POW status. Wonderful details and interesting colors. You are really an expert in photographing insects. Thanks for the tutorial as well!

But do you have a model release...? :-)

More seriously now, I am totally incompetent in your field, so I'll just shut up and read, this week, but one thing strikes me in this particular image: it's just very alive, with lovely colors and great action going on... I'd have titled it "Lunch Break", I guess...

I have to agree with the Elves that it isn't easy to single out one picture from your portfolio as "The Best". I think this is indeed at least one of your very best shots... My personal favorite of yours is this ant that stands like a human being, but probably that would be a very subjective opinion... I just find that one particularly original. I also like many of your close-up portraits of various insects uploaded to the site... Anyway, congratulations on this POW. It was long overdue... Regards.

By the way, I hope to learn something from you and others, this week, about the DOF limitations for this image... Is that the maximal DOF possible in such circumstances, etc. Thanks. Cheers.

To people wondering how Mark captures his images, he's rather sensibly (and kindly - thanks for the contribution!) made a tutorial on insect macro photography. Take a look:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=188714

I am very happy to see you on the front page Mark! May that is not my favorite of your 6 legs catch but it will receive the awards for the many other exceptionnal shots you made. Indeed some of your animals seems to have feelings, human expression, anger, surprise ... I found your picture first on PhotoSig as I was looking for insect pictures with and for my young daughter's school's request. She could make a wonderful one and start a strong interest in those little things! Thanks Mark and thanks ELves for that selection!

Marc,

 

Well done - I've been looking at your pics for a long time and I am very happy to see you made it POW. My favorite are the mantis pics.

 

Congrats!

 

Blaise

FA-18? Stealth F-117? F-16? Apache? I like the political impact of this picture in troubled times like these. Very subtle, elves, the way you guys let politics speak on this site. Sharp insect eyes from an insectmaniac. Congratulations, Mark.

Mark is one of the most generous photographers at Photo.net, so willing to help and share his secrets for a great macro :-) He has even written out on his web pages the recipe to shooting this type of macro.

Great shot, great presentation, great portfolio... Congratulation for POW. It is well deserved for such great work.

 

It is just as great that the Elves departed from their usual selection criteria. I can't remember the last time that a picture of an insect won POW.

 

Mark, thanks to you, I will walk about Nature with a new outlook...

Woo-hoo!

 

Congratulations, Mr. Plonsky. As others have stated, not only have you produced an excellent body of work, you've shared your techniques in some detail with the rest of us. Thank you for doing both.

 

It is truly hard to pick one of your images as "the best," but this one is perhaps my favorite.

I am not sure what I could add-on .. everything is said. I see this one Image standing for a lot of other excellent Images out of Mark Plonskys Insect-Factory .... outstanding work in perfect technique make this Images very unique, I have never seen a quality like that nowhere else ...

The only open wish to me: Mark, would you change from insects to reptiles, I would like to see the fangs of a king cobra (or similar) in a quality like that you are delivering here almost on a daily base.

Very very good and I take my hat off and salute a great artist, thanks for sharing your Images!

Looks to me as though this fella has whipped his audience and himself into a frenzy on the soprano sax. Sensational picture, Mark.

Great pic! Not to be nit-picky, but he's actually feeding on the anther, which is the pollen bearing bit at the end of the stamen. Interesting to see an insect do that; more often they are after nectar deeper in the female parts of the flower, and get the male pollen on them by (their) accident and (the plant's) design.

 

Well caught, and good to see that it is more than a static portrait, but actually shows an animal engaging in life; it adds dimensions more significance to the image.

What a glutton -- it's got pollen all over its eyes. Congrats Mark.

How close were you to this tiny 'model' with the 50mm lens? Or is this a crop from a larger image?