Gloria Grandolini

May 2023 - Hey, I’m Praying for you

About the Image(s)

I was very lucky to spot a rare praying albino mantis on the back of a chair in my kitchen in Mexico a couple of months ago.

The albino mantis lacks pigment in its body, which makes it white or pale in color. I later learned that Albino mantis are not only rare, but they are considered to be good luck in some cultures.

In China it is said that if you see an albino mantis your wish will come true.

The mantis kept moving, so I took several photos, to show more clearly the face and the praying position.
In this shot I felt that it was truly locking eyes with me.

Shot with Canon R5
100 m with RF 100 m F2.8 L macro IS USM lens
2.5 sec at f/9.0 ISO 100
Tripod

This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted

Stuart Ord

Great shot, Gloria. A brave combination of 2.5 seconds and ISO 100 - I'd have been scuttling up the ISO and shutter speed. However it's nice and sharp where in focus, so well done.

I'm surprised the depth of field is so small for f9. Going to smaller apertures would not have given a strikingly greater DoF I suspect here. As it is, you got the focus bang on, well done.

The surface it's on isn't very attractive for a wildlife photo, but I guess it wouldn't have taken well to being moved onto a stick. Posted: 05/16/2023 15:21:24

Gloria Grandolini

Thanks Stuart, I have a lot to learn on Macro - up to now when I use a tripod I automatically always keep ISO at 100. Yes - I was scared it would fly away if I tried to move it. Posted: 05/17/2023 12:42:23

Carol Sheppard

I love your capture of the face and front part of its legs; I know that sometimes you have only moments to get shots of things like this. f9 is sort of puzzling--I would have expected more of its front to be in focus. I normally don't like to go above f11 on Macro, but even f16 might have been preferable. With being on a tripod, you had the option to hope it didn't move and increase the length of the shutter or move up the ISO quite a bit since you were so low at ISO100. Unless you are going to use this in a competition, I would suggest you try to get rid of the wood as it creates a very sharp demarcation. If you could have changed where you were shooting from--but then the face wouldn't be face-on to you. Posted: 05/16/2023 20:39:53

Gloria Grandolini

Carol, thanks for the tips - I guess I need to be more flexible on ISO even if I use a tripod. And I am still struggling to get the right f stop in macrophotography. Particularity with insects that are of a certain length. That is why I decided to go for the head and front part only in focus. I will keep practicing. Posted: 05/17/2023 12:45:14

Tom Pickering
(Groups 0 & 53)

I think you got the most important part of the mantis in focus - the head. The only issue I found was the background behind the insect's head. I desaturated that area to help pop the mantis' head. Thoughts? Posted: 05/27/2023 11:37:22

Gloria Grandolini

Thanks Tom, consistent with other comments.. that is an option, or clone out the chair somehow. Posted: 05/27/2023 13:34:14

Keith Au

Gloria, great capture!
I am sure it's very hard to set the focus point on the head.. and you did it. Agreed with other inputs.. do something to the background would help stand out the mantis. Posted: 05/27/2023 23:32:52

Pat Glenn

Gloria, I am impressed you could get a photo at all. it stayed put while you set up a tripod??? so we all agree the background is a distraction - a project for when you want to practice photoshop. it makes sense that the head and nearby "hands"are the only in focus. obvious is that to tell what the bug is the legs etc are needed but did you try crop jsut the head half body to see what it does... rotate so looks like those hands are "praying" with closeup of head. maybe jsut have only purple behind it at that point. Posted: 05/29/2023 21:27:36

PID Digital Dialogue

Group 95