In my back yard...

[Jon]

I was mowing the yard when I noticed some movement on the rose bushes. I've never seen one of these, in the wild, in my entire life here in the Pacific NW. I took this one while lying on my back, using the onboard flash as fill.

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[Jon]

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[Sock Puppet]

Wow! Great photography of that praying mantis there! :)

[truthmatters]

I was mowing the yard when I noticed some movement on the rose bushes. I've never seen one of these, in the wild, in my entire life here in the Pacific NW. I took this one while lying on my back, using the onboard flash as fill.

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Just stunning !

[Sitarro]

Great work Jon!

[Jon]

Thanks guys.

I'm actually not 100% happy with either of them. The first one just looks a little "off" to me, and the second is a bit soft. I'm glad you like them.

[PostmodernProphet]

The first one just looks a little "off" to me

judging by the expression on his face, you looked a bit "off" to him too......

[Mr. P]

Thanks guys.

I'm actually not 100% happy with either of them. The first one just looks a little "off" to me, and the second is a bit soft. I'm glad you like them.

I like the first one the best. I know what you mean about a little "off" (I think).
Do you think the clouds are a detractor? They seem to draw my eye away from the bug.

[PostmodernProphet]

They seem to draw my eye away from the bug

I agree distraction is the key, but I think it is the flower, that was the first thing I noticed, before the bug......

the angle of the shot across the flower was unusual, it isn't often that you see a picture of a flower taken from that angle and it was striking enough to draw attention to the shape of the petals....you could probably crop the photo into two striking photos, one of the flower, another of the bug.....

[darin]

I think i know what you mean about #1, Jon - The bug looks a little 'flat' maybe? There's some detail missing in both, especially around the head.
However, the backgrounds - the rest of the environment of the bug look Studio-produced. Your lighting and what-not is fantastic :)