Hunter and Hunted

I was finishing swimming with my kids when I saw this male Flame Skimmer land and figured I would see if I could get it to transfer from the perch on the plant to my finger. Sometimes I can pull this off, but not this time. Instead, the DF flew off and then my finger got "attacked" by the preying mantis. It was so well camouflaged that I never saw it while focused on the DF. I ran in and got the closest camera I could get to and went back out and waited. A few moments later the DF went back to this perch and I snapped away. The mantis did make a lunge for the DF but the DF was a bit too quick. Unfortunately, that shot didn't turn out. This is probably the better one of the brief series. Kind of a goofy comp and this was even after I added some canvas to the left side. Taken under light filtered from a mesquite tree.

Canon 7D, 300mm f/4 + 1.4x TCIII
1/200s, f/8, ISO 200
hand held

Critique appreciated. Thanks for looking.

- Sam