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Cicada Killer
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Cicada Killer

by John Neukirch

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted August 23, 201288 views7 comments
This wasp was on the same flower that my previous mason wasp was shot on. Only a very minor crop and just a slight amount of dodging on it's abdomen.

D300s
60mm macro
ISO 200
300mm
1/400 @ f/14
HH

C & C welcome.

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on August 23, 2012 at 6:47 PM
You got closer than I would want to. I've gotten clobbered by these too many times in the woods to want a deliberate close encounter. They are marvelous motivators though, for getting through vines and briers that only the second before seemed impenetrable! :biggrin:

Excellent closeup and good DOF.
Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on August 23, 2012 at 7:24 PM
Great detail - you can even see the pollen particles.
Nice colours - the wasp's red shows well against the yellows and greens.
Fine image!
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on August 24, 2012 at 6:40 AM
Beautiful, complementary colors. I like the chosen DOF rendering nearly all of the wasp sharp. Very nice BG. Another fine wasp photo, John.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on August 24, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Terrific details in the wasp and flower. Interestingly, this doesn't look like what I would call a Cicada Killer, but that's the challenge of common names. I am curious, did you use the 60 macro or the 300 for this shot?

I looked Cicada Killers up on the web and it turns out that what I've always called a Cicada Killer is in fact the European Hornet, Vespa crabro, you got it right, John.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by John Neukirch on August 24, 2012 at 7:26 PM
Mark,

I used my 60mm macro, handheld for this shot.
Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on August 25, 2012 at 9:00 AM
Pretty wasp, I wonder if that's what I saw the other day. I'll have to check. anyway....wonderful detail and dof. He really stands out on the flowerhead. Nice job
Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on August 25, 2012 at 3:56 PM
Great job for handheld, John! Nice clear details on the wasp especially the jewel-like eye. The yellow perch and green background show off the reddish brown wasp well. Nice comp too.
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments