Eating Machine

Locust sp. Santa Pola, Spain, E-500, Nikon AIS 300 f2.8 and Oly E1.4 tc, Tripod and insufficient depth of focus I know........- despite the Oly crop factor effect

First time I have come across Locust (Loci??), later in the weekend I came across flocks of Cattle Egret chasing these things at El Hondu reserve area nr Elche (although the reserve itself was closed ) but they were too timid to allow me to photograph them (the Egrets that is)

Typical Spain, major conservation area and showpiece reserve and it was all locked up...... another Spring target jobby next year, subject to sunbathing with the better half.....!

DoF you are aware of, really like the complimentary tones here, might have tried just a slightly higher viewpoint and more parrallel (sp) to the insect, but I have no idea what the shooting conditions were like.

Like it

This was the best of a bad job really, I was stood on a path bank at least 10 feet away and above the bare bush it was resting in, with much vegetation between the two of us. I just couldn't get the angle to get the whole boy in!

All the locust were far too warmed up to allow close stalking technique used for british grasshoppers! Their camouflage is really very good, all I usually saw was a flurry of wings and a slight flash of red as they zoom off the path,

I really wanted to have a go with the Oly E-50 F2 macro to see what it can do, but got no where near them so resorted to the big lens as a last resort

Agree that more dof would have been an improvement but I think you did very well given the restrictions you were under Mike

Terry