Locusta sp.

A slight departure for me, I am usually looking up in the sky not down at my feet for my subjects. But if it flies I will photograph it.....

Tripped upon a small number of these whilst stalking a red backed shrike in Spain they caught my eye by fluttering away. Presumably shrike food in the making.

Oly E-3, 300mm F2.8 iso 200 tripod, Full frame

Hi Mike, imo the grasshopper/cricket would get more attention by cropping the bottom and maybe a little from the right side. I looks a little lost now I think.

looks nice and sharp but it's always tricky to separate the insect from the background when they're on the ground. Seems to be lacking a little colour as well, although that may have been down to the conditions.

Matt

Agree with comments , also feel that the grass behind the head is a tad distractiong.

I'm not really familiar with Locusts, but the ones I have encountered on a couple of occassions in the Alicante region have all been sandy brown colour, not the bright green of the African swarming locust. Wikipaedia indicates that in their none swarming phase locusts mimic their habitat, hence the overall brown hues of these locusts living in the arid scrublands?

More of a record shot as taken at around mid day when I should have packed my camera into its bag a few hours earlier and sought beer for solice on a poor day fruitlessly following hoopoe from field to field......

Well this one certainly mimics the colour of its background pretty well. intersting shot Mike.
Eric