Martian?

Discussion

17 replies

Posted by Matt Cole on February 17, 2012 at 5:13 PM

OK, it may look like the red planet, but it's a house brick with a tiny Globular Springtail on it (2-3mm in length). They're very common, if you turn over a rock or plant pot in your garden the chances are you'll see some but you do have to look very carefully. They remain active even in very cold weather (so they give macro fanatics like me something to practice on over the winter months

).

Canon 7D with MPE-65mm macro lens at f10, 1/160, ISO 100 and diffused MT-24 flash. Taken at between 4 and 5x magnification.

If anyone would like to see a few more Globular Springtail images they may like to see the following post on my blog:
http://mattcolephotography.blogspot.com/2012/02/globular-springtails.html

All comments gratefully received.

Matt

(I hope the forum is healthy enough to withstand something as unusual as this. I've a feeling it needs a few barn owl and red squirrel images to nurse it back to life

)

Posted by Ian Macdermott on February 17, 2012 at 5:18 PM

Excellent Matt

Being super picky

the bottom right hand side grabs attention.

More macro that's what this forum needs

Posted by Nick Mckeown on February 17, 2012 at 5:19 PM

WOW Matt! I have never seen one of these (Hardly surprising at 2-3mm long I guess!) and your title is very apt...in fact if you said in lived on Mars I would have believed you! I take my hat off to you as I know how difficult it is to capture good images at 4 or 5X mag.

Nick.

Posted by Rene de Heer on February 17, 2012 at 5:39 PM

I think its superb!
Rene de Heer

Posted by John Robinson on February 17, 2012 at 6:25 PM

Your usual macro quality Matt.!
I think I would take the bottom right mush out.
JR

Posted by Barry Southon on February 18, 2012 at 12:12 AM

Matt

Your top line quality

Posted by Bob Johnson on February 18, 2012 at 3:11 AM

I think that this is extraordinary and just the sort of unusual stuff we need Matt

Bob

Posted by Andy Shepherd on February 18, 2012 at 4:37 AM

Another quality macro shot, Matt. It's a very cool creature

. Agree with JR re the mush on the right.

Andy...

Posted by Roy Bailey on February 18, 2012 at 7:56 AM

Always enjoy viewing these macro shots,colour is very nice and the patterns on springtail look great,bottom right corner does distract just slightly but still an excellent shot.

Posted by Paul Whippey on February 18, 2012 at 10:08 AM

Very nice photo of an interesting subject Matt. I'll have to rummage around the garden and have a look for these critters! I agree that the bottom right is a little distracting, but easily fixed.

Superb.

Posted by Phil Ellard on February 18, 2012 at 1:40 PM

Lovely tones and of course very high quality

Posted by Robert Lawrence on February 18, 2012 at 3:24 PM

As always, a terrific macro image.

Posted by Malcolm Muir on February 18, 2012 at 5:14 PM

Very, very good Matt - love it. As you say, something extra-terrestrial about the colour and composition.

Posted by Craig Jones on February 19, 2012 at 6:57 AM

Your macro work is brilliant and this is another fine image, brilliant detail and composition

Posted by Matt Cole on February 19, 2012 at 8:02 AM

many thanks for the comments folks.

If anyone's interested I've removed the mush on the RHS in the image on my blog:
http://mattcolephotography.blogspot.com/2012/02/globular-springtails.html

Matt

Posted by David Taylor on February 21, 2012 at 7:59 AM

I don't know how I missed this. Brilliant image.

Posted by Nick on February 21, 2012 at 9:08 AM

Fantastic set of images Matt

Posted by keith mitchell on February 21, 2012 at 3:28 PM

Matt if i had taken this i would be thrilled to bits ,bottom bit does not bother me.

Keith.