Sharpshooter

I appreciate your comments. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a Sharpshooter Leafhopper, but I could be wrong. This is a very little guy, maybe an inch. I do think they are in the same family tho...Homoptera.

Yes, that's exactly what I do. I hike a lot so I spend a lot of time looking around for bugs. I finally got two cameras, so now I can shoot wildlife and insects. Life is good.

I have seen wonderful images from the Sigma 105. I hear it's a great lens.

I can't wait till you share some of your work.

Thanks for the info! I'm getting ready to order a flash for my camera. The Pentax AF-540. I'm also getting the cable and stuff so I can use it off camera and then the Lumiquest softbox II. Is that what you're doing? Holding the flash above the bug while you take the photo? You aren't using a macro flash right? My main macro interest is insects. I'm trying to get set up for that. You're using a tripod right? Also, you're right about the Sharpshooter. A Google image search shows a lot of pictures of that guy. They do look a lot like cicada's though. Here's another Sharpshooter...
sharpshooterdurham41406.jpg


Here's a Cicada. I think this is a 17 year cicada. We have all sorts of cicada's around here in the summer time.
cicada_1.jpg


When I was going to Oklahoma State about 12 years ago, there were a LOT of cicada's around that fall for some reason. Anyways, I had a big, opaque plastic pickle jug. I filled it with about 150 cicada's and boy were they mad. A buddy and I went to the girls dorm and went up to the 10th floor or so with this big jug of bugs. There were four girls waiting on the elevator. They were looking at us uneasily. They got on the elevator and just as the doors were closing, I loosened the lid and threw that jug of cicada's in there with them. You could hear them screaming all the way down to the ground floor. :D I've grown up a little bit since then though.
 
Excellent image... Great detail. When I get my canon in February I will have the 100 Macro and love insect Macros..Nikon handles them ok but within it's limits. I will anxious to be shooting those amazing little creatures.
 
Thanks for the info! I'm getting ready to order a flash for my camera. The Pentax AF-540. I'm also getting the cable and stuff so I can use it off camera and then the Lumiquest softbox II. Is that what you're doing? Holding the flash above the bug while you take the photo? You aren't using a macro flash right? My main macro interest is insects. I'm trying to get set up for that. You're using a tripod right?

I use it on camera. I spent a tremendous amount of time and money trying different brackets and flash setups. About a year ago I thought I would try the flash directly connected to the camera. I've never used my flash bracket again. With that said, I use it with my 100mm, so it may not provide sufficeint light with some lenses, extension tubes etc.

I never use a tripod either. It's way to hard to manipulate a tripod in the bushes and changeing settings on a moving subject. With a flash, you can get shutter speeds that allow you to handhold. I decent trick is to use a 3-4 foot stick in the palm of your hand and hold it tightly against the camera. This allows quick vertical adjutments and helps steady. This is like a monpod, but better IMO.

I pretty much use the same setting in manual mode..Shutter 200/250 and aperture 13. One more thing I do that helps with focus, I use the AIServo mode. The DOF is so narrow that using manual or even one shot can be really tricky..the slightest movment and you miss the focus.

good luck

Here is a snapshot of my set up:
234567595-X3.jpg
 
Excellent image... Great detail. When I get my canon in February I will have the 100 Macro and love insect Macros..Nikon handles them ok but within it's limits. I will anxious to be shooting those amazing little creatures.


Thank you Nikonlady, I look forward to your shots.
 
Great shot, love the colors. He's kind of cute. How much was your set-up for your camera in the picture above.
 

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