Peek a Boo

[Ken Ramos]

For me, moths are something that I just come across by chance, as was the case with this one. I particularly do not care much for photographing moths, unless they are the big pretty ones,which I see seldom of or if I do a bird usually snatches them up before I can photograph them but these little white furry ones are really neat, I think anyway.




(Both images)
EOS 30D
Manual mode/hand held/IS off
1/125 sec. @ f/20 ISO 100
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Wide Angle Zoom @ 135mm (close focus)
430EX Speedlite, full
Early morning

[Bruce Williams]

Exposure is near spot-on with good detail in the brilliant white subject. Nice clean looking images too with none of that over saturated, burnt-out look that can sometimes be the case with flash. Now I know you have moved away from dark backgrounds but I think with this subject it really works well.

Isn't it so frustrating that insects always seem to prefer the "other side" of the leaf or stem

Bruce

[rjlittlefield]

Nicely done -- white can be a problem but you've held good tone here.

I'd guess the moth is one of the white Tiger Moths, family Arctiidae. Possibly genus Spilosoma.

As for "peek-a-boo", you may find this BugGuide entry for Spilosoma amusing: http://bugguide.net/node/view/12123/bgimage .

--Rik

[Ken Ramos]

I have a photo somewhere of two of these mating, Rik. The whites are really blown on the bugguide photo but a very unique shot all the same. These moths are beautiful I think and yes they, like many other insects, Bruce, always want to hide somewhere in the plant to spoil a good shot of them.

Thanks guys!

[beetleman]

Looks like a Za Za Gabor moth. An excellent photo "Darling"

[Ken Ramos]

No Doug, "Daah-ling" Which one of them was it in "Green Acres?" ZaZa or Ava/Eva?

Thanks Doug

[rjlittlefield]

That would be Eva, of course -- don't be silly, Daahling!

--Rik