Violin Nymphs Hatching! (video + photos)

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Those are the most amazing shots I have ever seen!

 

[leviatan]

Amazing photos dude ! It's a great pleasure to watch such a great video and pics. Congr

 

[Precarious]

Those are the most amazing shots I have ever seen!

Jeebus! You guys are gonna give me a big head!

Thanks so much.

Posting Creobroter gemmatus mating photos in a few minutes...

 

[dgerndt]

I wonder why we all enjoy watching mantids "do the nasty" so much. :lol: lol!

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Speaking for all the guys out there "I think it's all in our Heads" :tt2: :lol: (some pun intended)

 

[minty]

ur a pro!!!

 

[Slinkytreekreeper]

The nymph pics are great man, always a sucker for first instar pics but videos too totally rocks, please don't stop posting them up. Sublime work.

I reckon the light could maybe show more form if you dropped the power of one just slightly.

How far back/away from the lens can you move the twin lights and how far can you turn them up at full mag before you get blown highlights?

Cheers dude

 

[Precarious]

I reckon the light could maybe show more form if you dropped the power of one just slightly.

How far back/away from the lens can you move the twin lights and how far can you turn them up at full mag before you get blown highlights?

I didn't have the flash when I did these. Maybe next time.

 

[Mr.Mantid]

Hey Precarious,

Do you know of any prosumer end HD cameras that are able to do macroshots? Is there better macro lens out there then the one you own? Man, watching the qualitiy of your videos, I really just want to start shooting and editing the same types of video.

Thanks,

Mr. Mantid

p.s.

What program do you use to make you musics?

 

[Precarious]

Do you know of any prosumer end HD cameras that are able to do macroshots? Is there better macro lens out there then the one you own? Man, watching the qualitiy of your videos, I really just want to start shooting and editing the same types of video.

What program do you use to make you musics?

I think most camcorders can do macro now. Mine is the Canon HF200.

I did a whole lot of research and there are very few choices when it comes to lenses for camcorders. You are limited to magnifying diopter filters, which invariably distort along the edges and diffuse highlights when really zoomed in. There are filters that cost about twice what I paid for mine ($40) but with them you get a vignette unless you are zoomed in far enough, and they still cause distortion. I didn't think they were worth the money or the trouble of constantly removing the filter to avoid the vignetting.

So unfortunately you really can't get much better footage than this unless you get a really high end video camera. Of course, you can just use a good DSLR camera with HD capabilities. Then you'll have the ability to add high quality lenses. Eventually I'll probably switch over to using my T2i for video, but there is a pretty big difference from using a product made exclusively for video. Big difference in weight and functionality. Plus I can get in closer with the camcorder. I can get the T2i up to 1:1.4 since I added the 250D Close-Up Lens, which is perfect for photos. Not quite enough magnification to compete with the camcorder.

My main music software is Ableton Live 8. I really love it. Perfect for how I make music. I use a lot of VST plugins for effects and instrumentation. Plus I have a studio filled with a great mix of digital and analog synths. The ambient pieces in many of the videos were made using Camel Audio's Alchemy softsynth. Really amazing app with great presets.

 

[PRicardo]

WoW! Amazing video and shots! Also grats on the hatchlings! With these skills you should make a mantid video about their life or something, just send it to BBC and harvest the big money Absolutely Pro!

 

[Krissim Klaw]

So adorable and lovely shots.

Funny that you should post a picture of one of the Alien chest-bursters. As a kid the Alien movies were some of my favorites because I thought the Aliens were so adorable. I even have a bunch of the Alien figurines that I played with versus the hideous Barbie dolls all the other little girls my age played with.

 

[Precarious]

Funny that you should post a picture of one of the Alien chest-bursters. As a kid the Alien movies were some of my favorites because I thought the Aliens were so adorable. I even have a bunch of the Alien figurines that I played with versus the hideous Barbie dolls all the other little girls my age played with.

I still have all my Alien toys, including the original 18" Alien figure.

HR Giger, the designer of the creature in Alien, is one of my favorite artists. His biomechanical themes really tie in with mantids when you see them up close. You can even see ribbed tubes in their necks!

Looks to me like a lot of Japanese Anime biomechanoid monsters/heroes are influenced by mantids as well. The idea of armored plates with exposed muscle, tendons, and tubes in the joints between is all over Anime.

 

[Mr.Mantid]

I still have all my Alien toys, including the original 18" Alien figure.

Is that Guyver? I remember my brother and I watching the live-action movies as a kid.

 

[Precarious]

Is that Guyver? I remember my brother and I watching the live-action movies as a kid.

Yup...

Jimmy Walker and Mark Hamill. What were they thinking? :no:

 

[Malakyoma]

Just saw the video. they're really cute when they're so young. Makes me want some lol.