That's real?!? I thought it was a sculpture! Lol.

I didn't know it even exists around here. Never saw one like that.

And it is just up hill from you. The range also extends up to the Red River. There is also the Lesser Arid-land Katydid that is without the black and has white eyes so is called the White Eyed Devil . It also lives here in texas. It really was quite calm and I had to threaten it to get it to make the display. She got used to me and the camera. After we were done with shooting she just walked calmly out of the bag and down our ramp.

This post was edited by wantonamara on Sat, Jul 5, 14 at 12:14

What great photos! I agree -- it is a beautifully designed creature and looks like a finely wrought sculpture. Too exquisite to destroy for sure.

That packing material made a perfect container for the shoot because it diffused the light very nicely. You should have seen us both holding the bag with one hand and each had our large REAL cameras and heads stuck in the bag. We were in our shop and decided to walk outside all in a unitized clump. It is a wonder we didn't fall on our faces.

We are both camera nuts and highly competitive about GETTING THE SHOT. My camera has a better lens but he is better at color balance in the camera but I am better at post production. he is better at exposure but I am better at composition. LOL. We are a hoot. He is now looking at a new camera with a better lens.

Those are amazing shots! So, who's work are we looking at? :-)

I also thought it was a metal yard sculpture that you had made or bought. Amazing.

Mary

Great pics of a really interesting bug.
Tally Ho!

I just have to ask what camera took those pictures? What great close-up details! I'm currently looking for a new camera also :)

It is old but it is a mid level Nikon SLR., a D80 with a non "kit" lens. I spent extra bucks on the lens. Good glass is always worth its money no mater what you get. I am getting the new camera bug also. This is a full sized sensor plate. That is also important , more important than how many mega pixels the camera is. If the sensor plate is the size of half a penny. My camera is a large camera. If you don't want a camera that large there are some that use the 3/4 sized sensor plate made by Olympus and LUMIX. They are more compact and do wonderful stuff. I grew up with big cameras and have never gotten into the small camera thing. I don't know how to use the camera in my phone.

I do some post camera production in iPhoto on my iMac to clean things up. It is my picture vanity. I will burn in highlights, balance colors, fiddle with cropping, bring out shadow detail. Basically I will work an image to get what I remember. Cameras are not infallible. pixels often have lots of info that is not visible and just need to be tweaked.

wow, certainly looks like a predator.

thanks for sharing

The first time I found one of those in my yard years ago, my first impulse was simple! RUN for the camera, get the shots before it gets away. It was fairly cooperative, stayed on the fennel and posed for me, even flared its wings up! A face only a mother Greater Arid Land Katydid could love, but it's amazing to experience this creature up-close and personal! Congrats, Mara, those pics are great!

I used to have a Nikon D80 and loved it, but my ex-husband insisted on keeping it. I'm looking at the Nikon D3200 right now. Can you tell me what non-kit lens you have?

OMG, Linda. That's also a great picture, but I'm a little freaked out, because it looks like it's staring right at me :)

My husband really did not like that my pictures came out clearer and better than his. We are a tad competitive about certain things. Well, he got bit by the better lens bug good and clicked the submit button to a doozer of an Olympus lens that normally sells for north of a grand and he found for less than half. so he is out there putting me to shame now shooting up everything.

That is one awesome bug!

We ran into one last year at the state park and it got my son, he's 20, pretty good. It was comical because he thought it was grasshopper. We laughed only after he was fine. He knew better than to just grab it up.
kim

IT bit him? did it swell or hurt? In lindas's picture he has some real interesting mouth gears. Did it have a venomous bite?

.." she is gorgeous in an alien kind of way". LOL! That was my exact response to this incredible creature when I first found one too. And of course I wouldn't dream of killing it.
And now you've answered all the questions I had about it, so thanks! Great photos and info about cameras too!

Neat, I've only seen one once, in Oklahoma.