#9 Seven spotted ladybug

I found this ladybug in High Park. The photo is one of my first using lens mounted speedlights. I think the flash is a bit harsh in this shot. For most things it seems a bounced, softer light is better. I used a 105mm macro lens; exposure was 1/60 sec @ f/18.

And yes, they really do have 7 spots. The Coccinellidae family has over 5,000 species; sometimes referred to as Ladybirds.

The following is some interesting info from the Wikipedia article…

“The name “ladybird” originated in the Middle Ages when the insects were known as the “beetle of Our Lady” . They were named after The Virgin Mary, who in early religious paintings was often shown wearing a red cloak. The spots of the seven spot ladybird were said to symbolise seven joys and seven sorrows.”

And, of course, they are insects, not bugs.

#2 Close encounter

I took this a few weeks ago while photographing some White Oak seedlings. My wife has collected (rescued from the squirrels) about 20 acorns and started a small nursery in our back yard. I’ve been documenting their growth with a 6″ scale ruler. At the end of the shoot this amazing creature struck a pose directly in front of my macro lens. Nothing to do but focus, click and say thanks. Left side of the scale is metric; this guy being 7mm, head to wing tip. The light was from two bounced speedlights inside a small white box. Thanks to David Chung for showing me how to do this.