Hopping mad

[ATBphotography]

Hey all :D ,
Here are some more shots, this time of grasshoppers, (My first ever hoppers)
These guys drove me completely insane this morning, Everytime you get close they either think its funny to attach themselves to your lens or just disappear into thin air within seconds. Anyway my patience payed off and I finally got some pictures of grasshoppers (possibly younger ones they were only about 4 or 5mm long) I did manage to see a damselfly today (my first ever one of these too) but sadly it wouldn't let me get close enough with the mp-e for a picture :( .What do you think? Thanks for looking.

1.Is he smiling at me?:D about 2:1 magnification.
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/grasshopper.jpg

2. Not entirely sure what that is underneath the grass. 1:1
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hopper3.jpg

3. This was supposed to be a crop of 2. but for some reason I cropped the wrong image instead- so this'll have to do for now :) ( they're pretty similiar images anyway)
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hopper4crop.jpg

4. 1.5:1
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hopper2.jpg

5. "That's your lot, I'm off" I think he said :D 1.5:1
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hopper5.jpg

[Mick Emmett]

No.3 seems a little on the bright side Andrew although I can still make out good detail in the eye.

[ATBphotography]

Thanks Mick, I see what you mean. Like I said I got the wrong image cropped so I didn't have chance to do any PP on this image before putting it on, I'll get the right image and put it on in a minute.:D

[ATBphotography]

OK, heres the picture I was meant to put on instead of no.3 :D - Any better or not?
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hoppercrop.jpg

[Mick Emmett]

Well to be honest Andrew; no it's still very bright, it looks as though it was a very sunny day and too much light got in.

[ATBphotography]

OK, last try- all I've done is darkened up the original a bit, I know the arms and the back of the head are still blown but I think this is probably the best I'm gonna get this to look.
http://www.andrewbennettphotography.co.uk/hoppercrop2.jpg
What do you reckon this time? shall I just give up with this one or do you think he looks alright now :( .

[mali0012]

very good effort,i know these are really difficult to shoot ,best time is very early morning when its still cool ,they are much slower then and gives you a better chance of getting some pics,they need a fair bit of heat from the sun before they start kicking out and disapearing .
i dont think theres alot more you can do to the pic in ps,the rest of it looks fine ,but you cant do much with blown highlights

[Mick Emmett]

It looks better Andrew but as mali0012 says, it's a bit of a lost cause with the blown highlighs.