Shovel-tip cicada - Asiraca clavicornis

Size: 3.5-5mm. Due to its widespread forelegs and its greatly elongated first antennae, the shovel-tip cicada cannot be confused with any other species of cicada in Europe. It prefers to suckle on various herbaceous plants in dry ruderal areas.

Not very happy with the photos - my first tests of the new 30mm Macro lens, which seems to be with a very shallow depth of field.

comments (8)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Interesting creature, and the photo are definitely very usable, with important parts in focus, be happy!

How's the new lens? Using any flash system with it? Posted 4 years ago
1. Jivko Nakev
  
  Lion
  
  Not in this case, but I used it with the 60mm macro - a twin flash, Olympus as well. Still need to educate myself and more training. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Sure! If I may be so bold to give unasked advise, to me the f/4 sticks out in EXIF. Unless there's a special circumstance (extremely tiny subject or taking some more distance), common apertures I see and use is f/8, but even more common is f/11 and f/16.
    
    If you can't get away with that in normal daylight (no flash) because it leads to high ISO or a slow shutter speed, take some more distance, and then crop back in.
    
    A simpler version: almost every field macrophotographer I see (online and offline) pretty much always uses flash. f/16 is no issue then. Posted 4 years ago
  2. 1. Jivko Nakev
      
      Lion
      
      Ferdy, thank you for your kind advice. This is something I often ignore, mainly due to be in a hurry, not to miss the action! But the truth is that I really don't know this lens yet and I have to play with it a bit more. Posted 4 years ago
    2. 1. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        I know that feeling very much, but should you purely be in a macro session only, here's 2 modes I commonly use:
        
        With flash:
        ISO64 (as low as we can since we have flash anyway)
        f/11 or f/16, sometimes f/8
        Shutter speed: don't care, in aperture priority mode, it's calculated, and mostly fast enough.
        
        Without flash:
        Auto ISO (I set a range of min/max that I will allow)
        f/8 or f/11, preferably f/8 with some more distance (because less light)
        Shutter speed: again calculated because its aperture priority mode.
        
        So in the end, in macro mode, the only thing I do when switching between subjects is to change my distance and/or aperture, which is just a single dial. That's it. Posted 4 years ago
      2. Jivko Nakev
        
        Lion
        
        Thanks a lot, I shall try both very soon - at first occasion. Posted 4 years ago

Paul Dirksen

Lion

Stunning Jivko, love this little creatures. Posted 4 years ago
1. Jivko Nakev
  
  Lion
  
  Thank you, Paul. Posted 4 years ago