The results are in for the May 'Insects' photo challenge.
For animals widely regarded as 'scary' and 'creepy,' it turns out that insects make surprisingly attractive photo subjects. If you need convincing, a cursory look at the images that made the shortlist for our May 'Insects' photo competition should do the trick.
More than 730 entries were submitted to the May photo comp, with the final shortlist whittled down to 26 of the best, pictured below.
Charles McKean, this month's guest judge, had the challenging task of choosing a winner and in the end settled on a colourful macro photograph of a fly, shot by Mark Glancy. Glancy took the winning image with a Tamron Macro 90mm SP Di F/2.8 lens and a full set of opteka DG AF extension tubes. The image was lit with a Speedlite inside a small soft box, positioned "very close to the left and slightly above the fly".
"This macro image has all the key ingredients of a compelling image," commented McKean. "The detail in the compound eye reveals a view we don't normally see and the sharpness, contrast and colour balance all work well together to draw us into the photo. The cropping also works well here, making the fly's eyes the hero of the shot. Well done Mark."
McKean picked out two more images for special attention, 'Buggie' by Sharon Oakey and 'The Green Movement' by Mike Fuller.
As the winner of our monthly competition, Mark Glancy has won a Spyder4PRO from Kayell Australia, valued at $240. With a patented 7-colour sensor, the Spyder4PRO automates and simplifies display calibration to deliver consistent and predictable colour.
ABOUT THE JUDGE: Charles McKean is a Sydney-based, commercial photographer. He is an AIPP Master of Photography and an Associate of the Australian Photographic Society. He has exhibited widely and his work has featured in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, The Moran Photographic Prize, The Blake prize, the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award and Lonely Planet. Charles McKean also organises and curates AddOn – a core event of the Head On Photo Festival.
WINNER: 'Eyeballin' by Mark Glancy.
COMMENDED: 'Buggie,' by Sharon Oakey.
COMMENDED: 'The Green Movement,' by Mike Fuller.
'Alien,' by Mark Glancy.
'Beautiful Butterfly,' by Phillip Campbell.
'Flying,' by Houen Ying.
'Golden Lady by Dianne Tylinski
'Hairy Maclary Nicholas Lawson.
'Hover Craft by Rebecca Capel.
'Insects,' by Arlie V.
'Katydid,' by Lori Sharkey.
'Lady Love,' by K. Llewellyn.
'Let Bogongs be Bogongs,' by Brad Smith.
'Millipede,' by Valeria.
'Oh, Hey!' by Jules.
'Praying Mantis,' by Rick Bucknall.
'Robber Fly,' by Malcolm Wells.
'Shield Bug,' by P.R. Christensen.
'Swimming,' by Ben Nicholls.
'The Caterpillar,' by Janet Storer.
'The Mantis,' by Rick Bucknall.
'Transfixed,' by Ian McCamley.
'Under the Rainforest Canopy,' by Jade Walker.
'Wanderer or Monarch Butterfly,' by Ken Griffiths.
