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a female portrait


a female portrait
Photo Information
Copyright: Michal Grabowski (cedryk) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 50 N: 1722] (5270)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5000, 28-105 mm, @ ISO 100
Exposure: f/6.8, 1/79 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Montenegro
Theme(s): Beetles and Bugs of the world (Chapter 2) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-11-13 20:18
Viewed: 5705
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) - female

(The fact is that most of the people take photos of the male stag beetles - this is an "equal rights" shot to present the female :-))

Distribution: Southern and central Europe.

Habitat: Broad-leaved woodlands, especially oak, but also parks and gardens where there are hedgerows, tree stumps and logs.

Size: Dark, violet-brown elytra (wing cases) with reddish-brown antlers (female's antlers are much smaller than the male's and violet in colour). Larva is creamy-white.


Life-span: The larva lives 3-5 years. Adults live only between the months of May and August.

Food: Larva eats rotting wood and roots. It is thought that the adult either eats tree sap or nothing at all.

Breeding: When the male has found a female, he lifts his head, opens his antlers wide and walks around her, showing himself off. If two males are interested in the same female, they will fight each other, using their antlers like a male deer. The stronger of the two turns the other onto his back and the loser retreats. Injuries are rare as the encounter is more of a display of aggression than a dangerous fight.

After mating, the female finds some moist decaying wood in which to lay her eggs. She prefers oak woodlands but where these are scarce she will seek out logs and old tree stumps in parks, gardens and hedgerows. When she has laid her eggs, she dies, and the male does not last much longer.

source: YPTENC: Stag Beetle
Shaver, deud, dew77, red45, marhowie, Markus, thistle, wallhalla15, Athila, sily has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Shaver (100)
  • [2005-11-13 21:26]

Good job, I found your note very useful. Your macro shot is very detailed and I would describe it as a face that only a mother couold love. TFS

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 438 W: 11 N: 534] (2540)
  • [2005-11-14 2:25]

wow! super close-up. very well done. fantastic details. great textures. very well focused on subject. great colors, light. excellent

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2005-11-14 3:56]

Hello Michal!
Wonderful macro.Details are crisp clear and razorharp.Eyes,blurred BG,POV and composition are wonderful.
TFS..:-)

  • Great 
  • Kris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 174 W: 0 N: 129] (1818)
  • [2005-11-14 4:05]

Hi Michal,
Excellent close-up! A really interesting subject.
Very good clarity, sharpness and colour.
Well done and thanks for sharing!

Naprawde super - co za glebia ostrosci - duzo informacji :)
pozdrawiam,
Krzysztof

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2005-11-14 4:59]

Ale zblizenie! Niesamowita skala. Super szczegoly, ostrosc i oswietlenie. Jednak Nikony potrafia ;-) Bardzo interesujacy opis. No i feministki beda zadowolone ;-)

Very sharp and detailed Michal. Perfect exposure, great POV & DOF in your headshot. Good job of applying the gaussian blur to your BG also. Excellent note. Well done!
Thank You.

Fajna fotka!
Troche dziwny POV, mam wrazenie ze moglby byc lepszy, ale reszta jest bardzo dobra (szczegolnie swiatlo i kadr). Detale na pancerzu widac swietnie.
Pozdrowienia :)

  • Great 
  • Athila Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 335 W: 239 N: 493] (1982)
  • [2005-11-14 21:26]

Wow! Great close-up Michal !

Excellent sharpness and exposure. Beautiful details and texture in its "skin". How big was it? Any idea of the magnification ratio? TFS.

Great shot Michal, great lighting, details and sharpness, nice bg and contrast. Very well done, thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • sily Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 239 W: 6 N: 395] (1934)
  • [2007-05-14 6:53]

HI Michal!
Amazing and superb close up, great work!

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