Last evening I went into our yard with my trusty new Macro lens. Wow I’m loving it! The coneflower I posted here shows a small ladybug of some sort I’ve never been much of a bug person but I have to admit I went out in search of one on a plant yesterday. I doubt I’ll be posting close ups of spiders (eeeek!!!) but I think I can handle a ladybug. 🙂
With this image I’d also like to mention for those who are new to photography that the colors here are complimentary colors. Well most of them anyway, lol. The green and the purple (or magenta) are opposite each other on the color wheel. I find the opposites work best especially for very colorful, pleasing images. I’m sure that a trained artist could tell you more about this but I’ve found it helpful to check out the color wheel when I’m in doubt with which colors work well together. I’ve included a color wheel at the bottom of the post in case you’re interested.
Insect on Flower Macro
Color Wheel for Complimentary Colors
Laura Macky Photography 
July 23, 2014 at 8:37 am
The only ladybugs I have seen are red with black spots. This one is a new beauty. I do like your color choices.
July 23, 2014 at 8:44 am
Thank you Edith 🙂 I’d never seen this type either. Maybe Victor Rakmil will identify it once he stumbles upon my post. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 8:42 am
According to my Gardner neighbors when I spotted same critter on bright pink rose; they kinda got hysterical ummm well as hysterical as gardeners do, and wanted to know which rose because apparently the beautiful insect is highly poisonous to certain plants. I know right who woulda thunk it? Of course I told them a different flower because I wasn’t done photographing the beautiful insect. Such is life….by the way all the roses came back this year so how poisonous can that little creature be anyway! Have a great day!!
July 23, 2014 at 8:46 am
Oh no! I hope they won’t kill are beautiful coneflowers. They’re so pretty!
July 23, 2014 at 8:46 am
Yes they are. Don’t give up…like I said the roses are exquisite this year!
July 23, 2014 at 8:54 am
Well these flowers die off once a year anyway so perhaps it’s just part of the natural process.
July 23, 2014 at 8:56 am
That’s what I’m thinking because the roses die as well. Nature…the only process we can’t muck up! 😀 So you loving the Macro lens aye? That’s my next lens of choice
July 23, 2014 at 8:58 am
I’m loving the Macro eye yes! It’s very fun to see such tiny worlds. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 9:00 am
Oh I can’t wait. I do enjoy ‘being’ with the flowers I capture and not just flashing the camera and moving on. You are right there are whole other worlds to explore.
July 23, 2014 at 10:17 am
I’ve always thought that all ladybirds were good for my roses as they eat up the aphids!!
July 23, 2014 at 11:08 am
I know me too! I hope our coneflowers will be ok. They’re so pretty right now.
July 23, 2014 at 11:48 am
All the insects love coneflowers 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:49 am
Hmpf…well, hopefully they’ll be nice for the summer and then come back again next year 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:53 am
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you! Meanwhile I shall be researching green ladybirds as I’m intrigued 😉
July 23, 2014 at 11:54 am
Cybele Moon said it was a cucumber bettle 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 8:47 am
Gorgeous colors and love the way they work together. Little lady is sweet! 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 8:54 am
Thank you Bonnie 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 8:58 am
Now that I am on the computer let me just say….that photo is exquisite. Thank you for sharing.
July 23, 2014 at 8:59 am
Thank you for commenting! You have a nice flower image on your blog as well. I love close ups too!
July 23, 2014 at 9:01 am
Thank you. Thanks for the ‘follow’ as well. Good to ‘meet’ you.
July 23, 2014 at 9:02 am
Nice to meet you too! And you’re welcome!
July 23, 2014 at 9:04 am
Gorgeous
July 23, 2014 at 9:13 am
Thank you 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 9:22 am
L…….so glad that someone else is falling into macro. I use it as my “blue” tool. That being when I know I need to produce an image,falling into a funk. My heart and soul is shouting go make an image. I put my macro kit on and wander about the yard and for 5-10-30 to an hour I am swept away into an otherwise unseen world.
The colors that mother nature puts together over power anything that I can alter in PS.
My only fault is that it seems so easy, I feel I am cheating. But it is a good wonderful gratifying feeling…….enjoy…monos en theos…jim
July 23, 2014 at 11:06 am
Thank you so much for your comments Jim. Sometimes I can’t quite catch everyone’s blog in the reader so I just went to look at it again. It’s really wonderful! You have a great eye. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 9:32 am
Very nice natural explanation of complimentary color – and this is meant as a compliment 🙂
Glad you are going mad with the macro too!
July 23, 2014 at 11:07 am
Thanks much Robert. 🙂 My compliments for your sentence content lol. 😀
July 23, 2014 at 9:54 am
Love that you’re shooting the bugs now 🙂
Great macro Laura!
July 23, 2014 at 11:08 am
Who would’ve thought? I draw the line at spiders though. I can’t get close enough to them to take a pic, lol. Thank you!
July 23, 2014 at 11:09 am
But they’re so cute with their legs and web and teeth and …. oh sorry, lol
July 23, 2014 at 11:13 am
EEEEK!!!! *covers eyes*
July 23, 2014 at 10:19 am
Love this Laura 🙂 I’ve never seen a green ladybird!! Nature very often puts complimentary colours together 🙂 They certainly make for striking photographs!
July 23, 2014 at 11:08 am
Thank you so much Sarah. I’ve never seen one either!
July 23, 2014 at 10:45 am
Wow, what a great photo. Amazing colours and I’ve never seen a green ladybug before. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:10 am
Thank you so much! I’d never seen one either. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 10:49 am
Pretty picture! I’m not much of a bug person but I do really like ladybugs. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:11 am
I don’t like bugs either but these small ones aren’t too bad. 😉
July 23, 2014 at 10:51 am
beautiful I have never see n a green lady bug! how cool
July 23, 2014 at 11:11 am
Thanks Rob! I hadn’t seen one either! Of course I wasn’t looking before. 😛
July 23, 2014 at 11:08 am
Absolutely magnificent Laura
July 23, 2014 at 11:13 am
Thanks much Mark. I appreciate it! 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:18 am
absolutely gorgeous!!! The bug I believe is a cucumber beetle and he is a perfect colour contrast!! ( however he eats blossoms arghh unlike Mrs. Ladybug)!!
July 23, 2014 at 11:19 am
Thank you 🙂 I’m disheartened to hear how it eats blossoms. 😦 I heard that from someone else here. Now I’m wondering what to do about it! What would you do? Spray?
July 23, 2014 at 12:10 pm
Try some Safer’s Soap or Neem oil which is organic and works on chewing bugs but doesn’t hurt beneficial ones.
July 23, 2014 at 12:48 pm
Thanks! I’ll check it out right now. Much appreciated. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 11:28 am
Amazing macro world.
July 23, 2014 at 11:32 am
sure is! Tnx Gav 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 12:22 pm
Please visit my new blogs if possible, hope you like it 🙂
http://ajaytaoquotesblog.wordpress.com/
thank you so much dear 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 1:06 pm
I appreciate your comments Ajay, but I prefer people not to post their blog links in my comments. Thank you.
July 23, 2014 at 7:10 pm
Oh okay dear sorry 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 1:10 pm
So cute! It’s the first green ladybug I’ve ever seen 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Thank you 🙂 I found out that it’s some sort of beetle though that eats flowers! I’ve ordered some non-toxic spray to keep these guys away. 😦
July 23, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Excellent macro!
July 23, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Thanks much Eden 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Reblogged this on B.E.S.T. Arts Gallery and commented:
Fantastic close up Laura!
July 23, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Wonderful image Laura, colours are just gorgeous. I’m glad you are enjoying your new lens – I have the same one but don’t use it enough but every now and then I go a bit ‘macrotastic’ 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 7:56 am
Macrotastic hahha…wouldn’t that be a great name for someone’s blog who only does macro work? Fabulous!!! Thank you for your kind words Lisa 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 3:14 pm
LOVE this image. It’s so pleasing to me. I am a huge bug fan, as far as capturing them on “film” goes. Not so much in my house. My backyard is overrun with dragonflies and I’m okay with that.
July 24, 2014 at 7:55 am
Ohhh I wish we had more dragonflies here. We do, but I never see them on bushes, I only see them flying around. Glad you liked the image Allison…this is a whole new world to me and I’m loving it!
July 23, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Ah the echinacea flower… Makes for such a stunning macro and this is one along with its little cucumber beetle. Love it!
I love the things that have been said about macro here. For me its exactly these things… Seeing another world that I never knew was there… Right in front of me. Love it. Love the detail! Did I tell you I like this? 😛
July 24, 2014 at 7:54 am
Tell me what? 😉
July 24, 2014 at 2:56 pm
😛
July 23, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Wow! Love the colors and the little green VW. 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 7:53 am
Thank you so much. I’m loving looking more closely at things. 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 7:53 am
VW LOL
July 23, 2014 at 4:18 pm
So beautiful, Laura! The macro lens, and a photographer like you, open the windows to a whole new world!
July 24, 2014 at 7:53 am
Thank you Fabio! Your comments are always so cheery. 😀
July 24, 2014 at 8:07 am
Have a GREAT day, Laura! 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 8:14 am
You too Mr. Cheerful. 😉
July 24, 2014 at 9:39 am
Thanks so much, Laura! 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 10:32 am
😀
July 23, 2014 at 4:55 pm
A bug that is a lady is hard to resist! Nicely done, Laura!
July 24, 2014 at 7:52 am
Thank you Ravi. 🙂
July 23, 2014 at 5:17 pm
Spotted Cucumber Beetle. Some have stripes too.
July 24, 2014 at 7:52 am
Ohhh…I’ll have to be on the lookout…although they might not be there much longer. 😛
July 23, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Beautiful shot and colors! (I keep a small color wheel that I picked up at a hobby store in my camera bag)
July 24, 2014 at 7:51 am
Thank you so much Ted. Good idea to keep the color wheel with you!
July 23, 2014 at 6:10 pm
Gorgeous! I love the composition, the composition, and the joy of it.
July 24, 2014 at 7:50 am
Thank you Robyn!
July 23, 2014 at 8:59 pm
Nice work, thank you for including the color wheel!
July 24, 2014 at 7:48 am
Thank you and you’re welcome!
July 23, 2014 at 9:09 pm
I have never seen a green lady bug. It might be a transgender ladybug! Are there any male lady bugs? Maybe they’re called lad bugs? And thanks for the color wheel!
July 24, 2014 at 7:48 am
It’s a cucumber beetle that unfortunately I have to get rid of because they are not a good pest I found out.
July 24, 2014 at 8:09 am
I’m sorry. Is there a good pest?
July 24, 2014 at 8:14 am
haha I think ladybugs are good? But what do I know. I know nothing about insects. 😛
July 24, 2014 at 3:04 am
Such vibrant colors, love them!
July 24, 2014 at 7:46 am
Thank you Klaudia 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 3:06 am
The colour wheel. Very interesting, Laura. I’ve never heard of this, but now that I have I will keep it in mind when out taking photos. Absolutely love your photo of the ladybug. It is dwarfed by the petals of the flowers yet it still stands out – as if it’s kind of the world climbing up…up…and up that flower. With those spots on its back, it sure wants to be seen 😉
July 24, 2014 at 7:46 am
Thank you Mabel. 🙂 Glad you liked it and the color wheel!
July 24, 2014 at 6:53 am
This kind of spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) is a major agricultural pest insect of North America! Ladybug is the beneficial bug, the true keeper! Please do not mix them up… Great image, though. 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 7:45 am
I just talked with our landscaper (and my friend) and she definitely said that the cucumber beetle should be eliminated but not the ladybug. She gave me suggestions so as not to bother the other good insects. Thank you for your comments!
July 24, 2014 at 7:49 am
You are welcome! I am a landscaper myself.
July 24, 2014 at 7:58 am
oh how funny! small world…. 😉 just gave you a follow. I’ll look forward to your site even if I’m a bit inconsistent in the viewing.
July 24, 2014 at 8:03 am
It is always nice to learn things. 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 8:14 am
yes! 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Lovelyyy
July 24, 2014 at 3:48 pm
Thank you!
July 24, 2014 at 6:29 pm
Another dazzler! 🙂
July 24, 2014 at 6:32 pm
Love that! Thank you 🙂
July 26, 2014 at 11:27 am
Stupendous shot!
July 26, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Thank you so much. 🙂
July 31, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Stunning