Sphinx Moth by Canon DSLR Challenge

Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Challenge 96 - An Unusual Point of View (hosted by Michael Puff) >> Eligible > Sphinx Moth

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16-JUN-2007	Victor Engel

Sphinx Moth

Austin, TX

Last month, I went to Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie with my daughter. As soon as we entered the grounds, I found a hornworm on the ground. Because of the crowds about to show up, I decided to take the caterpillar with me. I kept it until it hatched. Here you see it on its maiden flight after hatching.

EXIF says flash did not fire. That is not true. I used a Vivitar flash.

Canon EOS 10D ,Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
1/125s f/5.6 at 300.0mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto

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Canon DSLR Challenge		22-Jun-2007 01:03
Great shot Victor. I'm really pleased all that effort was rewarded. - Najinsky

Canon DSLR Challenge		20-Jun-2007 14:46
Wonderful "capture", in more ways than one! Really lovely Victor. I was fortunate to get a few pictures of one of these amazing creatures but yours is much better! CJ

Canon DSLR Challenge		20-Jun-2007 02:28
Thanks. Waxahachie, by the way, is where the superconducting supercollider was going to be. Since you commented on the name, perhaps it's appropriate now to comment on the pronunciation. The locals pronounce each of the a's differently. The first one is pronounced [A] (seehttp://www.plexoft.com/SBF/FAQaue/index.html#PRONUNCIATION ) like in father or hot. The second one is pronounced [@] (schwa). The third one is pronounced [&] as in cat. It's a native American name that means buffalo creek. -- Victor

Canon DSLR Challenge		20-Jun-2007 01:54
Now that is terrific Victor. You really do prepare for a film shoot! Great result. Love those names: 'Waxahatchie' ... sounds like somebody describing a 'tomahawk'? ~ Regards Melbob

Canon DSLR Challenge		18-Jun-2007 06:21
I have confirmation the moth is a female. Apparently, she's so gravid that flying is difficult. She jettisoned a few eggs the last time I saw her. Unfortunately, I lost track of her in the room and I didn't find her until tonight when I heard some flapping. Somehow, she found her way into a box of golf balls and couldn't get out. I retrieved her and set her on a peach tree in the back yard. She climbed up a ways and then stopped, apparently happy with her new spot. -- Victor

Guest		17-Jun-2007 17:17
I enjoyed reading how this shot came about. Really quite an amazing effort, Victor, and with lovely results. -Michael

Canon DSLR Challenge		17-Jun-2007 09:38
We sometimes get these on or near our back porch at night or at least at dusk. I need to make it a point to put some nice, potted flowers out there this summer to see if we can attract more of them. They remind me very much of hummingbirds. Jim H.

Canon DSLR Challenge		17-Jun-2007 07:34
P.S. In highschool, I got a picture of one on Kodachrome 64 (this time it was a white lines sphinx moth) without flash. It was dusk, and this time it was in the wild, pollinating some wildflowers. -- Victor

Canon DSLR Challenge		17-Jun-2007 07:31
I'm glad someone appreciates the difficulty of this shot. This is an unusual shot for me because it's a studio shot. I don't normally do studio shots. In this instance, though, I figured the moth would fly away before I had a good chance to photograph it. My original plan was to get an angel trumpet plant, because a neighbor had reported seeing one polinating his. However, I was unable to find one in bloom that was a size that could be transported in my car. So I began a search for appropriate flowers. Nothing in my yard would do. I went to several plant nurseries, and, although some had angel trumpets, none had them in bloom. The last nursery I went to was across town. Coincidentally, that meant I had to drive by fields of horse mint. I pulled over to the side of the road to get some horse mint (something I've wanted to do anyway, because I love horse mint). I got a couple of plants that were pleasantly fragrant, potted them, watered them, set them up in the studio (that happens to have sky blue walls), set things up, covered the window, turned off the ceiling fan, and then released the moth. Into the room, that is. I suspect I'll be releasing her (I think it's a female) outdoors tomorrow. -- Victor

Canon DSLR Challenge		17-Jun-2007 06:21
Awesome, Victor. Not only is it great that you rescued it and kept it safe until it "graduated", but the photo is excellent. We get sphinx moths around here on occasion, but they mostly seem to come out at night or in the evening. As much as I'd love to get a picture of one, I never have managed to do so. They seem to be very wary. They're amazing moths. It's a great shot with a great story to go with it! Jim H.