My entry for the 7 DAYS MACRO-PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE #2 by @flamingirl

Hello again, Steemians!

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I don't think photography has anything to do with luck, rather skill, but I decided to pray for the best. Because that's what praying mantises do, they pray, right?

This is the photo I wanted to submit for the challenge by @flamingirl. I always loved macro photography, ever since I started learning about photography in general.

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Oh, yeah, I believe I should explain the photo a bit further. It was taken in our backyard. We were playing with our dog Aris yesterday, just like any other day. This time we played fetch with tennis balls. One time, when he dropped a ball and I came after it, I immediately noticed something green, but lighter green than the grass is. Of course, I had a mini panic attack, as I always do when I come across huge insects. Of course, I mean them no harm and I would do them no harm, especially when they're just living their life in their natural habitat, but there's something about them that intimidates me. I wouldn't be afraid of any kind of a dog out there, even if they weigh 200 lbs, but insects don't make me feel comfortable when I'm around them. However, I do respect them a lot and they fascinate me. I also know there's no nature without insects. Anyway, Vida took a few photos, helped the mantis "hop on" a broom and left it in the woods so it can be safe from Aris and us, in case we accidentally stepped on it. While crickets and grasshoppers are pretty common here, it is really rare to come across a praying mantis. I'm glad we did it no harm. Nature is fun and exciting and makes you feel good.

Additional notes: in order to prove that I own the photo, here's a photo of our laptop with the contest article opened, as well as the original of the photo on our Nikon D5600 camera (RAW file is on the computer if necessary).

I hope you enjoyed our photo of the predator! Best of luck to everyone in the contest, I already saw some amazing shots! And huge thanks to the creator!

Vida & Daniel