Male Megaphasma denticrus

I saw this creature crawling up a mesquite tree (I think...) and instantly froze. I could not believe how big it was and how fast it was moving.

I quickly disengaged my camera from the tripod and attempted to get a full body shot. As I got closer it quickly became apparent that he was well aware of and uncomfortable with my proximity.

For reference I tried to put my thumb near him and get a shot but he jumped and then scurried farther. Despite not wanting to interrupt him more I decided to catch him and take some closer shots. I tried to gently coax him off the tree but his grip was extremely impressive and I almost abandoned my attempt because I was afraid one of our arms might break off.

In the end, obviously, I succeeded, otherwise I'd be too embarrassed to post this, and I took some crappy reference shots with my phone and then tried to put him back in a relevant place.