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Post by seriche on Sept 26, 2011 5:52:35 GMT
 400 ISO f/4.0 105mm 1/400 sec Sunrise behind him. Monopod (Wish I'd used a tripod and a lower ISO  ) Had to crop him quite a lot, so the quality isn't great. Anything I could have done or could change to make a better image? Should I have altered the angle of the grass stalk, for instance? My wild garden's a haven for grasshoppers and crickets. The small ones are gorgeous, and the adults have subtle pattern and colour variations that are fun to photograph  Cheers, Seri |
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Post by muckergee on Sept 26, 2011 7:08:21 GMT
Yeah ... I like this, contra jour, and all that  |
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Post by Kit on Sept 26, 2011 8:07:16 GMT
Seri, given the limitations you have told us about this is pretty good. As you say, a tripod might have been of benefit, but then you possibly had limited time before he jumped. I like the very dark background, as he just sings against it. And the diagonal, although slight, gives a but more energy to it than would have been with a straight horizontal. Good colour in the stalk and seeds that doesn't overpower young Mr Cricket.
As a side note, dontcha just love the way these baby insects have such translucent legs? I had never noticed that until taking macros myself, as my eyes are as dodgy as they come.
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Post by katynoelle on Sept 26, 2011 12:03:49 GMT
I love how you have your subject just perfectly in the glowing spotlight and the bokeh is dark and lovely. Like the others said, there's nice color in the stalk, too. It's just really lovely. Too bad that you had to crop it in, then, but I was thinking that it doesn't seem like there's too much noise in the dark colors - that would be my problem if this were my shot at ISO400. =(
I've been thinking about it. At first, I was just so enamoured with the fact that I CAN take photos that reveal the "hidden" world to us. Now, I'm thinking about stretching to get those photos so that they're not only scientifically revealing but, also, have mood and tell a story. Phew! I have a long way to go! This really approaches that (if it's not there, already.) =D
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Post by markc on Sept 26, 2011 13:05:46 GMT
Very nice. I find the IQ pretty good even if you did crop it heavily. Really like the lighting and the way it made the subject transparent.
I to need to leave the monpod at home and start extensively using a tripod.
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Post by katynoelle on Sept 28, 2011 11:55:22 GMT
Very nice. I find the IQ pretty good even if you did crop it heavily. Really like the lighting and the way it made the subject transparent. I to need to leave the monpod at home and start extensively using a tripod. Alright! You guys are starting to make me feel very, very guilty! I haven't used the tripod for ages.... I think that they take practice. They drive me completely bonkers, sometimes. Then, again, sometimes, they're my best friend....  I was thinking that the winter would be a good time - with the low light and still life that I shoot - to really dig into getting quick and familiar with it (like I am with my camera, now.) |
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Post by seriche on Oct 8, 2011 15:10:03 GMT
Yeah ... I like this, contra jour, and all that Thanks Mick I love macro so much and find there are so many little beasties in the garden that are pleasingly almost transparent, so they shine beautifully with the rising sun behind them. |
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Post by seriche on Oct 8, 2011 15:25:43 GMT
Seri, given the limitations you have told us about this is pretty good. As you say, a tripod might have been of benefit, but then you possibly had limited time before he jumped. I like the very dark background, as he just sings against it. And the diagonal, although slight, gives a but more energy to it than would have been with a straight horizontal. Good colour in the stalk and seeds that doesn't overpower young Mr Cricket. As a side note, dontcha just love the way these baby insects have such translucent legs? I had never noticed that until taking macros myself, as my eyes are as dodgy as they come. Hi Alison You're dead right about tripods. I spent the first year getting used to the freedom of a monopod, but then became dissatisfied with some of the shots, so now I use a tripod more and more. But it really irritates me as my garden's completely wild so as to attract all the bugs I love so much, and the tripod legs are always getting caught up in the brambles etc. and frightening all the best subjects away. Thing is that I'm still devoted to natural light macro photography, so a tripod is my only hope in low light conditions As for the dark background, when I went on my first macro photography forum a year ago there was a huge row going on about whether to have a black background or not. It didn't make sense to me as I would have thought that it all depended on the subject. But I wasn't about to do silly things like trying to place a light backdrop behind some of my more skittish subjects, so I just ignored it all. I get a bit miffed about all the unnatural things that get done in the name of macro photography. I like to treat my bugs with respect and take them in their natural surroundings or not at all. In the end, they're more important to me than getting a good shot. I agree with you totally about how macro photography opens up a whole new world of beauty. It's great how you don't get to see all kinds of wondrous things until you zoom in during PP And I can get really soppy about baby bugs (more photos of those to come later in the week  . Thanks for the comments, Alison, and just for the record, my eyesight's also pretty bad and getting worse by the year. But I'd rather wear it out doing macro than any other way ;D |
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Post by seriche on Oct 8, 2011 15:39:41 GMT
I love how you have your subject just perfectly in the glowing spotlight and the bokeh is dark and lovely. Like the others said, there's nice color in the stalk, too. It's just really lovely. Too bad that you had to crop it in, then, but I was thinking that it doesn't seem like there's too much noise in the dark colors - that would be my problem if this were my shot at ISO400. =( I've been thinking about it. At first, I was just so enamoured with the fact that I CAN take photos that reveal the "hidden" world to us. Now, I'm thinking about stretching to get those photos so that they're not only scientifically revealing but, also, have mood and tell a story. Phew! I have a long way to go! This really approaches that (if it's not there, already.) =D Hi Katy, Thanks for all the lovely comments Getting good bokeh is always such a delicate balance with such a tiny DOF to play with, but I've never been one to place 'pin-sharpness' as my primary goal (It's too much like super-realism in art to please me). And making a fetish of sharpness just leads to endless shots of insects 'frozen' in a side-on position in order to get everything in focus. I remember being very impressed with Wendy's shots. She was very creative with her macro, as you know. I was lucky with that shot above. The sun was just rising and the cricket still a bit somnolent and chilly, so he wasn't too bothered by me being there. But I still couldn't chance getting in too close I find that the 5D2 is pretty bad for noise at higher ISO's but I try to compensate by tweaking the 'noise reduction' sliders a touch in LR3. I've read and empathised with your wish to go beyond doing just scientific macros before, and it's good to have the chance to agree with you totally here. I'm not at all impressed with macro photography that seeks to imitate photo-microscopy. I don't see the point. Like you I want to go much further than that. I've been experimenting with action macro shots - quite a challenge when I'm so resistant to using flashes at all I'd love to be able to share more of what I see down the lens. The little beasties have such fascinating lives I'll post some next week... |
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Post by seriche on Oct 8, 2011 15:44:33 GMT
Very nice. I find the IQ pretty good even if you did crop it heavily. Really like the lighting and the way it made the subject transparent. I to need to leave the monpod at home and start extensively using a tripod. Hello Mark, I'm really glad you liked it Like I just said to Katy, the noise reduction sliders in LR3 partially make up for the 5D2's deficiencies, noisewise. But I'm thinking of buying dedicated noise reduction software. Would you recommend any particular make? Let me know how you get on with the tripod if you go out into the wilds. Getting all tangled up in the vegetation makes me think I'd be better off taking a machete with me next time ;D |
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Post by katynoelle on Oct 8, 2011 19:10:31 GMT
Looking forward to more bugs from you, Seri! |
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Post by seriche on Oct 9, 2011 5:26:32 GMT
Coming up soon |
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