Cicada exoskeleton on a mirror

[JBW]

I used this photo as an illustration about taking beauty and creating a nightmare. I placed the skeleton on the mirror and put it in some well lit greenery. I am including the original and the final in hopes of comments and critiques on how to use a mirror.

[Dave Humphries]

Full marks for creativity Brian - I have never tried anything like this

Looking at the results, I find the subject a bit small in frame in #1, although if you only intended this to show how you got #2, then it is good, although I wonder why the background needs to be so well lit, since this makes it compete for attention.

#2 with this I am having trouble separating the subject from its reflection (where does one end and the other begin?) Some thoughts on this;
Is it worth trying a small amount of physical separation between subject and mirror?
Is it worth shooting at a lower angle to the mirror?
Is it possible to light the subject from a lower angle?
(so that the underside, and hence reflection, isn't quite so well lit as it is here)

If you're using the on camera flash: the second idea may also help at least partially with the third - especially if you shoot with camera upside down and invert the image in Post Production - because this will place the light source below the lens (and subject).

Talking of Post Production (often just "PP"), if mine I would clone out a few of the scratches and blemishes on the mirror's surface.

Hope that helps,

[JBW]

Full marks for creativity Brian - I have never tried anything like this

it was just a natural progression from reflection software combined with suggestions to move the model to a better location.

Looking at the results, I find the subject a bit small in frame in #1, although if you only intended this to show how you got #2, then it is good, although I wonder why the background needs to be so well lit, since this makes it compete for attention.

blame the sun for the well lit background. But as you suggested frame 1 is simply included to show the starting shot.

#2 with this I am having trouble separating the subject from its reflection (where does one end and the other begin?) Some thoughts on this;
Is it worth trying a small amount of physical separation between subject and mirror?
Is it worth shooting at a lower angle to the mirror?
Is it possible to light the subject from a lower angle?
(so that the underside, and hence reflection, isn't quite so well lit as it is here)

all of the above are possible and will be tried the next time. Though dimming the sun for a shot might require more powerful prayers than I have.

If you're using the on camera flash: the second idea may also help at least partially with the third - especially if you shoot with camera upside down and invert the image in Post Production - because this will place the light source below the lens (and subject).

I will give this hold the camera upside down a try.

Talking of Post Production (often just "PP"), if mine I would clone out a few of the scratches and blemishes on the mirror's surface.

actually there is a new mirror on the wish list.

All of the corrections you suggest will be attempted. The good news is that I used his shot to help make the point about internally generated nightmares and there the not so good became useful..
B

[Dave Humphries]

although I wonder why the background needs to be so well lit, since this makes it compete for attention.

Though dimming the sun for a shot might require more powerful prayers than I have.

All you need do, with that third hand (or a helper), is hold a bit of tissue paper or thin bed sheet/cloth between the sun and the background to diffuse the light.

There's a (more elaborate) example on this Wikipedia page (scroll down to frog pics)

It will also help with the shiny Orange beetle shots - as long as placing the diffuser between sun and subject doesn't scare the beetle off (not an issue with the Cicada exoskeleton), hence suggesting it here.

Cheers,

[JBW]

Dave, I may be creative but there is an awful lot that never enters my mind. One of the joys of this group is that there is no need for us newbies to constantly reinvent the wheel.
B