Reeling in lunch

[JBW]

ISO 100 ~ F/16 ~ 1/50s ~ -1.0 Fill Flash

[Wavelength]

Very well done

[JBW]

Very well done

The shot was easy but the pp was tricky

[DickyOZ]

Good DOF Brian, but a tad too much flash. Lynx spiders certainly limit the damage herbivores do to you plants.

[Dave Humphries]

The shot was easy but the pp was tricky

All I see is a great image Brian, so you must have done the PP very well.

This is another excellent example of an artistic macro image, it goes beyond merely capturing what was happening.

I like the catch lights in the eyes.

Well done, Dave

[JBW]

Good DOF Brian, but a tad too much flash. Lynx spiders certainly limit the damage herbivores do to you plants.

just took the flash down another notch. See how it works tomorrow.

[JBW]

All I see is a great image Brian, so you must have done the PP very well.

This is another excellent example of an artistic macro image, it goes beyond merely capturing what was happening.

I like the catch lights in the eyes.

Well done, Dave

Thanks. By combining Gimp with Capture 1 I have a great arsenal of spot/dust removal, cloning and sharpening. Artistic is coming. Seems to me that's where the bg comes in?

[Shadowman]

Nice.

[NorthernFocus]

The one who's killing it is you, Brian, with the awesome shots your turning out. Another nice one.

[Geoff F]

With some angles, Brian, flash will always produce problems, particularly with reflective surfaces. Using less flash just produces a darker image with the same issues; although sometimes, as long as you manage to avoid over exposure, you can recover the darker areas with your editing.

Changing the angle can help but sometimes there isn't any simple answer. In which case, shooting without flash has to be tried. This can solve one problem but often causes other difficulties.

Some scenes are just downright difficult! On occasions, I find my only alternative is to shoot without flash on an overcast day, or provide light shading, and have to deal with slow exposures plus high Iso.

With a few reflective surfaces, like shiny insects at certain angles, any amount of light will produce excessive highlight/shadow variation. In which case, I usually just look for an alternative and easier subject.

[John 2]

That, by any standards, is a really good image Brian. You can worry too much about the minutiae of technique and in doing so, miss the essentials of what you are recording. This records nature in action and that's more important.

[JBW]

The one who's killing it is you, Brian, with the awesome shots your turning out. Another nice one.

your bear shots challenge me to improve, thanks.

[JBW]

With some angles, Brian, flash will always produce problems, particularly with reflective surfaces. Using less flash just produces a darker image with the same issues; although sometimes, as long as you manage to avoid over exposure, you can recover the darker areas with your editing.

Changing the angle can help but sometimes there isn't any simple answer. In which case, shooting without flash has to be tried. This can solve one problem but often causes other difficulties.

Some scenes are just downright difficult! On occasions, I find my only alternative is to shoot without flash on an overcast day, or provide light shading, and have to deal with slow exposures plus high Iso.

With a few reflective surfaces, like shiny insects at certain angles, any amount of light will produce excessive highlight/shadow variation. In which case, I usually just look for an alternative and easier subject.

the difficulty here is the oregano leaf, it is a magnificently reflective surface. I did try no flash and got a great leaf but a soft/blurry spider.

[JBW]

That, by any standards, is a really good image Brian. You can worry too much about the minutiae of technique and in doing so, miss the essentials of what you are recording. This records nature in action and that's more important.

I do have an addictive and obsessive personality. Keeping things in balance and proportion can be difficult for me. Nevertheless I did manage to only start over again once

[FootLoose]

Nice shot, Brian. I don't have flash and don't know much about them, except from comments others make in these pages; but I wonder if a modifier would help tame the reflections on glossy surfaces?

[JBW]

Nice shot, Brian. I don't have flash and don't know much about them, except from comments others make in these pages; but I wonder if a modifier would help tame the reflections on glossy surfaces?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'modifier'.

[FootLoose]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'modifier'.

Sorry, Brian. I meant diffuser.

[Geoff F]

A nice idea in theory but it doesn't work in practice.

Many years ago, when flash units had a fixed output, you had to find some way of reducing flash power for close subjects so there were many options for fitting over the flash head etc

Modern flash heads have variable output so you are going the right way with adjusting the flash output compensation, Brian.

On occasions, I do use a Lastolite Micro Apollo cover over my flash head. It isn't a magic answer and, of course, my auto flash output adjusts itself and increases power to compensate for the head covering, so nothing is gained.

However, there are a couple of advantages in that it gives a wider starting base to the flash coverage. This helps to prevent any dark areas when you get really close and the flash to lens tip angle creates a bit of shadow from the lens getting in the way. It also helps to soften harsh shadows because the light is coming from a wider base.

But on the downside, it can be a bit difficult when shooting under real life conditions and that 'screen' stuck on top of the flash catches in every possible bit of foliage! Also, you are now pointing a large white object towards an already nervous subject. I found this issue varied depending on the light angle. With the light behind me it doesn't appear to make much difference but when facing into the light which reflects from the white screen surface I seem to get a lot more early 'fly aways'.

Changing the flash position can sometimes be helpful and some people have brackets to hold the flash unit directly above their subjects, shining the light downwards instead of sideways.

But once again you can get problems when attempting to shoot through 'holes in the foliage' where your flash beam is now being blocked by the foliage and if the flash head is too close to the subject you are likely to increase that fly away rate.

[JBW]

[QUOTE=Geoff F;638781]A nice idea in theory but it doesn't work in practice.

Many years ago, when flash units had a fixed output, you had to find some way of reducing flash power for close subjects so there were many options for fitting over the flash head etc

Modern flash heads have variable output so you are going the right way with adjusting the flash output compensation, Brian.

On occasions, I do use a Lastolite Micro Apollo cover over my flash head.

thanks Geoff, seems to me that the name of the game here is compromise.