2019 P52 - 3nd Qtr - Sandy(Skitterbug)

[skitterbug]

Lovely combination of flower and b.fly

Hi Nandakumar - Thanks for commenting!

[skitterbug]

Hi John - good idea about putting the two images together to make comparison easier and I shall remember it for 'next time'. I think I was making mask usage far more difficult than I needed to. Taking time to read more about them and then experimenting certainly helped. Thank you for checking my work out!

[Rufus]

The latest Monarch is much more appealing.

You have managed to separate the butterfly from the flower tones which help he butterfly stand out more as the subject, and reduced the brightness of paler parts of the background which were a bit distracting. I don't know how the butterfly colours looked in real life, but the veins on the wings, their brighter markings and darker edges now give the image extra "pop".

It is a good result and well worth the re-processing.

[skitterbug]

The latest Monarch is much more appealing.

You have managed to separate the butterfly from the flower tones which help he butterfly stand out more as the subject, and reduced the brightness of paler parts of the background which were a bit distracting. I don't know how the butterfly colours looked in real life, but the veins on the wings, their brighter markings and darker edges now give the image extra "pop".

It is a good result and well worth the re-processing.

Hi David - I rechecked the RAW image just now and I think the difference between the two (RAW vs. 2nd edit) might be the lessening of the brightness of the flowers and the slight increase in the orange and black of the butterfly. I sharpened the butterfly too but not as heavy handedly as my first effort. My goal was to not "overdo it" this time. The use of masking helped. And the better part of this exercise is my learning process of using masks has also improved. I feel that the colours of the butterfly in real life may be a bit more muted but generally my second post processing is definitely more accurate than my first effort!

Thank you for the feedback! It all helps!

[skitterbug]

Week 37 - A tough week for images. Not much that I tried, worked the way I wanted. I am going to post a closely cropped one that I hope makes the grade. I was roaming with the 100-400 lens and spotted a plant we call Autumn Joy covered in honey bees, wasps, flies and bumble bees. I did burn areas and sharpen a little along with the general maintenance that happens when I'm doing post processing. See what you think? Worth keeping or stuff it in the rubbish?

Settings used: f/9 - 1/500 - ISO400 - working with back button focus......

Bumble Bee feeding on our Autumn Joy!

[DanK]

I think this is a very nice capture. I think I would crop a bit from the top


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shadowman]

Week37 looks like a keeper to me, nicely composed and captured.

[Cantab]

Sandy, this is definitely worth keeping. As I know from personal experience, these types of photos are not easy and most end in the bin. Your photo has reminded me that I have some bee photos from a few months ago that I've been meaning to process and perhaps post. Maybe yours will be enough of an incentive to get me moving!

Is your Autumn Joy this sedum: https://www.thespruce.com/autumn-joy-sedum-2132607 ?

[skitterbug]

I think this is a very nice capture. I think I would crop a bit from the top Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Dan - I kept a ratio I could live with but decided the image would benefit from your suggestion. If I printed it, it would be a small photo anyway so trimming a little didn't hurt!
Better do you think or did I take too much off???

Before: 7x5



After: 4x5

[skitterbug]

Week37 looks like a keeper to me, nicely composed and captured.

Hi John - Thanks for the positive comments! He may end up on someone's greeting card if I can think of an appropriate way to use him! <grin>

[skitterbug]

Sandy, this is definitely worth keeping. As I know from personal experience, these types of photos are not easy and most end in the bin. Your photo has reminded me that I have some bee photos from a few months ago that I've been meaning to process and perhaps post. Maybe yours will be enough of an incentive to get me moving!

Is your Autumn Joy this sedum: https://www.thespruce.com/autumn-joy-sedum-2132607 ?

Hi Bruce - Thank you for verifying he's a keeper. And yes, my rubbish bin is stuffed with attempts! I'll be watching for your images so get crackin' on them! Work work work!

You have spotted the correct information for our Autumn Joy. Most of the time it is only green but it is beautiful in the fall and well worth having since it draws all types of insects. Butterflies especially like it too.

[Cantab]

Hi Dan - I kept a ratio I could live with but decided the image would benefit from your suggestion. If I printed it, it would be a small photo anyway so trimming a little didn't hurt!
Better do you think or did I take too much off???

Sandy, I compared the two images in lytebox. My sense is that the second one has too much cropped from the top. The result is uninteresting space at the bottom. Perhaps a bit removed from the bottom would solve that issue. That would increase the dominance of the bee over that of the flower, when compared to the original version with more visible flower.

It depends, in part, on what you want to convey. If it was my photo, I'd probably simply keep the original version.

[skitterbug]

Sandy, I compared the two images in lytebox. My sense is that the second one has too much cropped from the top. The result is uninteresting space at the bottom. Perhaps a bit removed from the bottom would solve that issue. That would increase the dominance of the bee over that of the flower, when compared to the original version with more visible flower.

It depends, in part, on what you want to convey. If it was my photo, I'd probably simply keep the original version.

Hi Bruce - I noticed the excellent images that Dan posted for his insects and he has them cropped very close. I'm not sure what his intent was in regard to my image and how much I really should have cropped. I agree with your assessment and was more drawn to the first image as well. Although the bumblebee is the main focus, I like the Autumn Joy and felt that it also needed to be included. Considering I wasn't going to keep this image, at least we got it this far! Thanks for adding to the discussion!

[DanK]

Sandy and Bruce,

I agree, it's all a matter of what one wants the image to be. The images I recently posted were tightly cropped--one more tightly than I wanted because with all the movement, I framed the bug with too little space--but I have done others where the flower is a major part of the image.

In this case, what I was responding to is that there was so much bright flower area above the bug that I found my eye quickly being drawn there. It was too quick a comment in one sense--usually, bugs look better with more empty space in front than behind, and I didn't try to fiddle with the bottom crop.

I just played with it in Photoshop, and I wonder about something like the more modest crop below. However, a warning: I pay very little attention to aspect ratios when I print. I make the image look like I want, and then I print as large as I can on a given stock, allowing empty space in the other direction. You may not want to do that.

An aside: I took a portfolio of prints to a place I thought might want to show and sell them. (They didn't.) The owner commented on that. He was perfectly fine with different aspect ratios, but he advised me to trip all of the prints so that they have the same width border on all sides because without a frame, they look better that way.)

[Cantab]

I think Dan's crop in post #94 works well. For me, it creates a good balance between the bee and the attractive flower.

[skitterbug]

Hi Dan - Thanks for the clarification about the crop suggestion. The edit you posted also looks good! I'm pleased that even though it brought the bumblebee closer still, there isn't any loss of sharpness or any major amount of noise introduced.

I've worked under the assumption that space should be given to the insect/animal, etc. on the side that they will move if they 'take off' or run. Is that logical and does it work as a way to frame the subject? So I do keep this in mind when I do crop, allowing space above and in front of the subject. If it is my favorite subject, a bullfrog, I can go in either more space in front, above or below since it can decide to move in those directions. Or I can tightly crop it to bring out its eyes, or whatever I have in mind. I don't know if there are "rules" in regard to how one should frame subjects in nature since I haven't been at this for very long really. People spend their lifetime developing their techniques. I've got maybe 5+ years so I've a long way to go. I'll run out of lifetime before I run out of learning material! <chortle>

Thanks for your interest and sharing!

[skitterbug]

I think Dan's crop in post #94 works well. For me, it creates a good balance between the bee and the attractive flower.

Me too!

[skitterbug]

Week 38 - This image is not the best because there was no good way to get it without missing it all together. I'm going to post it because it is in regard to the conversation that was started after post #45. There we talked about bullfrogs hunting birds. And now this is evidence that they can be successful in their hunt. Hubby actually got to see the bullfrog snatch the bird! Me.... I'm scrambling to change out lenses, making sure a card is in camera, etc. We managed to get the window opened without scaring the bullfrog from his eats. I doubt he would have given it up but he probably would have leaped under the branches if he felt threatened. As it is, the bird feeder post is in the way of a more perfect shot of him. (Huge sigh)

Anyway, see for yourselves - not perfect but - Bullfrog munching on a bird.

[Shadowman]

Week 38, I like the exposure, perhaps it would've been worth it to spook the frog after you got this capture then perhaps you could've gotten a series out of the experience.

[Manfred M]

Week 38 - This image is not the best because there was no good way to get it without missing it all together.

I suspect we all have lots of shots like that. Close but something is in the frame to disturb it.

Interesting academically, but as an image, it really doesn't work because of that large pole.