Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
This is a female Black Swallowtail less than 5 min old. She is drying her wings in the sun.
Canon 5DSR, 100 MM Macro lens
John, welcome to NPN. What a neat image! I like that you exposed for the background letting her be a silhouette. The position you captured her in and it being in silhouette, makes the imagination go and my brain wasn’t able to recognize the subject. If you have more room at the top (if you cropped it any) it might improve this shot if you add just a bit back so that the antenna isn’t so close to the edge. Very nice shot for your first at NPN. Looking forward to seeing more, and reading some of your critiques.
Welcome, John. A very cool image-excellent idea. I like the silhouette. I do wish you’d been able to get all the mesh in the focal plane and maybe a more uniform background, but that can really be difficult when you’re shooting wild critters-they are where they are. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot more of your work and your comments on other people’s images.
Welcome, John. This is a really cool image photo. Has good contrast and well framed.
Hello John,
What a wonderful image! I’m so glad you were there to see the Swallowtail emerge and alight on the screen. My imagination takes off when I view it — what insect is it? Or is it a dancer in a costume? Etc. It’s kind of silly, but it’s almost like seeing figures in clouds.
The colors in the background really work. Love the silhouette. You might consider adding a little more screen at the top (in Photoshop use the crop tool to extend it, then the magic wand to define the blank area, then content aware fill). Or you can ignore that idea. It really is a very cool image!
Thank you for the comments. My imagination took off as soon as I saw the pic, too. I was surprised it came out as well as it did. You’re right about the screen at the top. Thanks again. Being my first post I didn’t know what to expect.
Thank you Shirley,
I guess I cropped it too close.
Susanna,
I raise Monarch and Black Swallowtails so I get to see all aspects of their growth. I see from when they are just a dot egg to full adult hood. Then I let them free to fly.
I’m learning Photo Shop now.
Thanks
To watch each stage of their metamorphoses is just amazing. How does mother nature do it?
Each butterfly does it differently. So cool to see it happening right in front of me.
That does sound magical! Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen many butterflies here this year. A casualty of climate change?
I hope you’ll share more images of the metamorphosis process. Cool macros, potentially.
