Some questions I have and would like feedback on:
…The foreground moss is out of focus. Is this generally considered acceptable for a photo like this?
I think so. Even with my stacked images, I’ll often leave the immediate foreground OOF in order to draw the viewer to my subject. Also, I really like a softer approach to scenes like this one. A hidden world revealed. An OOF foreground can add to the peeking in sort of feel.
…Your thoughts on the light from my snoot wrapping around the cap of the toadstool. Does it distract from the photo?
No, but I would have adjusted it so the cap wasn’t illuminated so much. Maybe you would have needed 10 foot arms though, lol. I use an LED panel on a Gorilla Pod so I can position it and then check the screen. Reposition as needed. Holding the thing is just a pain, but I’ve done it in a pinch.
…Your thoughts on the background bokeh . Are the moss sprouts a distraction?
Yes they are.
…I realize that the subject has some softness to it. How do you feel about less than tack sharp fro this photo?
With non-stacked shots you have to pick your point of focus and be done with it. Getting the gills sharp is the way to go since that’s the central idea for the photo - to make us wonder and study them. But ideally I’d like the leading edge of the cap crisp and parts of the stipe as well. There are plenty of compromise images like this in my mushroom gallery. I was using a manual macro lens on my digital cameras and so focus stacking was a bit hit and miss so I never did it until I got an autofocus system macro for my rig.
…Your thoughts on composition? This is a cropped photo. The original has much more moss in front and to the left and right.
It is a bit smack on center both from a vertical and horizontal position. It feels more static and less engaging than it might be if you adjusted things to include more on one side or the other. Play with it a little and see.
Before I wrap up - this is so fun, btw, that you ask for very specific things. But one thing you didn’t touch on is the exposure and noise. This is a pretty noisy shot, especially where I think you boosted the exposure and shadows on the mushroom cap and the background. Running this through a denoise program will improve it, but I think a longer exposure with this kind of ISO and aperture combination would help.
I’d have stopped for this little scene in a heartbeat. A photography friend from many years ago was entranced by the same kind of thing and we’d always find what we called a “time sucking mushroom log” every time we went out. Each of us happily occupied on either end of it finding tiny worlds. Looking forward to more of your discoveries!
ETA - these look like honey mushrooms - a choice edible!
