I recently was in St. Thomas where this frangipani tree (Plumeria) had been brutally cut back the year before. My in-laws stay on this property for ~6 weeks out of the year and nurtured this sad tree back to life. Just one year later, there were spectacular blooms all over it. This obviously became a focal point of my trip this year!
Anyway, this image is somewhat of a story about a double-trap. I understand that despite the amazing fragrance of these blooms, there is no nectar. The blooms are most fragrant at night to lure sphinx moths for pollination. Having dabbled with macro in the past, I keep running in to these amazing crab spiders. They are so cool looking, adapting their color to the surrounding blossom to ambush a would-be feeder. Coming to this beautiful flower, smelling the fragrance, hungry for some nectar, only to be frustrated by the lack of food, then becoming food - well, thatās just a tough day.
What technical feedback would you like if any? Any thoughts welcome
What artistic feedback would you like if any? Any thoughts welcome
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
These two images were taken on different days at different times.
Nkn D850; 105Macro 1/200, f9, ISO 360.
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Jim: When I first saw the thumbnail I was tempted to move this to Flora but then I saw the spider so well camouflaged. What a neat party crasher. I have a slight preference for the first image because of the spider being more evident but the capture of the flowers is equally good in both IMO. On the first image I would be tempted to clone/paint away the OOF stem exiting the URC and maybe do the same with the OOF stem exiting the ULC on the second image. For some reason the stem on the second image doesnāt distract me as much. Still a wonderful find and two fine images. >=))>
Jim, itās hard to say why, but I prefer the first view. Iām thinking that itās all about reading left to right, top to bottom, since my eyes start at the pink flower and then move to the lovely whites in the second flower. The crab spider is a great āsurpriseā find. In the second view, a bit more space both top and bottom might be good, it also doesnāt seem quite as sharp (or maybe thatās crispā¦).
Iām coming in late on this, I did see it as Flora from the thumbnail, and planned to get to it later. Now it is later. Sorry. Great look at these little guys. I think it is the lighting, or appears to be the lighting, that makes the first image my pick. That is a tough day for the spider, but it looks like it was a good one for you, as I see you captured a spider in each image. Nice images in every way.
Hi Jim, since weāre voting Iām going for #2, mainly because the spider is harder to spot and blends in better with the flower. The lighting in both appears to be very similar and flattering on the flowers. I think the background in #2 is more consistant and the stem is not an issue with me. A beautiful composition and science lesson all in one!
Thanks @Bill_Fach for your perspective and commentsā¦I think the contrast of the 1st stem makes it more noticeable - at least to me. I agree with @Mark_Seaver that the image reads better and my eye rests better on the more noticeable spider in the first image. I added a little bit of content aware around the 1st image, sharpened the eyes of the spider a bit and decreased contrast of the stem. Thanks @Marylynne_Diggs, @Shirley_Freeman and @Jim_Lockhart for your comments and review. Any further comments on repost are welcome as well. Thanks again everyone.
I was going to vote for the first one and my only comment would have been to add more space at the top. I then saw your repost and you did the content aware fill to the top. Thanks for pointing out the spider as I would have missed it.
Hi
Great pictures! Probably Iām late but I prefer the first one, because the light is more even, the fact that the spider is in the white flower and the position of the spider.
It would looks great printed big!!
