Coreopsis with Guardian

Image Critiques Macro/Close-up Critiques
1

2024-06-20 08-07-57 (B,R8,S4)-Edit.jpg
2024-06-20 08-07-57 (B,R8,S4)-Edit.jpg2048×1705 1.59 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

I posted an image of this same flower in Flora yesterday but wasn’t really too happy with it, so when we had a fairly calm morning today I grabbed my camera again after hanging the laundry to provide a little shade. There was just a bit of sun on this bloom as the shadows indicate and it wasn’t until I was shooting that I noticed the spider. I got as close as I could to try to make it reasonably large in the frame, but it’s pretty small (the center floret disc is probably smaller than a penny). If you look at the flora post you’ll see what kind of web these little things can generate.

Specific Feedback

I wish the spider weren’t facing out of the frame, but it didn’t want to take direction. I have a version where I just stacked up to the beginning of the center and let the rest go out of focus but it picked up the tips of some of the center florets which looked rather weird to me.

Technical Details

Sony A7Riv, Canon 180 mm f/3.5 macro, tripod, 35 images stacked in Helicon Focus, f/3.5, 1/1000, iso 500. Interestingly the first half of the images had a different WB than the second half in the raw files. I tried merging them that way and got some interesting but ugly results-room for a little artistic creation sometime. After matching them as best I could in LR the stack worked quite well. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 7380x6145.

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1 Like
2

Dennis, I have had the same problem with spiders and such, they just don’t want to take direction! That sure is a tiny little one and the center of the flower is the size of a penny. I’m not sure that my old eyes would have seen him in real life. I think you managed everything very well. That was a good idea to hang your laundry to make shade.

3

The laundry was sheer accident. I’d hung it the day before and then went to shoot and liked the way it worked, so I did it on purpose this time.

1 Like
4

Dennis: Your improvised “diffuser” certainly worked out and I like your little party crasher even if it wouldn’t face the right way. As portrayed I get the impression that the spider was getting away from the center instead of being attracted to it. Probably putting too much imagination into it but I like this as is. Most excellent. >=))>

5

Sweet! that little lower right corner bugs :slight_smile: me a little - you might consider cloning it out

6

I agree with Sandy about the corner - maybe try a square crop. Have you considered Auto-WB when stacking, Dennis, as it might work better for the light? A very nice look at that tiny spider.