Danger in the Garden

Image Critiques Macro/Close-up Critiques
1

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Act-1-48597A7r3-25.jpg2000×1600 2.81 MB

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The very next frame, Louie Lizard strikes from the shadows but comes up empty.

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Oh well, I’ll just lay here in the sun and shed some skin.

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Nyaa, nyaa ya missed me! :winking_face_with_tongue:

Critique Style Requested: Standard

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

Description

I got out to the garden a little later than usual this morning and the sun was up and way too bright for most situations and I was too lazy to get out the diffuser. I did catch some iris in dappled light which may turn out OK but I packed up the tripod and was on the way back into the house. I decided to take a pass by this newly bloomed hibiscus and spotted this little hairstreak sunning himself. It was only about 50 degrees so I was a little surprised to see him but also expected that he might be a little lethargic and not as skittish as hairstreaks usually are. I quickly put on the 2x and was able to get set up at a fairly good angle and got off several shots. While shooting the iris I was using burst mode to combat the motion blur from windy conditions so it made it easy to get a lot of frames. I was trying to refine focus on the eye when this happened . . .

Specific Feedback

Getting the stigma ends sharp on hibiscus is critical most of the time but there wasn’t enough DOF to attend to that and the critters. Are the OOF ends too much of a distraction?

Technical Details

Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8 GM-II, 2xTC @ 300mm
ISO 400, 1/500 @ f16

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2

The out of focus stigmas bothered me a bit in the first frame with just the hairstreak, Bill, but once the lizard made its appearance, it had all my attention and the flower was just background. A very cool series. Hope the butterfly survived it.

3

Some really cool visitors in your garden, Bill. They actually might have been cool at 50 degrees. I too like the shots with the lizard in it too, as it did keep my eye away from the stigmas being oof. Nice series.

4

Holy cow – quite an exciting morning! Everything is in close-enough-to-perfect focus in #4 – to match the perfect composition. I do hope the little butterfly survived. Flies are probably more nourishing.

5

Bill, that’s a brazen butterfly! The story shown in #4 is great. All others look good also with that brilliant red hibiscus and it’s tall stamen and pistil. What good fun watching this play out.

6

In Pic. 4 I think the bf is saying" “I made you sweat - mmmm and it’s tasty!” Or is it nibbling some crunchy lizard skin? Either way, there’s only one winner here. Picture 4 is great.