Lunch date

Image Critiques Macro/Close-up Critiques
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Lunch date
Lunch date1350×1800 359 KB

And without the spider threads -

Kristen_SmithOctober 02, 2014P1070809-Edit-2
Kristen_SmithOctober 02, 2014P1070809-Edit-21350×1800 340 KB

So the Macro crew has something to do…here’s an old favorite taken in NH in what was to be my last fall as a resident there. I didn’t realize when I found this little predator that it had lunch tucked up under there, too. Not quite sure what it is, but it was doomed. As cute as ladybugs and/or Asian beetles are, they’re fierce hunters.

Specific Feedback Requested

The spider silk - keep or clone?

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Tripod
Legacy Olympus 90mm f/2 macro so manual focus and aperture at probably f/5.6

ladybug

Lr for a crop and rotation, some white balance adjustment and the usual curves to bump whites and shadows, but reduce blacks and highlights. Texture & clarity. Sharpening enhanced in Topaz Sharpen AI.

@the.wire.smith
1 Like
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Kris, I do love Ladybugs! I have captured them with their prey, but it was so small I couldn’t tell what he had, and certainly couldn’t see it in the viewfinder, only later on the big screen.

I love that water drop at the bottom of her, with the refractions. To me that makes the shot. The way the leaf curves around her, framing her is nice too. Excellent BG. I can’t think of anything that would improve the image.

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Very cool. I love the rain drops especially the large one with the reflection in it. Nice work on the focus too. Background is perfect. I think I would clone the spider strands out…

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Thanks @Shirley_Freeman & @David_Bostock - the water drops were a bit of luck for sure. I think it may have still been sprinkling or something when I took it. I can have a go at those threads. Shouldn’t take much.

1 Like
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Sweet! The colors, the shapes, the textures, and the background all make for a compelling macro photo. Well done!

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Fantastic!! All said above – I’d remove the silk because it leads my eye out of the frame.

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Thanks @David_Schoen & @Diane_Miller - I’ve got a couple of shots of these guys while hunting and using my manual macro lens. It was so hard. This one was relatively easy since it was having lunch. lol.

Offending spider threads removed in new shot in OP.

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Kris, this is an excellent look at the “lady bug”. The arching leaf and the water drop lens make it extra special. The spider silk add to the naturalness of the view.

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That’s why I left it in at first…spider silk in images rarely bothers me, but it’s just 1s and 0s so taking it out sometimes is no big deal. It’s the little extras that make a shot sometimes.

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Or an in-between option would be “softening” the visual impact of the larger, brighter one with some low-opacity cloning.

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Kris: What a marvelous find and capture of a unique moment. I like the inclusion of the spider silk. The refractions in the drop are marvelous. >=))>

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Thanks @Bill_Fach - it was a great piece of luck all around.