The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
On our annual insect expedition to SE Arizona with my son Dr. Williams, we ran across several of these brightly colored milkweed bugs. The first is from Gillespie Wash on the South end of Mount Graham and the second if from 9,000 plus feet high on the top of Mount Graham.
Specific Feedback
The bushes these bugs were on were pretty dense and covered with several different types of bugs. The first was taken later in the day with overcast conditions and the second as you can see in bright midday sunlight. I thought about cloning out a bit of the OOF flowers on the first one, but decided it shows some of the dense habitat these were hanging out in. Should I go ahead and clone away? Thanks for looking, and for your comments and suggestions for improvements.
Technical Details
Canon R5, f10, 1/1000s, iso 12800, 100-500+1.4tc at 700 mm, cropped for composition and brush removal.
Canon R5, f18, 1/1000s, iso 1600, 420 mm. Cropped for composition.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Nice image of the little box elder bug (I think). Bright colours and interesting flower.
Perfect DOF to get both bug and flower sharp.
Personally, I’d get rid of the blossom on the top left, but leave the rest for some added interest,
Nice catch!
I think ting out the out of focus plant parts coming in from the left in the first image would improve it, Ed. I like the echo of the flower head in the second, so I wouldn’t mess with it. Nice images of this bug.
@Ed_Williams Nice shots of what I, too, know as a milkweed bug or beetle. @SandyR-B They have different black/orange designs, are usually found on milkweed while box elders are not and do not have red eyes. IMHO, anyway.
Ed, the first post shows the Milkweed bug and it’s perch nicely isolated. The bug’s red and black colorsstand out well in their pastel surroundings. The largest view shows lots of noise from your high iso and notable softness from the large crop.
The second view shows the bug and it’s environment very well.
These bugs are not especially mobile, so I am wondering why you used such a high shutter speed.
Thank you @SandyR-B, @Dennis_Plank, @Jim_Gavin, and @Mark_Seaver. I got rid of the extra blossom on the top left. I also ran the first image through Topaz Denoise and Sharpen. It seems to have helped both the noise and the sharpness issues somewhat. Mark, I was also shooting wasps and bees at the same bushes and they are much more mobile and hard to get to stand still. A slower SS would definitely have helped reduce the noise issues.
Nicely captured bug with good detail showing! I much prefer the first of the two with the soft light and simpler composition. I like the removal of the flower half in the RP. The first (OP) might work with more on the left if you had it, to show a little more environment, but hardly necessary for my taste. The flower it is perched on has very nice detail and an interesting DOF.
