What changed: This spider is a little lighter (after advice from wife Liz) and tried to enhance the visibility of bits of web below and to right. Also de-noised a bit cause of low light noise even though iso was 200.
Added after receiving feedback from the community.
The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
Still getting to grips with canon MP-E 65 mm 1-5x Macro
Just looking for things that don’t move fast
Playing with variable flash - this was 1/64 power on manual
Steep learning curve - tried for a stack but moment had gone by the time I had 2 other non-useful images - so no stack.
Feedback Requested
Does this work - looks quite sinister the way the flash has caught the spider … heading off to find some more prey?
I love it for the colours and light - and fits with my project of Macro images about light and colour rather than insect portraits - and try and tell a story with composition and light.
Too dark?? Tighter crop?
Comments welcome - I know my direction now so need more play time .. and bit of reassurance that my ideas are achievable, and that macro can still work if not overall pin sharp.
Technical Details
Camera:A7iv
Lens:canon MP-E 65 mm 1-5x Macro
Focal length:65mm
Shutter speed:1/160
Aperture:f/10
ISO:200
Flash: 1/64 power manual
Yes, I think it works overall. Too bad only the abdomen is in focus, but you take what you can get, especially with a manually focusing lens. The position of the spider does feel like it’s on a mission. Most spider are in my experience. Looking at the two versions, I’d aim for somewhere in the middle, but emphasizing the strands of silk which helps tell the story.
@Kris_Smith Thanks Kristen appreciate your comments.
Doesn’t only the abdomen and legs being in focus add to the narrative of the spider on the hunt? I do a lot of street photography - another genre where you grab the moment. I’m new to this high magnification macro game, and a perfectly in focus spider on a leaf is technically much harder - but I use motion blur and DOF a lot to emphasise a narrative.
I have an idea to try shooting butterflies with a longer exposure and rear curtain flash to have a pin sharp insect with motion blur (often used when photographing dancers) … someone must have tried it as nothing is ever new - anyone have any links?? I appreciate I need to get the butterfly landing to get the insect sharp at the end of the blur - but someone must have done it
Is it ok to say I prefer it as is in a murky world of shades of green with this shallow a DOF ? ..or is it expected to have the critter pin sharp.
In post-processing the greens and blur as I was shooting through foliage seemed to me to set the mood in a lovely way and the silver back in focus shone like a beacon.
Huw: As one who still loves shallow DOF/selective focus images this works really well for me. I also think the revision is a significant improvement. Looks like you’re learning fast with your new rig. Keep 'em coming! >=))>
It does, but without the eyes, I find it a bit less compelling. Granted, it’s not always easy to get those in focus. I guess I’ve been a photographer of very small things for so long that I often reject and delete photos if the eyes aren’t present, or at least the face. Maybe I should rethink that. I took a series of a tiny spider doing this very same thing not long ago, and I think I deleted them all because there was no eye contact.
Huw, with the web almost invisible (at least to my old eyes) under the spider, he looks like he is walking midair, which is kind of cool. I prefer having the face and eyes in view and focus on critters, but I understand and appreciate your project on light and color. Nice BG.
