The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is a medium sized spider wasp which I’ve had identified as Xerochares expulsus. This was one of many insects working one small bush in a wash at the Southern end of Mount Graham in SE Arizona the first week of August. I was hobbling around in a big boot on my damaged foot against the orders of my wife. The doctor just put a big padded cast on my foot so I can’t put any weight on the wound now. . . and has ordered me to stay off it.
Specific Feedback
I really like the grey color palette throughout this image. It was overcast that evening, and this was the only bush in the area that had any significant insect activity going.
Technical Details
Canon R5, f10, 1/1000s, iso 12800, 100-500+1.4tc at 700mm. Topaz denoise and slight sharpen, cropped for composition.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Cool looking wasp, Ed. Sometimes you do have to let the body heal, so follow doctor’s (and wife’s) orders! It looks like you have some kind of cloning or other processing artifact between the antennae.
Ed, Nice catch of this wasp and a cool flower. The red compliments the grays and BG well. The NR might be a bit too much, as the wasp’s abdomen and thorax look pretty smooth and detail-less.
My husband is pretty accident-prone, and I drag or send him to our ER for stiches and checks regularly. One time, he really didn’t want to go, after drilling through the web between his thumb and forefinger. I knew it needed a couple stictches and insisted.
He came home with a written RX from the nurse practitioner, a friend, that said “Always listen to your wife”
The RX is on our fridge now and I point to it often.
So listen to your wife and MD!! Heal well and avoid problems later. Find or buy flowers and work on macro and floral shots!
Thank you @Dennis_Plank. The little line between the antennae is actually part of the antennae that has curled around in there. @SandyR-B as a retired nurse, as I remember, I trust your judgment on when to behave myself and take my wife and MD’s advice. I noticed the super smoothing when I applied the Topaz, so I went back and did the denoise at only about 3/4 of what the autopilot ran it. I will go back and see if I can do the denoise on the BG only, as I thought the wasp was pretty good to start with.
Ed: Beautiful critter (it takes a lot for me to describe a wasp as beautiful!). I like your adjustment. I would also be tempted to crop some from the top and left to fill the frame more with the subject and perch. Hope your recovery is swift and complete. >=))>
Ed, this is a nice looking wasp and I like how you captured him. Yes, sometimes all is needed is denoise on the background. Software today lets us do things selectively. I like @Bill_Fach suggestion of a crop. I think it might improve this nice image even more. Get well soon. Yes, we need to listen to sound advice.
Heal well and avoid problems later. Find or buy flowers and work on macro and floral shots!