The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
IMHO, the focus on the bug is pretty good. I’m not sure about the crop and the colors. I’d welcome any suggestions on any aspect of the image.
Creative direction
I love capturing tiny landscapes with the macro lens. I don’t want to just capture basic close-ups of bugs and insects, but I want to show them in their environment, just like wildlife photographers do with larger animals, using the same kinds of compositional techniques.
Specific Feedback
Cropping, colors, and anything else!
I’m also interested in understanding what specific settings I should use to upload images to this site so that the image looks as close to what I see in Photoshop as possible. Number of pixels, sRGB, JPEG quality, etc.
Technical Details
Camera settings: 1/250 sec; f/8; ISO 400
Lens: Fuji 80 mm macro; 80 mm
Techniques: used an on-camera diffuser (Cygnustech)
Processing: DxO Photolab to process the RAW file + Nik Color Efex + Photoshop
Description
I captured this tiny bug inside a flower. It’s amazing to see such a miniscule creature with so much detail and character. And I really loved the contrast between the brown bug and the monochromatic yellow setting of the flower. I wanted to show the bug’s size compared to the whole flower, but I also didn’t want to make the bug too small in the frame. So it was a challenge to decide where to crop.
Ooh eye catching for sure. The crop is interesting. Possibly it’s a bit too wide, but given that it looks like the focus point is just behind the bug’s head might make that a good thing. Colors look realistic to me, but I wasn’t there. If you’re not using focus peaking in camera for these, I can say it definitely helps identify which areas are precisely in focus and which aren’t, and for this type of photography, it’s critical. The light looks amazing. You say you’re using a diffuser, but is that all or did you also use flash? Either way it came out well.
For uploading, I believe the total file size needs to be under 3mb and so I sometimes use a setting that keeps the size under that and the pixel width at 2400. Hope that helps.
Tiny indeed, Canan, at least if that’s a stamen it’s perched on, which it looks like to me. I think your framing is just fine. I like the composition and the yellow looks right for a lot of flowers I’m familiar with. If you know the flower and could include it in the title, it would help give people a sense of scale.
As for uploading, there are some guidelines, but I think they could use some updating. Kris posts at 2400 on the long side, I post at 2048 (that’s what my camera club asks for and I’m too lazy to do two different sizes). As she noted, above 3 MB an algorithm kicks in to compress the file and it’s not the greatest compression in the world, so it’s best to keep the file size under that. I set 2 MB as the limit in my canned exports from LR, but at 2048 pixels, I’ve never even hit that. And yes, the standard srgb for web posting. Make sure the color space gets embedded in your file or the colors can sometimes go wacky.
Canan, I had your photo up this morning and was going to comment but got pulled away with life so just now getting back to it. I too love to photograph the tiny things in life, like insects, and am amazed at what I see when I pull it up on the big screen! It’s like a whole new universe. Granted I have not been able to get out there and shoot much for the last 2 or 3 years but hoping to do better this year. It looks like @Kris_Smith and @Dennis_Plank have answered your questions and provided a nice critique. Not sure I can add anything to what has already been said. Nice find and shot.
I like your idea for the comp here. There is, perhaps, an argument to be made that there’s a bit too much empty, textureless space dominating the left half of the frame, but I think you have just enough of a diagonal line cutting down and to the left corner to make it work. I’d be tempted to crop a tick off the left to lessen the “emptiness” just a bit, and perhaps a little off the top to get the bug further from the vertical center of the frame, but overall it’s a very nice eye-catching scene.
Hi Canan,
I like the crop and the detail in the critter. The head on shot is fun and kind of unusual. It’s probably what makes the composition feel a little right heavy, but if you do crop off the left, I would do just the slightest bit, keeping the edges of the textured oof flower well within the frame.
As for size, I just recently noticed that they changed the posting guidelines. For something like 14 years I had an NPN export preset that was sRGB Jpeg, 3000 long side, 300 p/i and max of 4.9 mb. I just changed mine to 1500 and 3 mb at 72 p/i, which, I believe, is what is recommended when you click “upload.”
Thanks a lot, Kristen. It’s hard to focus with the macro lens, especially on such a tiny subject. I do use focus peaking, but it’s not perfect, and I can’t chase bugs with a tripod. So the struggle continues… I forgot to mention that I use flash with the diffuser. And thanks for the export suggestions
Thank you for the comments. Posting the name of the flower is a great suggestion; unfortunately, I have no idea! But I’ll try to pay more attention to that in the future. When I take pictures of bugs, all my attention goes to the bugs.
And thanks for the export suggestions. I’m not sure what “make sure the color space gets embedded in your file” means. I finish the post-processing in Photoshop, then click on Export–Export As and accept the default settings of “Convert to sRGB” “Embed Color Profile.” Is this what you mean?
Canan: The unconventional crop/comp gives this a lot more impact IMO so I applaud your decisions. When I post I do the final setup in Photoshop and select Export - Save For Web. You can control the quality of the image and I usually get it so that it comes in just under 3 MP. I do almost all of my images 2000 pixels on the long side. A shot like this with very little fine detail won’t even come close.
Handholding with macro is a real challenge so kudos to you for the effort. I usually fire off a burst of shots at the fastest frame rate available and hope that the camera and lens are smart enough to get me a keeper or two. they usually do. Keep up the fine work. >=))>
Thanks a lot for the critique. Yes, handholding a macro lens is hard, but so is carrying a tripod and trying to chase bugs with a tripod. I think the burst mode is a good idea. I also just try to rock back & forth and take a bunch of shots, which is similar to burst.
And the Save For Web option is actually very useful for me. Thanks for that suggestion!
I agree: I also think the cropping is appropriate.
It’s wonderful how you’ve handled the color yellow. In my experience, it’s not an easy color to work with. And I especially love the blossoms the bug is sitting on.
Canan, I think your unconventional crop looks great. I’ve been shooting macro from a tripod for 20+ years. I use a 180 macro, so I don’t have to get in their face so much. Yes, you miss a few because the critter leaves, but when you get the focus right it is totally on and you can often stop down to increase the dof. In this case, I too think that your focus was just a tiny bit behind the eyes.
Thanks a lot for the feedback :-). Your comment about color is interesting–I don’t think I ever think of colors as easy or hard to work with, but you’re probably right!
Thanks for your comments. 180 macro must be a very cool lens! And thanks for the feedback on the focus–it looked OK to me, but I guess I didn’t really nail it. I appreciate your close look
