The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took a stroll around the yard with the camera so I could play with the flash and learn how to control it better and I found another Robin’s eggshell newly dropped by a parent. It had a few ants on it (the really tiny kind), but it was in the grass so I moved it to the deck steps. Not the most natural environment, but I had to move quickly because there was only one ant left by the time I got to taking pictures. She (most ants you see are female, just like worker bees that collect pollen) explored inside and the edge and I tried to keep up with her as she did. This is the best frame I think because she’s positioned nicely and in crisp focus.
Most eggshells are eaten by something soon after being discarded by the parents. Calcium is hard to come by at times and so after the ants glean whatever remnants the chick left behind, the shell can be eaten by other birds, rodents or even snails - they gotta make that shell out of something!
Weird fact - most birds grow a special bone to create the shells when developing eggs and once the brooding is done, the bone is resorbed.
Specific Feedback
When I got this into the computer it reminded me of those tiny planet photos that people create. But this one is real and despite the somewhat unnatural setting, I think it works ok. Does it?
Technical Details
Handheld w/Godox flash attached
Metering mode is Highlight-weighted, don’t know why it’s not showing up
Lr for most of the processing including a wb shift, the crop, a bit of exposure and raising whites and shadows. Topaz Sharpen AI and then into Ps for some distraction removal. Then in Lr again I masked the shell and did some fine tuning. An inverted radial filter to create a reverse vignette (lighter).
Hi Kris, this is an intriguing image IMO with the open egg shell and the ant in a perfect spot (and really sharp). I rarely see discarded eggs so this is really interesting. The setting works fine for me. Well done!
Thanks for chiming in, @terryb - I’m glad it’s not a total bust. It’s a strange little shot, but I liked it & thought it a bit odd. I see a lot of egg shells in the yard. A tiny white one that I just threw away defied ID. Could be a goldfinch or some other small bird.
Gah, sorry @Allen_Sparks - this reply was really for you. I had a brain fade.
Hey, Kris…I’m sure you meant to address @Allen_Sparks, but that’s okay. I was going to comment - just hadn’t gotten to it yet.
As Allen said, the egg is interesting and the ant super sharp! Good backstory. One other interesting fact; many species of chicks form an egg tooth with which to break their way out of the shell ( this is called pipping; Bald Eagle chicks are one example) then absorb that tooth.
Oh that is cool, too, @terryb and I am so embarrassed at my gaffe. Put it down to early senility. I’m glad the image works for you and not just me. I liked it as soon as I had it in frame.
Screw senility!! (I can attest that, so far, that approach has worked…) Put it down to being busy with photo ops.
A delightful image with amazing color on the shell! The ant was perfectly cooperative and you saw the opportunity and ran with it! I’ve rarely seen shells but will look harder now.
Screw senility, yeah! Phew - not too bad of a senior moment.
Yeah, Robin’s egg blue really looks like that. We have a few pairs around so there are always dropped shells and if I’m lucky they put them were I can find them. This is my 3rd shell this year, but the only one I’ve shot. I actually have a nest from a different bird and a Robin’s egg in it waiting for me to photograph it, but I haven’t yet. I think it’s still on the patio…?
Anyway…I’m glad this isn’t too weird and has some appeal to just a nature nerd like me.
I really like this, Kris! It’s a very unique image. The egg does look like a little world that the ant is exploring. I like seeing the little bits of blue and the ant in such detail. I’ve seen a lot of eggs on the ground but never knew bugs and other critters ate them!
Oh Kris, this is just too cool, and I love the title too! Wonderful details in both the shell and the ant, and the placement of the ant is great too. Nice shot. Well seen.
Thanks @Vanessa_Hill & @Shirley_Freeman - I love finding egg shells, but I always wonder what to do with them. If not for the ant, I’m not sure what I’d have done. Maybe nothing.
Calcium is a scarce resource sometimes and so I don’t take bones or antlers out of the woods because so many creatures depend on them.
Nature is just so darn interesting to me.