Back in July in the woods on the side of a hiking trail I spotted this Skipper butterfly among the thistles, there were actually 3 that I was able to watch. It was hard trying to capture them as there was a lot of foliage in the way but I got a few clear, closer shots.
Specific Feedback Requested
Anything , I tried bringing the brightness on the thistle down and bringing contrast down,while bringing exposure and mid tones up, does it look like I did ok with the process?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D3400, 55mm, ISO 400, 1/640, f/6.3
Vanessa, I’m so glad that the skippers posed for you, especially on this thistle. For me, the rim of light on the thistle and the leaf at the bottom left could still use a tad toning down. I do love the angle of the light, leaving a rim of it around both the skipper and the thistle. If you can do it, you might try cloning out the tiny piece of thistle at the top tip of the skipper’s wing. Just a nice look at this skipper and the thistle.
A very nice capture. I agree with @Shirley_Freeman on all points.
No way to know if you did OK with the process without seeing the original raw and the settings in the processor. Were the highlights more salvageable without loosing punch? Only you can answer that, looking at the file in your processor. But I’d say you’re very close, as the image has good brightness and feels “alive.” The main issue for me is the blown highlights but they don’t have the hard edges that sometimes appear in cloud highlights, so I can’t fault them a lot. The bright leaf in the LL is the worst culprit. It would be nice to get rid of it entirely.
Yeah, it was very contrasty lighting and of course the sun was right on the thistle but I was adjusting for the skipper. I didn’t even notice that piece up there. I’ll have to go back in and try to get rid of it! Thanks so much for looking and your feedback, @Shirley_Freeman !
With the right software it might not be, but I can’t speak to your software limitations. One thing to keep in mind is to visualize those limitations beforehand and try to deal with them at the time, with exposure or focus bracketing or cleanup of unwanted details. If you ever move to a tripod, you could capture the frame with the skipper, then shoot a lower exposure to tame the highlights after you pick the offending leaf. Then combine the shots in post.
BTW @Shirley_Freeman I feel like I haven’t seen your work in awhile. Maybe it’s just me but it seems more crowded lately, I haven’t been on as much either. Hope to see more of your cute spiders!
Vanessa, thank you for being so observant. You are so right, I haven’t been on here as much, not making the comments that I should, and, sadly too, not contributing my work. I feel awful about that, but I have spent so much of my time lately, studying every resource I can find on caregiving for dementia, dementia and the different aspects one can expect, as well as taking care of me, the caregiver. My husband has been showing more signs of dementia, and my goal in life is for him to live well at home. During this pandemic, I haven’t been able to rely on others to help, and even having trouble as I try to make a list of friends and family who could help when it seems safe to do so. Another issue is, he doesn’t think he needs someone to stay with him, so I can’t just hire someone and give me a break.
I hope to be a bit more visible on here soon. I have a few macro photos that I need to edit and post from back in the summer, and even some photos of birds from our trip to MD and VA last month.
Again, I appreciate so very much you missing me! That means so much to me.
@Shirley_Freeman, many of us have noticed your absence, and you had alluded to the reasons before. You have the thoughts and best wishes of all of us behind you at a difficult time. With the Covid boosters available now, hopefully you can have some help soon.
Vanessa, I was just trying to say that every photographer has gone through some degree of learning to shoot with settings or compositions that minimize problems in processing. You have made a great deal of progress since you started posting here and I’m just encouraging focus on one aspect of this whole photography thing that doesn’t involve equipment or software.
The skipper image is very nice and the bright highlights can’t be faulted here, especially with a flighty subject, but awareness of any possibility of controlling lighting is a big step in the photographic journey. One thing I should have mentioned is that sometimes with a small subject in bright sun, it might be possible to shade it with your own shadow. Not a criticism here, just something to keep in mind.
Of course, how could I not miss you! I’m so sorry you have to go through this. To see someone you love going through a terrible sickness is awful. I wish I could help. And you shouldn’t feel bad that you don’t have time to post or give feedback. This is just a fun thing that we shouldn’t feel obligated to, something to give us a little escape from life. And I hope it can do that for you if just a little. You are in my thoughts!
