The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I found three monarch caterpillars a few weeks ago and find them to be very photogenic. The bold patterns advertise to learned predators that they are very toxic when consumed. However, parasitic flies and wasps still prey on these larvae and a few in each clutch of eggs are killed by them.
Specific Feedback
I went for a tight little portrait getting the head in tight focus. I left the light triangle at the top to see what the trending opinions are. Would you soften or blur the edge of that region to make it less stark? I decided to remove the OOF leaf and reduced the opacity of the layer initially. It did not look good so I went with full removal of the triangular leaf. Thank you.
Technical Details
Z9 105mm f2.8 (1/125 sec at f22, ISO 3200) DeNoise, Levels, Shadows & Highlights, Brightness & Contrast, Crop for Comp.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Jim: I had three of these guys on our milkweed earlier this week but couldn’t take the time to shoot them and the next day they had wondered off to chrysalis land. Like @Sandy_Richards-Brown I like the tight view and would also make the light green triangle go away. Great catch and a fie capture and presentation.>=))>
Perfect focus and detail! It looks well-fed. And I have to marvel how something that looks like that can turn into a Monarch butterfly.
I could go with removing the OOF leaf and that would be easiest, but that would leave that corner feeling a bit empty. I would be tempted to go very blurry with the edge, but that could be some work. I’m not sure it would feel right if the edge were tightened up, since it is an accidental extension of the line of the FG leaf and that might feel clumsy. Prune it!
The light corner doesn’t really bother me, Jim, but it looks like I’m in the minority and removal would certainly be a reasonable option. I like the very tight view.
Very interesting, Jim. I agree with Dennis on the light corner - I only noticed it as you mentioned it. What I would like to see is increased all-round sharpness. At f22 that great lens has been given free rein; but I wonder if you could add something like a Raynox250 or extension tubes to get the subject even sharper - this may be possible if the larvae are still close at hand?
Isn’t finding these guys the best? So photogenic and active. We had a butterfly in the backyard the other day and there is some milkweed in the front yard so maybe I should go take a look. I like how well the “horns” look and the smoothness of the skin shows up well here - quite hard to convey in a photo. The triangle…well…since we have the tools to disappear it with ease, I say do so. Water on the leaf is a good capper, too.
Thank you @Sandy_Richards-Brown , @Bill_Fach , @Diane_Miller , @Dennis_Plank , @Mike_Friel , and @Kris_Smith for your critiques. I added an edited version with the leaf removed. @Mike_Friel Raynox lenses are diopters used to increase magnification. Likewise, bellows and extension tubes can also be used to increase magnification as well. However, depth of field is inversely related to magnification. The only solution that was feasible at the time to get enhanced DOF when this photograph was taken is stacking. However, this guy was busily munching on the leaf and those long filaments twitch constantly. So that’s why I chose f22 and the morphological features of the head are clearly visible to the viewer. Limitations of DOF is a reality of any lens, but becomes a major and limiting factor at high magnifications…Jim
Jim, tight looks at these cats are always fun and this is a good one. I too was fine with the oof leaf, but wondered about burning it in a bit. The revised version is nicely “clean”. I also like how well we can see the chewed edge of the leaf. (BTW, I’ve seen a small fly attack one of these cats, with the cat dropping to the ground and writhing briefly. While it returned to eating, I assume it didn’t make it to the butterfly stage.)
