The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
I bought a macro lens a couple of months ago and I started just hanging out at Aster bushes when they bloomed this fall. It’s easy to see 15-20 different types of insects feeding on the blossoms of a single Aster bush in a few minutes time.
I enjoy the clean focus on the hover fly with the flower slightly out of focus.
Feedback Requested
Any feedback is appreciated. I took this photo hand-held. Any general advice on approaches to taking macro photos would be great.
Technical Details
Camera: NIKON Z 7_2
Lens: NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8
Focal length: 50mm
Shutter speed: 1/640s
Aperture: f/6.3
ISO: 1250
WOW! What a beautiful image! Bees can be so tough to capture. I’m new to macro, but I love the focus of the bee, especially the wings and the reflection on its back, with the softer background. I’m not one that feels that every little petal needs to be in sharp focus, IMHO. I also like the curling of the the aster next to it. It adds just a bit more to the scene. Well done!!
A beautiful job getting the focus right where it needed to be, Jim. I like the relatively shallow depth of field that put the asters out of focus in this case. The composition works nicely, though those super intense blues in our young bloom in the upper right corner do tend to pull my eye up there a bit. That could be alleviated by a color adjustment on them or perhaps a tighter crop, though I do like this aspect ratio.
Dennis, I know you’re right about the blue splotch in the corner. I think the problem is that I kind of like it . I know it detracts from the photo overall, but that color is quite nice.
I’ll see if I can bring myself to try to de-emphasize it a little bit.
Thanks for the feedback @Dennis_Plank@timothy3 and @Holly_Lehr . @Holly_Lehr mentioned the reflection. I actually use another picture from this group as my avatar. I didn’t notice myself in the reflection until I got the pictures off the camera.
Jim, I meant to comment on your first two images but got distracted. Welcome to NPN – these are all wonderful images! This one is special (and I love your avatar!) but I have the same feeling as @Dennis_Plank about the brighter bloom in the corner, but of course that is artist’s choice and that Hoverfly (I thought it was a bee, too) is fascinating enough to hold its own. Excellent image!!
Good job on subduing that corner, Jim. If you want to carry it a bit further the contrast of the one lilac colored petal tip on top of it tends to pull my eye and could be removed. I have to agree that that stage of the flower is a glorious blue.
Welcome, Jim. It’s a great catch of the hoverfly. My advice about approaches to macro would just be to get a 100mm or longer macro lens later when you are ready for this, as this will allow you to approach closer to the more skittish subjects. But your isolation of the subject here shows what a steady hand and eye you have, which is so important - well done.
. I know it detracts from the photo overall, but that color is quite nice.