Have been testing out ways of using my 180mm macro without a tripod recently and so far the best option has been a monopod with a monogimbal head. It was a partly clouded day with little wind so I headed to a nearby meadow for some more tests during my lunch break. Didn’t expect to get some keepers due to the short time I was there, but as I was testing shutter speeds/sharpness out on the bluebells this little fellow climbs into the scene, takes a bit of a walk on top of the bluebell, and then takes off! Once he started his walk on top of the flower I had an idea about his intentions so just steadied myself as best as possible and held the shutter down hoping for the best and the moment of unfolding was caught. Sadly he flew away from the camera so no in-flight images.
Specific Feedback Requested
Is the crop OK? There is more space left, right, and top to use, but this 4:3 crop felt balanced to me.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: Yes
Canon EOS RP, EF 180/3.5L, monopod @ f/8, 1/1000s, ISO 640
An antenna was touching the closest part of the flower so I took parts from other images in the sequence and separated them a little bit
Ingemar, this was a great moment to so precisely catch. It would be even better to my eye if you cloned out all the dead material. I know this is asking a lot of you time-wise, but the result would be well worth it.
Thanks for the nice feedback. I played with that idea (there was further stuff in the bottom left corner I got rid of), and also turning the weevil so it faces to the right to give the image a bit more direction. Might make a nice winter project. I tend to shoot in the warmer month and process and print during winter…
Ingemar, the “about to take off” pose of the beetle on the flower looks very good. It has me grinning. The beetle’s long snout with those two antennae add well to the surprise of the view. It would be almost impossible to clone out all of the spent flower parts, but I don’t think it’s needed since the story is about the beetle about to launch, not about it being a beautiful sight.
Oh my, Ingemar, I have never seen a weevil on take-off mode! Nice timing, and I love that his runway is that beautiful flower. It made me grin too. I too wish the dead blossoms weren’t there, but I am not sure of a way to really fix that, so we will just enjoy what is enjoyable, that weevil on take-off.
