I25A4460.CR3.xmp (25,8 KB)
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I25A4460.CR3.xmp (30.3 KB)
Just a quick edit using most of my go-to process for bugs. I did use the tone equalizer to bump up the shadows in the grasshopper, I didn’t spend a lot of time on it so hopefully there’s nothing wonky there.
A few unsolicited notes:
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The eye is slightly out of focus. If it were in focus that might mean other parts of the body are out of focus, so it’s a trade-off sometimes, but generally people are drawn to eyes regardless if it’s a human or a creature.
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Natural light often makes insects hard to deal with. The crunchy highlights are due to the sunlight. A decent flash and a good diffuser go a long way if you can cast a shadow on the subject, though that makes it a lot harder to shoot insects.
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Along the same lines, a flash can help fill in the subject. The strongest shadows here are in the grasshopper itself. Sometimes that can be dramatic but it can also just make the subject hard to see.
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Overall, great composition (IMO). A large part of shooting insects is pure luck when dealing with uncooperative subjects. I like having blurry bits of other flowers in the background like you have here. It gives a nice sense of place rather than just a purely scientific super up close portrait.
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First of all: thanks to everybody. I will study in detail your sharpening approaches as i like them a lot.
@raublekick: the eye: i wonder if the eye is kind of transparent with this species as it was never in fokus. Or maybe I just need to train (smile) And a flash and a diffusor is on the wish list. And a makro rail and extension tubes. But flash comes first.
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I25A4460.CR3.xmp (16.1 KB)
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It can be quite cheap, i make my own.
Tried all different ones but this has proven the best.
Homemade from a clear plastic cover of an A4 folder with a bit of nylon super glued on the front, held on with an elastic band
The flash is a cheap Neewer one (approx £24). Also got a more expensive one but does not provide anything extra over the cheap one.
The black deflector on the flash is just a chopped Pringles can to just concentrate the flash.
A lot of ones you buy are enclosed which I found gave too much of a flashy look as the flash was having to provide all the light
The advantage of this is that you get a bit of natural light illuminating the subject as it is open, so all the flash does is balance the exposure.
Flash power is therefore much more reduced which also helps with freezing motion.
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Oooops sorry, pics are a bit big, apologies, can’t edit them
This is also in reply to the OP
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