07: MY BACKYARD
MASTERCLASS & CHALLENGE
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This challenge ends on the 25th. I’ll review your image from time to time and give you personal feedback. Best images and feedback have a chance of being featured in following month’s Photo BootCamp Magazine. Good luck!
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Good morning Bootcampers. This is not a photo post. Rather an advice that I will be away again on a tennis trip and will be returning on the 16th Sept. I hope to get a few shots in my New Back Yard over the coming days and will post images on my return. Good and most of all happy shooting my friends.
happy travels, Denis!
Enjoy Denis, we will miss you. Brent
Enjoy the trip Denis…..hope you get some good Tennis shots in….see you when you get back!
enjoy Denis, take your camera, you never know what you will find.
Enjoy your tennis trip Denis. Am watching US Open right now with Nadal leading Kachanov in the tie break of the 4th set.
enjoy your trip – looking forward to seeing your new backyard
Enjoy your trip Denis and the tennis.
Enjoy Denis.
Have a fun and safe trip!
Will miss you Denis! Safe travels!
Image from the lesson above – shot in my backyard yesterday. Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a18781adce799cbcee6ef834c7464563f78057065959ab0b0527da413a2cd1f5.jpg
Nice sharp shot Brent…..The colours are also very appealing….you gotta love spring!
Good choice on the settings….i am impressed at the grain level at 3200 ISO…..AND YES…..bees are very difficult to capture!
Thanks – yes I’m impressed with low noise at high ISO too. Yes I love spring too. B
Hi Brent. Spring on your end, Autumn up here. We are starting to close down for the winter months ahead. Lovely shot. I particularly liked the method you used in post processing. Found that very informative.
Beautiful shot Brent. it is amazing when one just relaxes and looks what is around you find mother nature at work. nice job. thanks for the step by step method of post processing. I bought the presets
Brent, I love the shot, especially the way the wings of the bees inside the flower are transparent and how the bee on the outside is trying to get in.
This is a great shot, Brent. At ISO 3200 this capture really impresses. I also like that processing workflow.
Beautiful shot. Interesting processing also. I am sure I can apply some of it to my editing software.
Nice shot, though I might have edited out that highlight about a third along the bottom of the photo, lol
Thanks for the breakdown on the shot and the post processing, even though I use different software, I found it very interesting. And shows how subjective post processing is. I think that is where this group is really helping my photography.
I haven’t really used the auto iso, having preferred to set everything myself, though I will try it out at the hockey tonight.
Oh, and I’ve just discovered that photographing bees and flowers in our breezy conditions today is virtually impossible
Thanks – yeah see the blog but didn’t really notice when editing. To me it’s not too bright and distracting so it’s a 50/50 weather I remove or not. Lazy so not. Yes I was shooting in wind too. Brent
Love this shot Brent and found the processing fascinating. Think I agree with Nick about the blob about a third the way along the bottom – distracting! Glad we are back in colour!!
This a great Brent. The masterclass was so good. Can Lightroom really be that easy??? Bees are awesome.
Lightroom is that easy – especially with Johny’s workflow presets. Brent
The sharpness of the bee is amazing. Really like seeing all the fuzz on it. I have both of the 3C presets and they make Lightroom easy especially for the novice!
Thanks for this class! Great short tutorial on Lr. I have really no idea how to use it, have loaded the 3C presets…..
Heading out in yard now! 🙂
Love the bees…..
Really nice shot Brent. I’m guessing the bees weren’t too bothered by you as they were so focused on their meal. Perfect timing, with this little guy waiting for his turn. Thank you for the video above as it gave me some ideas of what to shoot. Your teaching style is extremely helpful to me as your instructions are so clear and easy to follow. Thank you for the tips. I can’t wait to learn LR.
Love this photo and the class that went with it.
Brent, I like very much to see the activity of those bees. Great colours in your picture. Good composition. Well done.
I like this composition, Brent, and the colour really pops. Gorgeous soft background behind the bee in flight. That must be one tasty flower with a lineup to visit. Thanks for sharing your editing process. Lots of good tips there.
Brent, thank you for sharing your lightroom tips and work flow. I really like your focus on the bee and the colors in your photo. Well done.
Can’t believe we already on BC7…..how time flies we you are having fun! And this months challenge is going to be just that…..FUN…..and being spring….everything is waking up and bursting with life and colour! The first image i am posting is called ‘Papillon’. I perched myself with my macro lens to photograph the bee’s and this beauty graced my presence….having not looked at a butterfly this close before….i found out that they drink the pollen through a straw-like tongue….Amazing nature to feast your eyes on!
Shot at 1/4000 sec. f/2.8 90 mm Macro lens at ISO100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f4f63f524a1caf3b1719e7777c83fd4582183789561ed816cd901097abfd039a.jpg
Great capture @rerrorocher:disqus – Love that you have the butterfly’s eye in focus and the rest out of focus – and that green sheen on the eye is cool too. Noticed that you are shooting at f2.8 on the macro lens, why is that? Have you tried to close down the aperture – do you get more depth of field? My wife wants to know what kind of butterfly that is and also what kind of flower that is? Brent
Thanks Brent…..the f2.8…not sure….i think i am stuck on portraits! I ill try stopping down. The shrub is called ‘Plumbago’ and…..Le Papillon…i have no idea of the name…hahahaha!
Hi Christine. This is a beautiful shot with that narrow DoF. The eye of the butterfly in focus. The beauty of Spring that you get to enjoy. It’s raining here in Indonesia and I miss my siblings in Perth. I have to find time to visit them.
Thanks Romy….look me up when you are in Perth again and we can have a coffee!
Stunning shot! Almost surprised by the vibrant colors after last months B&W challenge. Just beautiful!
Thanks Sara…..certainly a change from the B&W….beautiful in a different way!
Love the composition and the way the butterfly is the POI. great colours
and what were you doing taking photos at 4 am? or at least posting them
hahahaha….thanks Nick….i am an early riser…..love the early mornings. This was taken a couple of months ago before the rain set in here in Perth.
Beautiful shot Rerro. Mostly the butterfly shots are for the wings but this shows him eating – really like that. The flowers are a gorgeous colour. Very good. Thank goodness we are back in colour!!
Thanks so much Hilary…..i love B&W….but for spring….colour is a must!
Wow Rerro that is really cool. So crisp. Depth of field terrific. I noticed recently just how furry they can be too. Great shot well done.
Thanks Keri….so interesting close up….a whole new world when you look using a macro lens!
Beautiful! The colors in both the butterfly and flowers really pop. Great capture and detail.
Thanks so much Valerie!
Beautiful, Rerro, I really like that you have captured this with the wings closed. Nice change from the typical “butterfly image”
Oh…and that straw like tongue is called a proboscis:)
Thanks Kerrie…..proboscis….thanks for that info! 🙂
Christine. Magic. Love the detail you achieved. In this hemisphere Autumn is coming on very fast. Very good shot.
Thanks Denis…..looking forward to the Autumn colours from you!
Beautiful shot Rerro and a great capture of the feeding.
Thanks Tessa…first time i had seen the butterfly drinking….i was so excited to see this 🙂
This is such a cool shot! I love that his eye and antennae are in focus…. Really adds to the overall composition! Love it!
Thanks Sheree 🙂
Love the composition and colors in this shot Christine.
Thanks Rachel 🙂
Christine, great detail in your picture. Great contrast between this butterfly and the flowers. Good composition. You’re a patient person. Well done.
Thanks Christian….it was a test in patience that’s for sure!
Christine, great focus on the butterfly’s head extending down through the flower. I’m glad your patience was rewarded! The juxtaposition of colours adds nice contrast to this image.
Thanks so much Judy 🙂
Beautiful image Christine! I love the eye and how sharp it is. Lovely colors too.
Thank you Chris 🙂
Wow this is an awesome photo. Very clear and sharp. Love the colors and the composition. Great work!
I love the DOF, the rich complimentary colors, and the textures you’ve captured in this shot! Beautiful. I have one minor suggested edit in post… perhaps you can push the light colored stalk in the lower left further into the background. 🙂
Thanks so much Brenda….i will see what i can do. I was using this as a little leading line…but maybe its a distraction.
Truly A-Mazing! I love how he contrasts with the flowers. Well done my friend!
Thanks my friend….so much to see right there in your own back yard!
i never knew why butterflies went from flower to flower or even what they exactly ate. now i do, thanks to your beautiful photograph and lucid explanation. much appreciated.
Thanks so much John….my pleasure 🙂
Love this idea as we see the same thing over and over. Reminds us we are surrounded by cool and interesting things. I have gone to the birdlife for this 1st shot. 1/2000, F5.6, ISO 1000 @ 250mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b29d94bbde8a61904439e042ad4bb45df738795c25ed3cec5b484e4ea36b300a.jpg
Beautiful capture Keri….The face is so sharp and i love the little catch light in the eye!
Thank You Rerro. You know those lucky shot you get with really fast birds?
Great image. face and eye tack sharp and I especially like the water movement and droplets
one of my favourite birds
Thanks Nick. They are so beautiful. I only just got him before taking flight.
Hi Keri. Great shot. Nice and sharp with good detail. I like the capture of the eye. Very Good.
Thankyou Denis. Weren’t you on holidays?
Travelling in the morning. These are my last posts until after 16th Sept.
Beautiful bird so many colors. Nice details of the face and eye while capturing some motion as well.
Thank You Valerie. This is a daily occurrence in the birdbath so I am spoilt.
Beautiful bird. YOu have a lot of movement in this with a perfectly in focus head and eye. I also really like the water which he has splashed all around from the bath. Fabulous!
Thanks Sheree. Cant beat those colours. He gave me a look before taking off.
Wow! This is such a lovely shot of a very colorful bird! So beautiful and such sharp focus. Really nice. Where do you live to be so blessed with awesome birds like this in your backyard? Our birds here (in Reno) are not colorful at all but I love them anyway. Good job!
Hi Deby. Thankyou. This is a Rainbow Lorikeet. Native bird to Australia. I am lucky enough to have quite a few around. They just love the birdbath.
Love this photo Keri. One of my favorite birds. Had lots of them at my previous place. Unfortunately, none here.
Keri, lovely to see the movement of the bird when taking a bath. This one is very colourful too.
Superb shot! Great detail. Great Colors and movement. Well done.
So well captured, Keri. Love it!
Keri, the focus on the bird’s head is terrific. I like that you have caught water splashing around the lorikeet. Great job!
What a beautiful bird! The eye is so crisp and sharp. Stunning image!
Keri, love the multitude of colors in your photo. Great capture of the droplets of water shaken off by the bird. Nice focus on the eyes and beak. Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dae11c41b958b654866c5197bba5d8f59f1a73553c7554a4700234ca485eb7e9.jpg
I recently purchased a macro lens, and macro photography has become my new passion. It is not without its challenges, however, and I have much to learn. Brent is so right when he says “slow down” and look beyond what is obvious I strolled through the meadow behind the house and spied this Praying mantis in the tree.. 1/125 f/5.6 ISO 640 90mm After watching Brent’s master class, I wish I had taken time to experiment with a larger aperture and faster shutter speed. I am finding out a tripod is almost a must if I want everything in focus. I do kind of like the effect of the shallow depth of field in this image, and I like the monochromatic look. Praying mantises are amazing creatures: http://www.treehugger.com
Bonnie
This is a really fun picture. I like how he blends in yet stands out. Nice capture of the face. I am not a bug fan however this creates a desire to get out and see what interesting creatures are out there.
Nice shot. Bugs are difficult but can be so much fun to get shots of. You got enough in focus to capture my attention and I do like the effect of the shallow DoF.
I have had a lot of fun capturing bugs. Most of my subjects have been dead, but I was able to capture a few spiders and a dragonfly, all living. I have miles to go with the macro lens. Thanks for looking and your comments.
Great character captured in the face – who’d have thought insects could have character?!
You are so right! Who would have thought…..
REally fun shot. Can you say how you did this? Were you down in the grass? Would love to knw what your F stop was for such a great shallow DoF.
f/5.6 The Praying mantis was on a tree branch, so I was not down in the grass. It was originally on top of a bird house. I will post that image, too.
This photo really grows on me. I live the way you have captured this little creature’s face with the rest of the picture blurred out. It would probably look great in b&w.
I will see what b & w looks like! Thanks for looking.
nice job getting the eyes in focus
Thanks, Juan!
This is great. Is anyone else picturing us all on our hands and knees looking for that something special LOL or maybe it’s just me.
The Praying mantis was in a tree. I confess to having crawled on my hands and knees to get a spider shot!
Hi Fiat76. I like this shot. Has a sense of mystery to it. As I look at the shot the thought has occurred to me, what it would have been like to get a Head On shot?. Well done on this capture.
I think I might have captured a Head On shot. Will post it. Thanks for your comments. Bonnie
Great shot. That thing was looking right at you, or at least your lens. This is what you see in Sci-Fi movies. How would this be brightened up a bit?
Thanks, Rachel. I will brighten it up a bit and see if the image is enhanced!
You did a great job for starting macro. I see forward to see more. Good composition. Loverly soft shades of green. Greet to see the detail of that praying mantis. Well done.
Thank-you! Appreciate your comments.
Lovely image. I can’t stop staring at the eyes.
Thanks, Sara, for your comments! “Can’t take my eyes off of you…..”
Fiat…..what a fabulous shot! Love the ‘green on green’ colour palette….this reminds me of one of those pixar movies…love it!
Love it, Bonnie. Well done!
Great photo and head nicely in focus
cool
Great shot! I also like the monochromatic tones and the way the stems echo the long legs of the mantis. I guess it is designed to be camouflaged in this environment by colour and shape. I think that is a great part of the story. It looks like it is grinning at us. My only suggestion would be to brighten it a little bit; might be brighter on your monitor…Disqus seems to dull some images.
This is MY feeder! Three hummingbirds square off for possession of a feeder. Taken in my backyard in southern New Mexico, USA. f/8, 1/2000 sec, 200 mm, ISO 200. Nikon D3400 with kit lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3dfcf7a7126e5251610dcc09cbbc8ec9dc1999fd05780f2eec67d34b5c16440.jpg
Bill, I love this. It does remind me of my Dad’s ranch in AZ where they had hummingbird feeders all around! YOu have each of the small birds in focus…..and the shollow DoF makes the feeder stand out. I like it!
Bill beautiful shot
Love it. Every once and a while I’m tempted to set-up a feeder.
What a blessing to have these beautiful little birds in your yard. Colour contrast is lovely. I’d like to see the birds in a closer shot. Are you able to crop or resize so they closer?
Hi Keri,
Thanks for the comment. See the revised crop above, along with an alternate image from the same sequence where they are all closer together.
Hi Bill. Lovely shot. Nicely composed and presented. It shows the action very well. Well done.
Great shot Bill. All three birds are in sharp focus.
Bill, nice piture. You got a lot of activity around your feeder. Great contrast of birds and feeder with the nice blue background.
Lovely job getting so many in one shot! They are fast little birds, and such bullies. I have some in my yard and it’s a joy to watch them and their acrobatics. Well done, but I would like to see a closer shot if possible, also.
Hi Sara,
Too true — they are greedy and territorial little beasts. We love watching them and go through about 4-5 pounds (~ 2 kg) of sugar per week.
Here’s a different shot from the same sequence where they are all closer together. See also the tighter crop of the original image just above.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/897b9d7c760e6d4fd4fea52b5dae18c8f604d4e98ab5b5bbee357e230f393479.jpg
great action shot. Perhaps crop lower right corner to keepour eyes from straying there. Really nice
Hi Lynne and Kerrie,
Thanks for the comments. Take a look at this version: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b36082afb1cc13f1d154d13680e348959fecfaef7b440ab3b54becee57416a7d.jpg
Well shot, Bill. I’ve never seen a hummingbird, but I know how fast they move! I agree with Lynne re that little distraction in the bottom right.
Cool photo
well done on getting them in focus
I really like the way the birds stand out against the soft blue background. You were in the right time and place to capture this shot! Nice job.
Love this! I am always thrilled when I capture just one in focus so bravo for capturing all three!
Here’s my first “Back Yard” post … “Clay Pot on Fence” with Agapetes serpens, tuberous root base – shot with Leica Q 28 mm lens, 1/125 sec, @ f/1.7, ISO 100. This little gem was hiding on the fence behind the big rhododendrons. The flowers are not blooming at this time of year. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/05d921f2011c50211a74020b6ac8a7ea4d0d15882ffeed4ff8fa0d193ef03853.jpg
Nice shot. I’m always amazed at all the items hiding in my yard. 🙂
Lovely shot. Great contrast. I do like your composition! Nice in B&W.
Well done Richard. Good balance of the blacks and whites, shades and sun. I like alot.
Hi Richard. Good shot. B/W works well here in my view. Nice texture to the clay pot and its contents. You have shown the importance of looking at the scene in its totality when taking a photograph – Colour or B/W. Well done.
Nice shot Richard. I’m thinking that maybe bumping up the black level and playing with the contrast a bit, would bring out a lot more detail and texture in this shot. You’re objective is a B&W. There’s a lot of grey in photo.
Richard, nice picture. Still oving to use B&W. It works. Good compostion.
Well done.
Great backyard subject, I can really relate to this shot You could try playing with the sliders to bring the histogram a bit more to the centre/right. (more evenly spread).
Thanks to all for your comments. I tried various additional adjustments as suggested by Kerrie and Rachel but they didn’t seem to improve the photo. When the whites and blacks are increased much of the detail is lost.
Looks a little soft? Yes.
Has something like a glow to it? Sort of.
I like doing this style of photography. Not quite painterly but almost.
Taken with a vintage Russian MIR-1b 37mm lens. 1/60 sec, ISO 250. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/29c5b4201b520dd0afe751f48371eb791192d5664d1094a3045de9289161c094.jpg
I really love your composition and colors with this image. Very nice.
Hi Point. I think I might crop from the left. It is as you say “soft” and has a “glow” to it. Would to be my style but in this instance I think it adds to the shot.
Hi PR, Good composition and great colors.
Point, you got a smooth picture with nice colours. Good composition.
Beautiful colors. I do like the softness of the image.
I love the soft, dreamy feel of this image Point.
Nice
I initially thought this needs a tack sharp centre – stamen area
but with further consideration I like the colours and the dreaminess of it
Definitely soft and dreamy. I like it a lot.
We have quite a few of these lizards running around. This one was quite shy, I kept having to move around the tree! This was actually vertical — so post process in Lr—also used the presets. Nikon D750 60.0mm Micro f/2.8 shot at IS)250 60mm f4.5 1/3200 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba107818a823bba230463a4c95f6087dfc435f0ff51bff0c7a360a109dfc9f72.jpg
Hi Sheree. Taking shots of nature is nearly always a challenge. The subject very seldom stays still for you. You did well to get this shot. I like that I can see the eye quite clearly. Well done for persevering.
Thanks, Denis.
Great job of getting that critter in sharp focus. Like the shallow DoF.
Thanks Rachel
Sheree, you got a nice picture. Good contrast with the blurried background. Well done.
Thanks!
Great job seeing it and getting the picture. I have garter snakes in the yard that I am always trying not to step on. Great composition.
I would be too!!! I have a few that I watch on my wall, that show off their beautiful throats—I will keep chasing them to get that! 🙂
Aww…you gotta love this little guy! Another great capture, Sheree.
thanks so much Kerrie!
Nice capture and well framed between the blurred limbs
interesting idea to flip him 90°, it works well
Thanks, Nick. It was just not working for me as a vertical!
Wow – the focus on the lizards skin is fantastic. I really like the light on its throat and underbelly.
Thanks, Judy! It was 4PM, so sun was lower in the sky.
For my first submission https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f157f7678a98d88121428b524dae5386c3976a0f21037ab71fc58f7e0acd7c99.jpg , I used a couple of techniques. One that I had been playing with for a while and the other is something that I’ve been seeing in photography posts that I follow. This is a macro shot, using an old manual lens, mounted backwards. ( Cheap way to get into macro that can be done with any DSLR.) The lens is a 28-70mm set at about 45mm at f/16 and 1/60sec. Tripod mounted. This setting allowed me to just about fill the frame and still be a couple inches away from my subject. The DoF is about 2mm. My subject, in this case, is a dead female ‘Stink Bug’, about 15mm long, so I didn’t have to chase after it. I took 10 shots at different focus points and then did a ‘focus stack’ in Affinity. The image is un-cropped.
Rachel, nice picture. Your subject has a lot of colour. You got much detail too. Well done.
Thanks, Christian.
What a colourful bug!! Great textures and love the shallow DoF!
Great job! Love the colors.
Thanks Sara.
Well done on being innovative with the gear you have Rachel and great effort wit the focus stacking! Colours are vivid and attractive….who would have thought a stink bug can look so good!
Thanks Christine! I was thinking the same thing re;stink bug. LOL! 🙂 Wish I could have done this with a live specimen.
Great shot. Texture and colours lovely
Thanks Lynne.
Very nice. I really want to understand more about focus stacking. How do you mount a lens backwards?
Thank you Derryl. As I explained, it’s a simple process of taking multiple shots at different focus points. I use Affinity and there’s a tab “New Stack” that I loaded the images to and then pressed a button and the program did the rest. It takes the parts that are ‘in focus’ and combines them all into one image. I then did the final touches as I would on a single image.
Re: mounting a lens ‘backwards’. Get an adapter ( Ebay ) that fits your cameras lens mount, that screws onto the filter tread of the lens. For a manual lens they’re really cheap. You can also get elaborate ones that make an auto lens functional.
Wow! Love those colours on the dark background. Well done with the focus stacking. I also would like to know how to mount a lens backwards.
Thanks Kerrie! All you need to do is go to EBay and search for “macro reverse lens adapter”. Tons of them there. If you have a cheap manual lens, you only need the lens to camera adapter. Those for electronic lenses run a bit more but still way cheaper than a macro lens.
Thanks for that info, Rachel. Seems like a great and affordable way to have a go at macro.
It is a quick and cheap way of dabbling into macro. If it’s not your thing, at least you haven’t invested hundreds.
Great detail and aren’t bug colours interesting?
great photo and well done on the focus stack – super easy isn’t it?
I’ve never reversed a lens though I’ve read on the subject. I did get some extension tubes rather cheaply which I’m yet to play with in any real sense.
Thanks Nick! It is really easy but I think this one looks a bit weird with the foreground so sharp and then totally out of focus behind the bug.
you could always blur it up in Affinity or use the “clone brush tool” to judiciously use some of the background or even background from other images
Or have a look at the photos you stacked and possibly (?) not use those where the foreground is sharp
Fabulous detail and colour Rachel. Thanks for all the detail in your notes about your process. The result was excellent, I think.
Thanks Judy.
Absolutely stunning Rachel – wow! The colours, the way you’ve worked with the equipment you have, the post processing with all those stacked images – the result is worth all that work. Love the colours against the darker (bland) background. Another one that should be printed and framed. Brent
Thank you Brent.
In a great part of July and August we experienced a very dry and hot summer. The watersupply came under pressure and the people had to economize on the use of water. So the plants in the gardens had troubles to resist on this dry period. My garden became very brown. As I was walking today along the plants, I saw they came back alive.
This picture is from a rhododendron. It is visible that some parts are living again. I wanted to show the contrast between the dead and living parts of the plant. I accentuated the respective colours in Lightroom and give a more blurry effect in Photoshop.
settings: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6d086950863bd940685731c39b8f9786b05d16fe9bbeb7764d5952bcc9d34a79.jpg 1/200sec f/5.6 ISO 100 135mm
I love the range of colours in this, Christian. I may have tried to crop it in a bit more. Love the idea and it tells the story!
Sheree, thanks for your comment. I feel more croppiing wouldn’t give that feeling of the hope in that desolation with the contrast in colour and the emptiness.
Lovely shot. I agree with Sheree about cropping it a bit more. Great colors.
Sara, thanks for your comment. I feel more croppiing wouldn’t give that feeling of the hope in that desolation with the contrast in colour and the emptiness.
Oh yea! Fall colours! I really like the oranges and greens and the blurred background. At first I was looking for an insect with a tentacles but then realized it was just a plant!
Thanks Derryl for your comment. Indeed by looking in detail there can be some surprise.
Love the contrasting colors. Agree on the crop suggestion.
Rachel, thanks for your comment. I feel more croppiing wouldn’t give that feeling of the hope in that desolation with the contrast in colour and the emptiness.
Beautiful colours, contrast and background blur, Christian. I am happy to see that your Rhododendron is fighting to survive the dry weather.
Kerrie, thanks for your comment. Luckily nature is resilient.
I thought there for a minute you’d taken a photo of one of my azaleas
Great story and a super image.
I’m not sure about a further crop as I feel that the starkness and isolation of the half dead leaves contribute to the impact.
Nick, thanks very much for your observation and comment.
Hi Christian – I like how you decided to tell this story to show the new growth compared to the stressed leaves. The crop with lots of empty space helps tell the story. Good contrasting colours, too.
Judy, thanks for your comment and appreciation.
Very lovely, yet moody image. It looks like fall and if you hadn’t told the story I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t.
Thanks Chris for your comment.
Beautiful image and story telling
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/71276031a98cd8dc450236d0933238964111cbb8b60eaaef525a7d875b653597.jpg
So I have tried a color version of a different sedum plant. This is the tallest one, I will have to check on it’s name. I was walking around the yard, and thought an extreme close up would work for this one. A bit challenging as the wind was out and it is overcast. I tightened the crop and adjusted the colors slightly. ISO 400 185mm f/6.3 1/200. I like the succulent look of the sedum and the variety of colors they come in.
A lovely set of buds, Sarah!
Sheree, thank you.
Sara, nice composition. Nice colours of the flowers and the buds. I have the impression it is a bit out of focus.
thank you for your feedback Christian.
Sarah, the blossoms look just like the ones on my Jade plant. ( a succulent ) Mine has gone through the whole process and only a couple of clusters of blossoms are left. I’ve often had a difficult time getting a sharp image of mine. Your color adjustment looks to be a bit heavy on the green and cool. Maybe warm it up a bit.
Rachel, I will try again on the focus and the color adjustments.
I like this, Sarah. It has a soft, dreamy feel to it.
Thank you Kerrie.
Wow I would like to see that bunch in full flower ,very pretty
Thank you Peter, they are very cool plants in full bloom.
I wondered whether this looked a bit busy, with no real POI.
But it has grown on me and I like the muted and subtle colours.
My only suggestion for improvement would be to get the central flower tack sharp
Nick, thanks. I will try again.
Here is a slightly different version. Just cropped, no other adjustments. Will hopefully get another sharper one, once the sun comes out again. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/98d2f139bac33e04abcf82bafe245d0c276b46708f60951e1d006b93e1451b27.jpg
I like your tight crop and the soft lighting provided by that overcast day; shadows from a bright sun would have given more shadows & made the image feel busier. I also like taking photos of clusters where just a few are in bloom, and the rest are waiting their turn.
Thank you Judy.
Nice image and a good DOF that makes it more interesting. I like it that only few of the flowers are in full bloom. Beautiful
Just wanted to share my second, as I have a very busy week ahead. I took this around yesterday in the heat…. Got low. This took quite some time and is cropped in considerably. D750 Macro lens 60.0mm ISO 160 60mm f3.2 1/4000sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0f73a28fe9a84b4efe9133e591d8bf3dc4b932d4153ed2dfaa93cf93e34b5250.jpg
Really good angle choice. Such a nice, sharp image of this bee as you were able to capture the detail in his wings. Cool! Good choice on your settings.
Thanks, Deby—but you give me too much credit! I was crouching around the patch of flowers….. had ISO on sensitivity—so it changed and really the only thing I changed was the aperture setting. The focus was manual as it would not keep still! This is a big crop.
Sheree, great detail in your picture. Nice colours. Well done.
thanks, Christian!
Seems to me I may need to invest into a macro lens! This is a sweet shot. It is like the bee is waving at you!
So I did many years ago, Derryl and never used it as when I tried, I could really not figure out what to do—how far away etc. I have taken it out and been experimenting. Still not my favourite lens, but will keep persevering….I always wanted to shoot butterflies and bees…so more practice! 🙂
Looks like it was coming in for a landing! Great capture! The head is sharp and detailed. Perhaps a something around f/8 would have yielded a bit more detail.
Thanks so much Rachel. I agree….was one of those moments that you are just concentrating on trying to get a shot and forget about the camera! LOL
‘Been there, done that’ more often than not. LOL!
Great capture Sheree! So much detail in the head and antennae. I look forward to more macro shots from you!
Thanks, Kerrie! I will keep trying with it.
Great Macro shot with lots of detail of the Bee & maybe a bit more f stop to bring the flower into focus ,great shot anyway.
Thanks Peter. What I love about this is not just the suggestions…but the suggestions that help us remember to keep checking the camera! I have even forgotten to focus sometimes! Appreciate your comment.
Head and wing in great detail
nicely captured
I tried for a bee photo and gave up in disgust
Haha. I actually gave up too, but when I zoomed on this guy figured it was not too bad! 🙂
Well done Sheree! Great detail.
Thank you for your comments, Sara!
Great detail on the head Sheree. They are so difficult to catch. Well done.
Thanks, Tessa!
Sheree, thanks for your perseverance and posting this one. Nice job getting the head in focus. Your crop has nice composition. I spent a whole morning back a few months back trying to get a sharp photo – really hard when EVERYTHING is moving as you click the shutter 🙂
Thanks so much Judy!
Very good detail especially for this fast moving subject. Nice DOF as well.
Thanks Valerie….. yes he kept jumping from flower to flower!!!
Beautiful image Sheree!! Love the bees position.
thanks Chris
This is a great shot. It looks like the bee is trying to give you a high five. Its an beautiful and amusing picture all in one. Great focus and composition. Very nice job!
Thanks Barbara!
Great non-standard action shot of the bee. The diagonal flower adds drama too. Wonderfull work
this dragon fly wouldn’t stay still Hadto use my long lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8d5875625bcc1b2dd6ee6356ebfe7b6f9435b66e8f01cf81b43374f4d8e4f708.jpg I hadn’t seen one this color before.
Very cool Norm! Love the colour!
love the soft background. Its Colour brings out the dragonfly colour.
Norm, nice to see the colour of the dragon fly illiminated. Perhaps in post-process a bit more lighting up the eyes.
Good composition and nice colors Norm. What were your camera settings?
Nice capture, Norm- well done.The light on the dragonfly is really beautiful. The head/eyes seem to be getting a bit lost in the darkness.
Good shot norm ,maybe a little lighter would be good Or just lighten the shadows a bit might give a better look.
Nicely composed image, the muted/blurred background helps bring the dragonfly out.
One thing that could make it better would be to have the head and especially eyes (eyes) in tack sharpness (but I know how difficult that is!)
Great job. I have never seen one that color either.
I find dragon flies to be big teases; they hover in one place and just when I’m ready to click the shutter, they zip somewhere else. I think it’s tough getting a super sharp image with a long lens; tripods often don’t give you flexibility to follow your subject as you choose. I think you did well with this one. What were your settings for this photo?
I agree Judy. I have yet to capture one.
Excellent capture. I have seen this color but have been highly unsuccessful at capturing a photo of one.
Great capture and beautifull color contrast. Well done
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d6025f298bd59f05cbe5e3ac0d7db292ca54a3732f5660e3cb9c163e534645e.jpg Thought I would do an inside shot. This is Sheba the Cat. 50mm; iso 100;1/13sec; F9. Would have been better with shallower DoF – but she tires of posing quickly.
This is such a sweet portrait of Sheba. Beautiful pose and nice lighting. I love the texture of the screen behind her also.
Thank you Deby
Very nice portrait, Lynne. The lighting is very nice on her fur. I agree, a shallower DoF would have been nice, but the texture in the screen actually helps with that!
Lynne, nice portrait. Good composition. There is good contrast between the cat and the background. Well done.
Good photo Lynne. I’m thinking you wound up focusing on her body instead of her head. Maybe try focusing on her head, holding the shutter button at half-press, then recompose and shoot.
Nice composition and great pose. I tend to agree with Rachel about the focus.
I love the way the cat posed. I have 5 cats in the house but I could not get anyone of them to pose for a photo. Great image, Lynne. Nicely composed. Well done.
Nice composition. Not my favorite subject as I am allergic, but like the tone. I would try for focusing on her face next time. Good job.
Hi Lynne – looks like Sheba owns this spot. The light is lovely on her chest and neck. I think the screen in the background adds an unusual and attractive texture to this portrait.
Thanks Judy
Very pretty image, very noble kitty. I am sure she tires of posing because she is missing a nap! Really love the screen in the background.
Great capture Lynne – yes cats do tire of posing. Like how you’ve framed this shot. As you said shallow depth of field would have been better – like f/4 which would have given you a faster shutter speed too. I did notice a little movement with kitty’s head. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/587e3f32f190dec1509825e4fa4cb21641c40aece4c5ef2fdd9ca7d33f4d236b.jpg
I shot this succulent in my backyard last evening. We have a super small yard where we live, in the high desert (Nevada USA) with no flowers or grass, so this month will be a challenge for me. I happened to buy a little planter of succulents last month but most of them have died for some reason. This small succulent still had a little life left in it, thank goodness, so I snapped away and got a few usable images. This shot is handheld, and edited in Apple PHOTOS program.
Canon 70D crop, 100mm 2.8 macro lens, ISO: 125, f. 5.6, Shutter: 1/125
Lovely photo, Deby. I like your lighting and the composition. Lovely colours and shallow DoF.
Thank you Sheree.
Deby, nice picture. Good composition. It has different nice colours. Good use of blurry background. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Nice colors. The center of the plant is sharp and detailed and the shallow DoF keeps bringing your eye back to the PoI. Good photo!
Thank you Rachel.
Beautiful shot, Deby. Really nicely framed, and great use of DoF. Well done.
Thank you Kerrie.
Nice clean shot ,good colors & the use of light foreground against the dark background works well.
Thank you Peter.
Nicely composed photo. And the centre is perfectly in focus
and the pale oranges (peaches) and greens make for a nice calm image.
It would be a great candidate for a focus stacking exercise
Thank you Nick. I shall look into the focus stacking exercise someday. I’m attempting to figure out how to get started learning LR right now. Whew….. Way above my head at this point but perhaps soon I’ll have it figured out.
Very nice capture and bokeh. Good composition. Well done Deby.
Thank you Romy.
Debt, good job. Love the colors and great depth of field.
Thank you Sara.
Very nice use of depth of field and colour, Deby. The light is lovely, too. I’m sure we will all be surprised at what we can find in our yards – looking forward to seeing your other submissions this month.
Thank you Judy. Yes, some of us will have to really think “outside the box” for this one. Ha!
Hey everyone! Great to see all the great little creatures in your back yards. Nothing common about Common Mormon swallow tail butterflies chasing each other and playing in the bamboo next to our House of Shade in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I cannot believe how fast these little guys zip in and out of the leaves and stalks way up high. It was quite dark up in the bamboo and had to pump ISO way up to get a decent shutter speed. This is taken handheld with my long 100-400mm and 1.5x extender. 1/320 sec, F8, 476mm, ISO12800 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/16f43c92a8b165467d7d3d7ff2c7381ff6319f7c3d4fd009e81cc03cab8ea32d.jpg
Fabulous shot….love that one butterfly is a silhouette and the other is illuminated by the light! Very well captured Derryl
Thanks Rerro! It took 20 or more shots to get this one! I love the way the light falls in through the bamboo leaves, but really hard to catch the little critters in the light patches!
Wow, this is almost like the frame from an animation. Love the composition, colors, and vignette. Good capture.
Awesome image, Derryl! I love the contrast of the butterfly against the greens, and the lighting is just superb.
Great shot , what a beautiful Butterfly ,nice Bokeh & lucky to have the butterfly’s around .I remember when we used to have them in all of our gardens but alas they are harder to find all the time.
Derryl, very nice picture. Good composition with the “dark” butterfly and the enlightend one. Beautiful colours too. Well done.
Haha! Thanks Christian. I think I will call this shot, “The chasing shadow”. 🙂
Well taken – not bad to hand hold at that focal length and shutter speed
and the two butterflies are a perfect comment, in the dark and the light
great image!
Lovely shot. I like the framing and the glow on the butterfly
Derryl what a great shot. The butterfly on the lit is perfectly highlighted. The use of the vignette compliments the shot and draws your eye to the POI. Great job.
Really nice shot, Derryl! I chased a butterfly around my yard and then gave up as I had a macro lens and it just was not going to work! Well done. I may have not used the vignetting so much on the edge, but it works!
Hi Sheree. Here is the same shot with a little less vignetting. Others have commented they like the use of vignetting. How is this for compromise? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c0d1b4f5c9173108dd390085f1edd28819c1479c05d90a5fb70ee67395b43b72.jpg
Personally I prefer this version, as it provides just a little more detail without detracting from the butterflies.
Yes, I really love this one!!! Very subtle and I find the brightness pops a little bit. Did you just use a medium vignette?
I like the second better, it tells a better story with the two butterflies. I like how you gave the butterflies room to fly in the photo. Great highlight on the first butterfly and showing the light coming through the wings. Well done.
I prefer this version too with less vignette. Great capture Derryl – the butterfly in the light pops!. I’m thinking with such a long lens and how fast these butterfly’s dart around you’ll need a faster shutter speed – more like 1/1000sec which means you’ll need to shoot with your aperture wide open and an even higher ISO – or you’ll need to pop in artificial light (strobe). It’s super challenging shooting in darker rainforests with long lenses and fast subjects. Well done. Brent
Hi Derryl. Great capture of the butterflies. Nice composition.
Darryl, great composition. I find butterflies hard to get as they are pretty fast.
A beautiful image Derryl. I love the way you’ve captured the colour on one butterfly, with the light glowing through its wings, while the other is in silhouette – almost like a shadow.
The detail in the top butterfly’s wings is delightful, and the soft light through the bamboo is so pretty. I also like the ‘chaser’ butterfly in silhouette. Great job with a long lens and extenders! You must be super steady. If I used that ISO setting on my camera, the photo would be unusable, but yours has retained good detail without losing too much in noise reduction.
Beautiful! Great composition.
Wow Derryl, what a stunning image! I love the light coming through the wings Excellent capture!
Simply lovely: the composition, the detail, the lighting, the color …and I really like the vignetting!
This photo is great. The butterfly is spot on and I love the shadow of the one coming up from behind. The shading brings the viewer to the butterfly. Nice job!
Fabolous image with the light penitrating through the butterfly and the this background. Love it
Mother nature turned on blue sky and sunshine here this morning-seems like so long since it’s been like that. I wanted to capture these early Spring bulbs against the sky. I had myself and my camera on the ground. There was a slight breeze, but I still had to get the shot. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/18e76b1c952038d472aac2ea6445e26c757d5605ac7a7d2bb481c508ea1bbbeb.jpg
1/80 f8 ISO 100 @85mm
Kerrie, nice picture with those contrasting colours of those bulbs against the blue sky. Good composition with that piece of cloud filling the emptiness of the upper right corner. Well done.
Thanks Christian 🙂
Hey nice and simple. like the yellow against the blue and the stalks leading you into the photo
Thanks Nick. I’ve been waiting for the blue sky to get this shot.
Lovely photo Kerrie! Those colors really pop. Good sharpness and detail.
Thanks Rachel 🙂
Lovely, Kerrie! Were you laying down? 🙂 Great job and love the pop!!!
Thanks Sheree! Yes I was Lying down, on my side to get the angle.
LOL! I can just imagine it! 🙂
Kerrie great shot. I love the colours, they really pop. Did you use a polariser?
Thanks David. I did use a polariser, (I edited the settings in my post just now)
Lovely shot, Kerrie. The orange flowers against the blue sky was perfect. Well done.
Thank you Romey. I’ve been waiting for that blue sky.
Lovely, just lovely. The colors really pop.
Thanks so much, Sarah:)
I love how the orange stands out against the deep blue of the sky. The flowers a lovely and crisp and it was well worth getting down on the ground for the angle. Great shot Kerrie.
Thanks, Tessa. I was really hoping that none of the neighbours could see me down there at an awkward angle!
Kerrie, I like this image for its simplicity and complementary colors.
Thanks Bonnie!
beautiful shot Kerrie. You chose a great background
Thanks, Juan. It was quite an effort to get the sky without any trees in the background.
Beautiful composition, Kerrie. I was out yesterday in my yard doing a similar setup, but I wasn’t as successful as you in getting a nice clean background. The blooms are super sharp.
Thanks Judy, I did push a bit of foliage out of the frame, and it was pretty tight in avoiding a background tree branch.
I like the perspective here, it creates a sense of height. Nice contrasting colors.
Thanks Valerie
Kerrie, I like this photo … a nice composition of five with the blue sky background. The cloud adds to the sense of motion. I’m a bit too old to get down on the ground for shots like this for fear that I may not be able to get back up. Your extra effort paid off.
HI , everyone back from Fiji & would you believe it ( Pics from Home ) A couple of Kookies that quite often sit in my back yard trees ,I really love these guys but they don’t stay long before my dog chases them off. My fault entirely for telling the dog they are laughing at him for the last 8 yrs .Sony A-77ii , 1/125 , f7.1 , iso400 , A/P , Tamron 70-300 @ 300mmhttps://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/61e17675ff76d0b6323d9c9ee3b95904552e4cba4f430772eb9af1b9e1a7a838.jpg
Sorry don’t know what happened to my Photo https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/61e17675ff76d0b6323d9c9ee3b95904552e4cba4f430772eb9af1b9e1a7a838.jpg
Always such an intelligent looking bird. nice and clear image
I was going to suggest you crop the branch a little, but I’m not so sure on a closer look
Thank you Nick ,not a lot in the background as i live on a cliff 60 mtrs above the river & only turf farms below with dry grass (no rain around & very dry )
Good sharp image. Love these birds.
Thank you Rachael ,My favorite bird ,at my previous address I fed a pair who came back every year to have there chicks
Peter, nice picture. Loverly birds. good composition. Personally I would have positioned a bit lower: less at the top, more at the bottom to give a bit more space under the tail. Nice colours and in good contrast with the background. Well done.
Thanks Christian
So cute, Peter. You did a great job in capturing and composition. Hard to do with all the branches around!
Thanks so much Sheree.
Peter, lovely image. Can’t make up my mind if the background isn’t a little too bright? The branch that the birds are sitting on leads your eye through the photo. Good job.
Thanks David it was a hard shot to PP as the kookies were shaded & the background was bright.
Beautiful shot, Peter. The birds are sharply focused. Love the texture of the branch. Great job.
thanks for looking & commenting Romy
Hope you like this shot it was the shot before https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a0eab00c6cfb828b9600d2e46a7db4fca6a7a78eae4bb1b2e5bde22449377340.jpg
Very nice. The detail is great.
Thank you Sara
Peter, I find this an improvement. Great composition. Nice colours.Good framing with those branches on the left and the leading one from left to right. Great detail. Well done.
thank you so much for your views & thoughts Christian .
Really nice photo. I like this one showing more of the branch and to get them both looking the same direction makes me wonder what they are watching.
Thanks so much Valerie ,they were watching “BJ” my Doberman who always chases them off because I used to tell him they were laughing at him
Lovely shot, Peter. Good focus on the birds, and I like how the branch is used in your crop.
Thank you Judy for your interest & comments.
Peter, I can’t see your picture.
The Last of the Chilies (well almost)
1/200s, f/1.8, iso 50, 50mm prime lens
heavily cropped and straightened up a bit
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9568b8b5bc33714cd2b95afdbe9a7ee6a6dd51c1d7557a6635c6174d3b8bb7f.jpg
Nick, with such a colour it can’t be ingnored 🙂 It could be my eyes, but not all of the chili is in focus. Personally I would blurry in LR that stem on the left to give more POI at the chili.
It could be your eyes but alas your eyesight is pretty good … the problem of lying on the driveway concrete at a weird/contorted angle to get the chili where I wanted it vis a vis the foliage and background.
I had thought about blurring that limb and in the end decided not to. Though you now have me second guessing my decision
That’s a hot one….i am sweating just looking at it!…..Love the red against the green…..they compliment each other being opposite each other on the colour wheel. Great sharpness, and composition Nick! 🙂
Lol – the 1st chili I had off this plant was fairly mild with just a bit of a tang. It was a setup as the second had me sweating for days!
I tried for a similar composition in B&W for last month but wasn’t happy with it. I feel this composition works better
Thanks
Love that red! Great photo.
thanks muchly
Nick, a wonderful shot. The red chilli really pops out at you. I also like the background blur. Well done Sir.
Love the pop of the red and your composition! Nicely done…
Hi Nick, this image is hot ! The chili pops and the image well composed. Well done.
Great composition. Love the colors. Well done.
nice picture Nick. Is it a sweet or Hot chilli?
Hot, actually very hot. They seemed to get hotter as the plant matured
one of the cayenne varieties from memory
I want to put it on my Guacamole
The depth of field works super well here. Your hot chilli really stands out. I really like the simplicity of this image, too.
I really like the contrast of the red and green. Simple composition that makes a really nice photo. You could use this for a chili ad!
that’s one nice looking red hot chili pepper (good name for a band) clean & crisp & good dof .
Nice image, Nick. Great composition and colours, and I really like the DoF.
Hot image – nice use of the colors and DOF
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e515e802d56e59c773422aef6c7fd07c0073dd316be16d10cb813f7ed6f44145.jpg
Crowned Eagle eating one of my chickens 🙁 in my Garden. Pic taken yesterday. He hammered the chicken and spent the next 45 minutes eating much to the consternation of the rest of the chickens and then casually took the rest as a take away.
600mm at F8, ISO 400 Aperture Priority
Craig, a great picture of a great bird. Good composition with open space in the direction of his sight. As resident of a more urban environment I can’t imagine having an eagle in my backyard. For me it would be impressive to see one, even with a 800mm. Well done.
Great shot. Bummer about the chicken. I like the composition, but I might take just a tad off the top.
Love this shot Craig. Great focus and I love the colours on his chest. He is also looking into the space on the left of the photo. Love it.
Great shots and story (if a sad one).
great Picture Craig
Truly a magnificent creature. Captured in the act! Well done. This should stand up in a court of law!
That’s a decent sized chook catcher
Great photo and the detail in the plumage is superb. Love the intense gaze. I tend to agree with the crop suggestion
Have you tried catching them on the wing, would be an epic photo.
Wow, Craig. Nature at its finest!
Too bad you had to see that happen to your chicken. What a powerful hunter. I like the angle of the eagle’s head and its intense look.
Wow, that is one fierce looking bird. Awesome capture and great detail. For your next opportunity, maybe ‘shutter priority’ and auto ISO. Brent has mentioned this and also a bird photographer in the group, that it’s the best setup for this type of photography. Especially when you’re using that long of a lens.
great capture at the cost of a chicken ,that’s one seriously mean looking bird & an awesome shot.
Sorry for the chicken. Great shot of the Eagle, I like the clarity of the bird and his majestic look. I like how you gave him room to look into. Nice use of colors between the grass and the different colors of the Eagle.
I miss living in Africa where this happens – great capture Craig. Like the way you waiting for the eagle to look back into the frame and at it’s prey, or what’s left of it. When I click on the image and view it large it looks a touch soft, is this because of the shutter speed not being fast enough or the focus? Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e78ec63bfb8803892118b6caf9eda24d61a0895ac25f33e7c3211c150c26486.jpg
Just to clarify, we do live in the suburbs, we have an acre of garden and a few chickens for eggs. The eagles, African Crowned patrol the skys over suburbia an occasionally take cats and small dogs. They are huge, standing upright nearly a meter with a wing span of about 2 meters. Normal prey are vervet monkeys.
We also get African Harrier Hawks after young chickens. Normally the Rooster watches the skies and warns the hens to take cover- those hens just dont always listen………….
Craig, that bird looks a right beastie. Good shot mate, super focusand great composition. Good job Sir.
Great Photo! Love the detail you have captured. Unfortunate you lost a chicken!!
Craig, I really like this shot and the second one below. The bird looks so satisfied with its accomplishment. Thanks for waiting to show the aftermath rather than the initial attack.
Great captures Craig, both of them. Love the pose and the tention in the eyes
Not my normal genre of photography but as it is photos of your backyard I took a shot of this flower. Absolutely no idea what it is though. Canon 5DMKII, ISO100, 24-105mm at 47mm, 1/800 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7af917992a39fc59a1844c841d6913acb006c9cec12b8dc90dd417283115f0aa.jpg
David, nice picture. Good contrast between the flowers and the background. Perhaps a little bit more enlightment of the petals. There is a lot of detail. Well done.
Christian, thank you for your comments.
a variety of Lillium
Nice flower and showing great detail
I’d think about the background a bit and try and not have the garden bed/path split so obvious
Nick great comments, thank you.
Nicely composed, David. I would try to brighten the petals a little bit, nice flower shot!
Thank for you comments Sheree.
The dark anthers really stand out against the white petals. I agree with @christianpiron:disqus about the petals and I would be tempted to brighten them a little more.
Thanks Judy.
Nice flower David. Agree with Sheree re: a bit brighter.
Thanks Rachel.
Great job David. A variety of Lily. Beautiful capture before they turn brown. I agree they could be a bit brighter.
Thanks for you comments Sara.
Beautiful image and a good DOF and contrast against the background.
I agree with others that it can be made even more impressing using some work in post, brighten the main flower and make the other little darker, extract more detail in the main flower and enhance the yellow. It is beautifull as is, but it can be even better.
Nothing exotic in English gardens, especially at this time of year! Haven’t seen a bee around in the last few days, just flies. I tried taking some shots of them, but just couldn’t get them good enough, so gave up and photographed our female cat, Pip, instead. Will persevere with the winged insect life and try to capture something later. Shot with Canon 750D Tamron 90mm lens 1/250 sec f/5.6 ISO1600. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a67bfa5c963a18c8076c7ab22fd33898cc2b150dc03c8baaac69709966043a14.jpg
Here’s a cropped version, wasn’t sure which I liked better. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/260413f3a2d857aede4cdc9a8ce9e36c1ad1e7d7473e474a34f25400fe689600.jpg
Great job on both versions. This one tends to bring my focus more directly to the eyes. Love the detail.
Honestly I like the other one better. Even though one ear is slightly cropped off it still gives you the sense of the whole cats face. This one just doesn’t look right with no ears or very little of the ear. Just my opinion though.
Both versions are nice, but I prefere the original – it has a nice backlight that got lost here. Further more, to enhance the eyes I think that you should crop more (maybe according the rule of thirds) and make the eyes little sharper and brighter in post
Nice shot Tessa, good composition. Don’t know how you got the cat to sit still. My dog always moves. Anyway great shot and well done.
Thanks David. I think she didn’t want to move far as she was waiting for her dinner! It did take a while to get her looking towards me – she kept turning her back on me.
Tessa, both pictures are nice. My favorite however is the original one. Personally I would have cropped even more, as I still see half of the ears… Good composition. Nice colours in the fur of the cat. Well done.
Thanks Christian
I love the clarity of your kitty! I actually do prefer the original one, think it is cropped too much in the second. Maybe crop, but keep the ears? But I do love this one.
Thanks Sheree
Tessa, you have captured beautiful detail in Pip’s whole face. I also like the little bit of light on the tips of the fur on the top of her head.
Thanks Judy. Yes, I was pleased with the hairlight effect of the sun from behind her.
I also prefer this version. You nailed the focus on it’s eye. Good contrast and detail.
Thanks Rachel
Can’t ever go wrong with a kitty shot in my humble opinion!
lovely shot with soft warm colors & sharp
Thanks Peter
Tessa, I like this one better as the ears are included, but maybe crop a bit off the right hand side? Personal preference. Great job.
I agree Sara. When I viewed this on my phone I realised that I would have been better to have shot in portrait. Have cropped a version accordingly. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e2f04fa9b67f5267c8c12619d923f599dcfa53fdfd540702e1037271351106d0.jpg
Great shot. Doesn’t have to be exotic if the cat was in your yard it counts. Beautiful cat. Love the reflections ans sharpness of the eyes. Great composition too! Great work!
Thanks Barbara!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7494dd08fb2f56917c70247ed4cf3e7e6c3d66d1ea0b6c756a17f67a33931002.jpg
took this phot in my back yard. I took away the sunlight and used the Nitecore SRT-7 flashlight ( real nice) and sprayed the flower with water. Was trying to get some spherical affects but did not add enough water. I used my Canon 100mm 2.8USM lens f/29 1/15sec ISO 100 on my tripod
Very pretty flower, Juan. nice colour and nice Dof.
Thank you Sheree
I think this is beautiful, Juan. I like the subtle shadows you achieved using the flashlight, and the water droplets add a touch of sparkle to the outer petals.
Thank you Judy
Hi Juan, really nice color and I like that you isolated it with the dark background. It looks like you were trying to get the whole flower in focus with the f/29 aperture, but you lost a lot of detail and the center is not in focus. I think maybe a bit further away and something around f/16 would have been a lot better. The closer you are to your subject, the more shallow your DoF, per increment, on your lens. You can see this relationship on old manual lenses that have a DoF scale on the lens.
Thank you so much Rachel. I will try it again if the flower is not dead. It has been over 90 + degrees here in NY.
Juan, nice picture with a great contrast between the yellow of the flower and the dark background. Nice deatil with those water drops.
thanks Christian
really nice shot Juan ,beautiful flower
thanks Peter
nice colors
Thank you John
Juan, Lovely shot. It’s a beautiful flower. Great detail.
Thanks Sara
Beautiful shot. I like the lighting and the water droplets add a lot
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9f4c818a2f5c8836d86ac7fbbde1141926a568f5dadc7cba99ec3f0da5dd5b3.jpg
Another view of the Praying Mantis…
90mm f/5.6 1/125 ISO640
Bonnie
Oh yeah! Love these guys. He is posing so perfectly for you. I think would like to see more of his antennae for the full impact. I like that his eyes are so in focus.
nice job Fiat. It appears to be clapping your great shot
Bonnie
Great image and you’ve got the head nice and sharp
pity you’ve cut off his/her antenna as a bit more at the top would add more balance to the image.
nicely blurred background and the mantis really stands out
I’m finding the sawn timber a bit jarring and dominating, but I appreciate these insects don’t really pose where we would like
I love this! He looks like he is standing ready to conduct an orchestra….. and checking his first chair! Lovely DoF and clarity.
Great shot Bonnie. I like that you managed to capture the whole mantis ( except antenna LOL! ). That board gives you a perspective of just how big this thing was.
Bonnie, I like the pose you captured here. I also would like to see more of its antennae. The head is a tad soft compared to the body. A smaller aperture might have been an option here; the 90mm lens would still have given you nice blurring in the background.
Bonnie, you got the “praying” part very well. A bit more space on the top. Nice blurry background. Well done.
Thanks, Christian, et. al. I have another image with more space at the top: more antennae. The face is over-exposed, however, and it’s soft as Judy pointed out. I edited it but am not sure it enhanced the photo. I agree with Nick. I like the tree background better.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/033116400eb9ebfd2f9b3c834dec62061ba82793904c2ad0ed26daf5bebabf69.jpg
Bonnie, I like this picture. The mantis is of course not a compact creature. Well done.
I like the 2nd shot better , more even colors & better laid out ,nice one
I like the second crop better as well. It looks like he is trying to pose for you. Nice job.
YES! Much better!
Yes that’s much better.
Nice image, great pose
I like this one betters it shows more of the mantis and I prefer the color. Great job.
This one is perfect. Great separation from the background and a good use of the light
Your macro photography is really improving – this shot is great! Your colours are vibrant and the insect does pop. Yes, that pesky shallow depth of field with macro can be a challenge but as long as you have the face/eyes sharp then you’ve nailed it. Keep shooting. Brent
Thank-you, Brent. I really appreciate your feedback. Macro has been a lot more challenging than I envisioned. I try to practice every day….practice, for me, is key!
I decided to go for the ‘worms eye view’ with this one. It was taken with my camera on the ground at the base of the echinacea plant, looking up to the sky. I had trouble getting a clear background looking up as my pear tree has branches over this plant. The lens was wide angle; had to crop out the top of my head along with the eaves of my house 🙂 Settings: 1/200s, f/10, ISO 100 at 12mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1c575fc9350f2c3b6a25a76d275cf06d9417d97ad61420f44834734fe484c620.jpg
Great job not letting this shot get all blown out. Great composition, sharpness and detail. And love the bokeh. What lens are you using?
The lens is a Tokina AT-X PRO 11-20mm F2.8.
This is a great PoV, Judy!!! I love how the flowers are backlit….also gives the impression it was quite windy. REally nicely composed.
Yeah, I admit that I have a ‘thing’ for backlighting my subjects. I like the resulting play of shadow and transparency. You are right about the wind.
Judy, your picture gives a dreamy summerlike impression with the colours of the flowers. Good composition. You succeeded in having contrast of the flowers against the sky. It’s the first time I hear about “worms eye view”. I didn’t know there was something below the frog perspective. I’m learning. Well done.
Haha! I had not heard of the ‘frog perspective’. Maybe that is a European idea. I think it is better than “worms eye view” which I remember reading in a North American photography newsletter years ago, because I don’t think worms have eyes. Thank you for your comments on the composition. Our summer is rapidly coming to an end, so I’m enjoying this last burst of colour from my garden. There is a frost warning for the second night in a row, but the forecast is good for the next week, so I covered up my tomatoes to protect them, and hope they grow more before I have to harvest them.
Great shot Judy! I love the colors and composition.
Thank you Chris!
Hi Judy. Great shot with the sky as background. Nice composition too. Well done.
Thanks so much, Romy. I had quite a bit of dirt in the back of my camera after wiggling it around and trying out different angles to isolate the flowers.
What a great idea to shoot from this angle. Nice composition.
Thank you Valerie. I also have many shots from conventional perspectives before the lightbulb went on and I thought I’d try something different.
I really like the angle and the vibrant colors of this shot. It is out of the ordinary and captures my sense of curiosity. “What is going on down below on the grass? How do insects really look at the world?” It makes me realize how small I actually am and evokes praise to my Creator. Well done!
Thanks for your comments, Derryl. I’m happy this image called forth this reaction from you. I had forgotten how much fun it is to get off the beaten path and look for something different and simply appreciate the wonders of the world around us.
Love the low perspective here Judy….natural illumination…..like that you have 3 pink flowers following the rule of odds!
Thank you Christine. I didn’t even think about the rule of odds at the time 🙂
Love your composition, Judy. The balance between sky and foliage works so well, and the backlighting is a beautiful touch. Lovely image.
Thank you Kerrie.
Beautiful, mine are not that vibrant anymore, so I a bit jealous. 😉 Great perspective/angle. Love it!
Thanks Sara. They were late coming into flower. We had a frost warning last night, but no frost thankfully so I’m hoping I can enjoy this little patch of colour for another week.
I love the perspective in this Judy and the contrast between the bright sunlight and the dark foliage. Great backlighting without overexposing – lovely shot.
Thank you Tessa.
Great angle and composition and this backlight is gorgeous. Love how you managed to transfer an every day scene into a dramatic and artistic image
Thanks so much, Erez. The flowers were past their best. From the bottom, the ragged petals were less obvious.
This photo fits with my passion which is trying to capture wildlife and birds. I live on the Snake River so I have a lot of both to keep me occupied but have struggled to get those tack sharp photos. This morning this osprey was sitting in the top of the tree in my yard. I took several of him resting on the branches and when he finally decided to fly he went right by me and gave me a great pose. One of these days I will get a tack sharp photo of the entire bird. Settings: 1/800 sec, F5.6, ISO 180, 180mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/08dafc2387b5472033df36e08e2f8fc602a5be75bb7e091046f61d719d54b118.jpg
Really nice, Valerie. Such beautiful composition, wingspan, and, oh those eyes looking right at you. Perfect timing on your part.
Thanks Deby. I was pretty excited when I downloaded these to my computer and saw he was watching me.
Beautiful picture Valerie. I like the fact that the eyes are in focus and his wing tips are blurred
Thank you Juan.
Valerie, really nice picture. Good composition. You took it at they right time when he was observing you. Well done.
Thanks Christian I was lucky with this one.
Well, you got this one for sure Valerie!!! Very crisp. Perhaps bringing up the shadow a little so his face pops a bit? But well timed and well captured! Lovely light on his wings as well.
Thank you Sheree for the feedback. I never know when adjusting is not enough or too much. I will definitely go back and revisit.
Very nice capture Valerie. You nailed it. It will be hard for me to make a shot like this. I don’t think my reaction is quick enough to shoot when the bird suddenly decides to take off. I am still learning to react fast to shoot birds in flight. By the time I finished setting my camera the bird is already gone. By the way, did you take this photo in burst or AF-continuous mode? Great job.
Hi Romy, I struggle with a fast reaction time as well and end up missing shots or getting a lot of blurred images. I was very fortunate with this one. I was shooting in manual mode AF-continuous. Thanks for the comments I appreciate them.
Great capture Valerie ,it would be a hard shot to catch so many moving parts tack sharp with the wing tips dancing in the wind, all in all its a pretty amazing shot.
Thanks Peter for the comments.
Really well done, Valerie. Great capture!
Thanks Kerrie.
Beautiful job! I see osprey occasionally, but usually when I am driving. I like the composition. Well done.
Thanks Sara. I am lucky to have them around most of the time. Fun birds to watch catch fish.
Very well done Valerie. I think you have done a great job. Love that the osprey is looking at you.
Thanks Judy, him looking at me really made my day.
Great shot Valerie – it’s so difficult to get everything right when your subject pleases itself!
Thanks Tessa. How well I know. I have been trying to get this type of photo for a while now.
Valerie, your patience paid off … great shot and perfect composition, and you have captured the movement with perfect detail.
Thanks Richard. I appreciate the comments.
I think this is an excellent capture of a bird in flight – not an easy task for anyone. Like the way the osprey pops from the blue background and the way the sun light touches the ends of it’s wings. Well done. Yeah focus is an issue and I think the more you shoot birds in flight the better you get – just takes practice. Brent
Thanks Brent. I have been working on your suggestions you gave me and they are beginning to pay off. Bootcamp is a great learning experience!
Wow, so many beautiful backyard photos posted just in the first week of the challenge.
Here is my first submission. This is just an ordinary flower (I don’t even know the name of the tree). The tree is common in Indonesia probably because it requires no maintenance like roses and orchids. This is heavily cropped to isolate just one of the flowers and show the stamens. I am posting the original photo to give an idea of what kind of plant it is. Maybe someone could help me identify it.
Original:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c27ef704b38c7f104755f345410b34015fa18a110908da8f640f63513447ed00.jpg
Cropped:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d782f5681d3946b13c7b658de0e8551b7602e66ccaf4b78eab0f8547914e0380.jpg
Really like the cropped version. Colour is vibrant and the flow of the stamen brings your eyes into the photo. Nice
HI Lynne. Thanks a lot.
We have these flowers here! 🙂 I really like the composition and DoF—I do find the blurred green in the background a bit distracting, but nicely captured.
Thank you Sheree.
I like the cropped one because of the direction of the stamens from left to right in a portrait format. Despite of being ordinary, this is a beautiful flower. Nice colours. Nice composiyion.
Thank you Christian. Much appreciated.
Hi friends, thanks for viewing the photo and commenting. I am still bothered by the buds and the extraneous green color as mentioned by Sheree. Removing the distractions and further simplifying I come up with the following image. You have seen the flower in full color, here is the version with less distractions and rendered in black and white. Will appreciate your comments.
Thanks so much.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cc5000cd7fab54c954a82639acf4b29c9df2411979f14cae41543d6a3e06da0a.jpg
Romy I prefer the cropped version as well. Both the color and black and white are very good. I am not distracted by the background in the color shot and for me it highlights the beauty of the flower.
Thanks so much Valerie.
I really like this one, Romey. Well done.
Thank you Kerrie.
This one is very nice too!!!
Hi there! We have these everywhere in Thailand and we had them in Africa too. Your capture of the the pink stamens against the dark background captures my eye.
Hi Derryl, thank you. I guess this plant is so common that I never noticed the beauty in its flower. It’s only in this challenge that I was forced to look for common things around and find something interesting to photograph.
I think I like this one best. Although I do find the bud closest to the flower distracting. But I love the colors and the almost black background. There is a little haloing on the B&W version from editing. Maybe try another angle? Well done.
Hi Sara, thanks for your comments. On the other side of the plant is a water pond that prevents me from getting a frontal shot of the flower. As to the bud near the flower I was able to erase it in this photo which is a color version of the black and white image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/162b66e3db6ba8b0f729a9fd1d302f5009487c11859aa14889742dce433bbb3c.jpg
I like both the colour and B&W versions without the buds. The long stamens are so interesting. very nice use of the dark background to make your subject stand out.
Thanks a lot Judy. Much appreciated.
Truly Beautiful shot ,looks great against the dark background
Many thanks Peter. Glad you like it.
I like this version best Romy – although it works well in B&W, the bold colours against the black background make for a dramatic picture.
Thank you Tessa. Your comments are much appreciated.
Tessa, this is a fabulous photo worthy of a giclée print and a frame !
Thank you so much, Richard. I am happy you liked it.
Love this one!!!! Much more dramatic than the original….. great example of don’t be afraid to crop!!! 🙂
Glad you like it, Sheree. Many thanks.
I much prefer this version and its B&W version. Just beautiful
Thank you Erez. Your comments are much appreciated.
Yeah cropped much better – simplify. Love the colours in your image. Next time I’d shoot looking from the right – into the flower. Well done. Brent
Thank you so much Brent.
My first photo for this challenge of My Backyard. Here are a bunch of flowers from the garden.
Settings: 1/400 s @ f/8.0, ISO-200, lens MZ.60mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eeedbbef2075bf75918b167348c89a558363ea23de901169a50fb6cdf54b6756.jpg
Lovely composition, Rodney and very nice clean crisp centres. This is just a personal preference, but I might have deepened the shadows a bit and lightened the highlights to give the petals a bit of a pop….but really lovely. These are beautiful!
Thanks for your comments Sheree. Having another look at it it does seem a little darker than I had thought when I had it in Lightroom. I find with photographs of white flowers there tends to be a fine line between getting them to show white and being blown out. I have made some further adjustments and posted an updated version above in a reply to Christian’s comment.
Absolutely love this version, Rodney…. Well done!
Rodney, nice picture. Nice colours.Are the petals in real life white or bluish? Very nice hearts of the flowers.
@christianpiron:disqus Thanks Christian. The petals are white although the purple centres, particularly a photo full, partly give an illusion of a colour tint to the petals. I was also swapping between photos in full sun and diffused light and this one was taken in diffused light but I hadn’t readjusted the exposure compensation to overexpose for the white flowers. White balance can be tricky with whites and I agree that original post, looking at it again, did seem to have a bluish darker tint to some of the flowers. I have made some further adjustments, increased exposure, highlights and deepened shadows (Thanks @disqus_fGWrfrmXu3:disqus @brentmail:disqus ) in this updated version.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b7a09e86618ecd07750abd817d3533a5969822efbbe734a426be061448f600af.jpg
This version is better to my opinion. Beautiful and well done
Thanks Erez
Nice composition and detail of flower centers!
Thanks Valerie.
Lovely composition,.
Thanks John.
I love these flowers, I try to plant them every spring! The detail is wonderful. Great job!
Thanks Sara. These ones have lasted a few seasons now, but not due to any gardening help of mine.
Just Beautiful Rodney
Thanks Keri.
nice set up Rodney. you hit the focus right on with f/8.0
Thanks Juan.
I like that you have filled the frame with several overlapping flowers helping to give some depth to the image. They have great colour and detail in their centres.
Thanks Judy. While there were lots more flowers in the garden, it took a while to find a group that nicely filled the frame.
Great composition and beautiful detail, Rodney.
Thanks Kerrie.
Love the repeating shapes Rodney – and the way the bits of yellow jump out. Something to keep in mind is when shooting all those whites you’ll need to over-expose your shot otherwise the camera tries for greys. Also in post – look at your histogram, bet there is a little gap on the right (the highlights). Brent
Thanks Brent for your comments and advice. Yes there was. I was concentrating on the composition and didn’t compensate enough for the whites when taking the shot. I have adjusted and posted an updated version below in my reply to Christian.
Rodney, this is a beautiful image. The purples and yellows just pop out of the photo. Nice repeating patterns with the white flowers. Great job.
Thanks David.
Another visitor stayed 3 days looking for birds eggs & chicks in the trees ,he didn’t seem to mind me taking a few shots up close .he was about 120cm or 4ft long the tree he is on is just under 30cm or 1ft round .sony A77 , 18-135mm @135mm , 1/400 , f5.6 ,iso200 . A/P . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ca664cdb52388e510713430cede429c305cc084b4857405a8bced85fc44f70cb.jpg
that’s a big one. Maybe back off a little to give some distance in front of him.
Thank you Norm ,I cropped up close so he didn’t get swallowed up in the photo . the water in the background is the Hawkesbury River around 100Mtrs/300 ft across & 60Mtrs/160 ft down to give some perspective
Peter, it’s great to see that iguana in full lenght. I wonder if a portrait shoot (head and 1 leg) would be another creative POV. Nice picture of a great fellow. Apparently a tree lover :-)) Well done.
Funny you should say that ,I did have another close up I was keeping ,this one is for You .Sony A77 , Tamron 70-300mm @ 300 , A/P , iso100 ,f5.6 , 1/200 . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e75866cb1b16256b2338ad864a5b6167000707a6fae4720c53613f40ac4b31e7.jpg
Peter, great picture. Nice detail of the iguana. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Yeah now we’re talking – much better!!!
Just a lens change to my Tamron 70-300 @ 300mm + 1.4 magnification on the Sony A 77
Love this version Peter – wonderful detail.
Thank you Tessa for your interest .
Epic shot Peter, Just love this one.
Thanks so much David .
Wow! i am glad I don’t have any of these in my yard. I really like the detail this close up gives vs. the full body view. Those claws look deadly. Well done!
thanks Sara
This is super love the cropped version.
Thanks for looking Valerie .
Love this!!! Maybe a little too close in….but much better version than the original! He still looks mean!
thank you Sheree I mostly took this shot to share a detailed look at him
great picture Peter
Thank you Juan
Is that a goanna? Look at those claws! Tack sharp capture, Peter. The detail in the skin and face is fantastic. I’m glad you told me his size. It’s hard to get perspective in a shot like this…he may have been small on a smaller tree trunk. Great job. I like the closeup below, too.
Thanks so much Judy & yes a big Goanna ,he hang around for 3 days & then moved along ,living on the river I get a lot of odd animals call in .there is a pair of king fishers living close & also a pair of big sea eagles & lots of small birds
Love this capture @peterjdwight:disqus – is this your backyard, wow! Like the water and bush in the background. Something to try is to get a little lower so that the goanna is in front of the foliage – that way he’ll pop more with that darker background. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent ,yes I am lucky to have 1/2 acre on the Hawkesbury River ,the reason there is no foliage is a couple of feet more & it drops 60mtrs into the river below so that is the only angle I could shoot.
Peter quite a beastie? Lovely shot of the lizard? Personally I would have cropped the left hand side of the photo and brought the bottom up a little to get rid of the tree stump and the tree invading the photo on the right. Good job Sir.
Thanks David ,its hard to get a size from the photo but he was a big Goanna , If I had of cropped more off the bottom you would not see his tail
Great detail! Not sure I would have gotten close enough to take the photo. Thanks for sharing the information about him. Good job.
Thank you Valerie ,that is why I used a big lens ,I put in the info so that you could get some idea of size
Wow, I must live in a very boring place!! I had never heard of a goanna till I read this thread. Excellent capture. Love the details in his hands. Claws. Feet. Whatever!
Thanks so much Chris ,they are fairly common in Australian country areas
Very cool shot….. Hard to do. I do not know these type of reptiles, he looks mean!
If you don’t get too close they are fine but if you startle them they hiss at you which is a bit scary .I saw 1 about 2 ft longer than this just meandering across the road a few years back
I didn’t know that they could turn the red on and off. This one was gray the shot before this. I had the iso on auto and between the speed and lighting changes its to grainy and not in focus. I’ll have to try with better light or something? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cc4c880264f51a7e165bda7a0feec398f7b7a7e7918b24f8e7f984d5e77fb841.jpg
Hi Norm – I don’t know anything about hummingbirds and have never successfully photographed one. That red throat is quite spectacular. I don’t think the noise looks too bad, however it looks like the focus point may have been towards the front of the feeder as the feeding flowers are quite sharp. Were you watching the bird(s) and trying to predict where the bird would feed? That would allow you to pre-focus and be as ready when the right moment came along. Too bad we can’t direct wildlife to pose exactly where the light is best 🙂 I hope you will have lots of opportunities to practice taking picture of these amazing creatures.
Norm, a picture with a hummingbird is always beautiful. To get it more in focus you could try to use a tripod, set up a pre-focus manually, as Judy said, and ythen wait for the following bird. The advantage with this method is that your framing and focusing is ready for your moment.
Humming birds are like bees – very difficult to shoot because they move around so fast. I’d encourage you to go back out and shoot lots and lots of images and then find the ones where your main point of interest (the bird) is tack sharp. This may mean that you manually focus on a spot just beyond the feeder and wait for the bird to enter that “focus field” and then shoot like crazy. Great attempt and love those colours. Brent
Norm, you are the man, I just love the way that the colours just jump out of the image. The bird is a little out of focus but that doesn’t distract from a great image. Agree with all other comments about a tripod and pre focus. Having said that when you are walking around your garden looking for things to photograph that is easier said than done. If the bird often visits this spot then I suppose it is a possibility. Great job.
The colors are great and really pop. Great try. They are quick little buggers, so get out and try again using the below tips.
Norm good capture of the red in the birds throat. I have a whole bunch of them in my yard each summer and have taken hundreds of photos of them before getting some pretty good ones. The advice from everyone below really does work. I am not sure what triggers the change in the color but from watching the birds in my yard it appears to be a sign of dominance and the adult males have the red. Keep up the good work.
Great job in capturing this, Norm. I wonder if you had your f stop at f11 if it would help keep the little guy in focus with the feeder?
Love the contrasting colours and the blurred background!
I live in a high rise , and I do not have a garden to resort too, so I have had to
resort to indoor subjects which for me is a bit of a challenge finding a subject.
ISO200, fl63mm, fl5.6, 1/60 sec..
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8f98a11469a727497382f92dfa615ca5605f1af0dfdc24c8788d2553d9a4dcc8.jpg
John, indoors is good too. I like the lines of the bottles and the colours and shapes of the contents. Nice photo.
Thanks rodney
Hello John. I like the composition in this image and the different shapes of the bottles add to the different colors of the contents. Interesting.
Well done
Thankyou Romy
This is brilliant John. Well done!!
Thankyou Kerri
This is great, John! Clean, simple, great colour and tack sharp. Love it.
Thankyou Kerrie
John, very nice and creative. I would try doing a close up of the various objects in the bottle to see which one gives you the best shot.
Thanks Juan, i’ll give it a try
Very nice set up, John. The placement of the bottles leads the viewer through the image, and there is nice contrast in the colours and shapes of the bottles. To me, the red coloured contents, raffia ties and black wax seals tie it together nicely. I also like the little reflection on the table, and the minimal distinction between the edge of the table and the plain background. It flows together nicely.
Yes for me the reds really draw my eye – well done @disqus_M3Vu7ObayX:disqus – this challenge is about where we live, so indoors is good too. One thing to watch is your vignette, it may be a little to heavy here. Brent
Thanks Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/87d1e7798905bccbb5ecdf2b93744833915e38adc417eb21af0f4d25f908d29a.jpg
Great job. Way to think outside the box.
Thanks Sara
Good idea using something totally different. Could be used as a sales piece. Well done.
Thankyou Valerie
I didn’t scroll down to see this, it is better—but maybe a tad less? 🙂
OK,Thankyou
nicer shot john
Thanks Peter
Thanks Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0a96246d666580f6675ac78ecb60f0ae3104da2b4d12d7144ae096a3d8f5146e.jpg
Thankyou Judy
John, very well composed. Nice colours of all the different content. The alignment of the bottles gives us a dept in your picture. Well done.
Thankyou Christian
A accomplished shot John. I like the composition, the colours and the lighting. I agree that the vignette is maybe a bit too heavy, making the overall picture a little dull – but a lovely image none the less.
Thankyou Tessa
John, wow I really love this image. It is very well composed and exposed and is a super abstract shot. Well done Sir.
Thanks David
Great shot John ,in my mind i would have put something small & black at the base of the bottles but its only in my mind ,lovely shot all the same.
Thanks Peter, you could be right.
John, Nice still-life shot ! I like the way you have arranged the bottles of different shapes to create a sense of depth !
Thanks Richard
Fantastic shot! Really professional looking to me. Good job!
Thankyou Derby
This should be in a magazine ad John. Great capture.
Thankyou Chris
You did a fabulous job, John. Nice composition, blend of colours. My own personal preference is not as much vignetting…but I have noticed that some like more than others! 🙂
Thanks Sheree
Beautiful compostion and shot. Well cone
Thanks Erez
Back Yard Daisy Patch. I found these pretties tucked in behind a tree. 1/640, F5.6, ISO 100 @ 55 mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/63126329a70bafc38be69e1a696bd035d6a3871be13fd14c4c3d47d1ce9baab9.jpg
Keri, nice picture. Your daisies stand out very well aganist the nice blurry background.
Got to love these spring flowers – lovely image Keri. I like how the main Daisy dominates while the others are in various stages of opening. Also with an image like this with so much white – you needed to overexpose. Well done. Brent
Hi Keri. Beautiful image. Nicely composed and the main focus is sharp. I just love daisies and chrysanthemums. I used to plant them in the Philippines next to my roses.
A lovely, cheerful image Keri. I like the different levels of focus on the flowerheads, with the one on the third line in focus. I love daisies too – they always put a smile on my face!
Keri lovely clear crisp image. The flowers really stand out against the background. Well done.
Nice clean shot Keri & good Bokeh ,daisies are simple flowers but they photograph well .
Great composition! Daisies are such a happy flower! Very well done.
I really like how you composed this. Nice contrast between the main point of interest and the the rest of the flowers.
This is a nice shot. I like the composition and the flowers. May be possible to give the flower at the top a little more room, and you might bring the highlights and whites down just a bit, so that more texture shows up on the petals. Nice job!
Kerrie, Nicely composed! Just wonder if the highlights are too much? I cannot tell if the petals are blown out or not, so maybe play around and take them down a bit? I love the yellow and white contrast in colours!
Nice compostion. I like the separation of the main flower from the other ones and the background.
The main flower has nice details in the yellow part. Maybe you can extract some details from the white part if you’ll darken the hightlights a bit
Really like the shallow depth of field you captured here Keri – which separates your main point of interest from the other daisies. The flower is nice and sharp too, and has good contrast. I’ve been out shooting a lot of flowers lately too and something I try is to make sure I have an even toned background to make the flower really pop, like an all-green background or all-brown. Try it on your next post. Brent
It has been extremely hot over here lately and not many critters are coming out to play. However, the other day while walking back in the house I noticed this little lizard/salamander trying to crawl up the basement window, though he wasn’t so successful. I was able to get a pretty close shot of him with my Samsung S7 phone. Then did some rotating/cropping and adjustments in lightroom and photoshop. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/40a6da038ee6cc48a452e964bc0eaf2a018dc5668698fdce140d6873e1ed0791.jpg
Nice shot Barbara. The background provides lovely textures and the colours echo those of the lizard.
Barbara, nice picture. Loverly stripes on the lizard.
Barbara, really nice crisp shot of the lizards. You have captured some nice detail on the lizard and textures on the cill, overall a pleasing image. Well done.
Thank you
good capture Barbara ,those Sun lizards usually take off when they spot you coming .
Thank you. He did finally run when I tried to get even closer
Great job! Love the colors and textures.
Very good detail with your phone. Nice job.
Thank you
Nice phone shot, Barbara!!! This little guy lost his tail at one stage, interesting his colour on the tail is bluish!
Thanks. Yea this one usually has a bright blue tail.
Nice shot Barbara. You got the lizard in focus before it ran away. Good job.
Good capture Barbara and nice textures.
thanks
Ooh, great capture Barbara. Focus is spot-on and I like the way you’ve composed this image so that the lizard is diagonal. The only things that distract me are the “rust spots” on the background that are a similar colour to the lizard. Well done. Brent
Thank you Brent. Not much I can do about the rust till I finish painting my house. LOL.
Here’s an insect shot I did manage to capture the other day. I shot it in aperture priority, which I don’t normally use (usually shoot in manual), but I wanted to keep the adjustments to a minimum in order to capture the tricky little thing. This resulted in a much higher ISO than I would have chosen and I consequently had to remove noise in Lightroom, which lost some of the detail. I originally wasn’t going to post it, but in retrospect I decided I quite liked it – at least I managed to get the fly in focus! Canon 750D using Tamron 90mm/macro lens 1/4000 sec f/4 ISO 12800.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9ee8416a7126408f963335f499f6927db469be579c4c79596e9604660d5a785d.jpg
Tessa, nice picture. Good composition. Sharp taken.
Thanks Christian
Tessa, quirky composition which I like. Nice background which enhances the overall picture. Just enough colour to make it interesting and the POI is absolutely tack sharp. Good job.
Thanks David
nice clean & crisp shot ,viewed in full screen the fly is tack sharp ,good job .
Thanks Peter
I like the composition and the blurred background. As you say the fly is in focus, the flower is an accessory to the fly and works quite well the way it turned out. Well done!
Thank you Sara
Tessa nice job with this photo. I have been trying to get a fly or insect without much luck. Good detail on the fly. Well done.
Thanks Valerie
You did a great job getting the fly in focus. Composition is great, and I like the soft background. You have the colors and white balance perfect as well. Nice work!
Thank you Barbara – it was a tricky little insect!
Really great image. i love the starkness. Just a fly on a daisy. Love it.
Thanks Chris – I like stark and simple!
Nice clean shot of the fly and great background. Good job!
Thank you Sheree.
Wow, I love this photo. The space on top puts more emphasis on the subject. Good decision to post this photo, Tessa. Nice.
Thanks Romy!
Beautiful shot, Deserved to be posted.
Thanks Andrew
This is so well done, Tessa, Love the simplicity in your composition, and the focus on the fly is spot on.
Thanks Kerrie
Love the insect on a flower shots! Great composition and DOF
Thank you Erez!
I’m glad you posted it too – well done. This shot rocks! Yeah I noticed a bit of grain in your background but that’s ok. A little noise is not a bad thing. Love how your fly and part of your flower is sharp, and your background really helps to make the fly and flower pop. My only suggestion is maybe a little too much negative space above – but that’s your call. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent. Yes, I did wonder about the negative space, but in the end I decided to keep it!
Very elegant Tessa. The simplicity of your composition really speaks to me.
This is a picture of a Gecko that we have hanging on the wall just by the back door of the house that leads out into the garden. Canon 5DMKII, ISO100, F8, 50mm prime lens, 1/200. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f7b881e2437fb80abfcc851b712a033350e8c3a392269583e3be5a7970a77fbd.jpg
Hi David. I love this photo. Nice contrast and the shape of the gecko is dynamic and fluid (I’m not sure if that is the right word). Beautiful wood carving.
Romy, thanks a lot.
Really awesome shot and cropping. Love it!
Great textures, shape and the cropping is nice. Great job!
Thanks Barbara.
I want one of these!!!! Nice balance!
Thanks Sheree.
David, good framing. Nice colours. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
David nice job! I like the colors and textures.
I wanted to try and get the house reflected in the pool water. It was a bit windy and hasn’t come out quite as well as I expected. Canon 5DMKII, ISO200, 50mm prime, f22 and 1/200. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7f4b7f41d7c916d2ed7769778ba8bef3144d14e5cfff1a61a0afa9370124a405.jpg
Hi David, you got the reflection. It is a nice capture with good composition. Well done.
Cheers Romy.
Nice job on the reflection!
Thanks Valerie.
Despite the wind you captured a great reflection of your house. This is an awesome shot. Nice work!
Barbara thanks for your comments.
Welcome
Great shot, love the reflections and the geckos on the walls too.
Thanks Chris, much appreciated.
Lovely shot, David. Good balance between the light and shadows, reflections and nice composition…..I might have tried to get rid of the green ball and blue floatie in the pool as I find them a bit distracting…..
Sheree, thanks for your comments. Agree about the detritus in the photo.
David, nice picture. Nice colours. Great to see the reflection.
Cheers Christian.
Lovely shot and reflection. I actually think that the un-perfect reflection due to the windy condition contributes to the image
David, great shot. Looks like a great place to relax. I might have tried a slightly different angle to take the blue item floating on the water out. But well done.
Sara thanks for your positive comments.
David, beautiful pool. Great capture of the reflection. I like how still the water is. Nice contrast of the blues, whites, and neutral colors. Well done.
Thanks for the comments Jeff.
This is my second post for this challenge: ‘Coopers Hawk at Pond’ This young bird comes to our garden almost every day to take a bath. This shot was taken with Nikon D5300 & 18mm – 300mm 3.5-6.3 lens @ 200mm,1/500 sec @ f/ 6.3, ISO 4500. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6cbdf35fc227d708c9a49d159891e4f0fadf50e56d56de151222082929e335e0.jpg
Great shot, Richard. The bird is tack sharp and the shadows in the pond add mood to the image. Nice photo for framing. Well done.
Amazing detail! The shadows really add to overall mood of the photo. Very good composition.
How awesome to be able to see this guy up close. Great capture, Richard. (Nice back yard, by the way!)
Nice shot. The bird is even looking into the camera for you. Great composition and nice lighting. Love the texture of the feathers. Good work!
“Can I get some privacy here?” That would be my caption. What a great image and such an expressive face. How lucky you are to see this in your yard.
Very nice capture and great composition.
nice capture Richard he looks all puffed up but that’s from bathing I see now ,maybe you could lighten the shadows a smidge around the back of the hawk for a better outline ,still a great shot
Peter, Thanks for the comments. I lightened the overall exposure and added a bit of vignetting. I think it improved the way the photo looks. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a129d453a2307e019a2748d100d953dc358c924d2a4961a6702733b1710989a4.jpg
Much better ,looks great ,well done
Yes – wow love this image Richard. Great capture by the way – you’re very lucky to have birds like this visit your garden. Excellent work. Brent
This version is wonderful, what a great capture! Love it
Great shot! Lovely bird. You are lucky to have them stop by so often.
Nice photo Richard, I do like the second photo better with the high lights. He’s a pudgy little bugger but maybe that’s from the water. I like that he’s looking at you, nice focus on his eyes.
Richard, nice picture. As if the bird is posing for a portrait fotoshoot. Good composition. Well done.
Thanks to all for the comments and support.
Beautifully crisp focus on the bird Richard – great shot.
Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions.
This is my first submission for this challenge and it is going to be a rather lengthy description. I caught the bug this summer to develop the skill & technique to do night photography, in particular, Milky Way and Astro photography. I took this shot from the back 40 of our farm here in Central Ohio. It was the new moon (no moon) on August 11th at 10:15 pm at night. It was pitch black out. My settings were ISO 3200, 14mm, F/2.8 and a 30 sec exposure using a tripod. I used a light pollution filter to cut down on some of the ground based light pollution. In order to get my trusty 8N Ford tractor to show up, I had my trusty assistant, Lee (wife), light paint it for about the first 10 sec of the exposure. I Had her use a Maglite pen light with a focusing beam and an incandescent bulb with 2 layers of a white handkerchief over it to further reduce the intensity of the light. Whew, this was a complicated shot! I am still learning the technique and I have a ways to go yet, but I am pretty happy with the result. The major problem being not so dark skies here in Ohio. All of the light that you see on the horizon is ground based light pollution reflecting off of a low cloud layer and that light is 20-40 miles away. For those of you who I haven’t totally bored yet, the really bright light directly above the tractor is the planet Mars. Just to the right of Mars you will see an upside down “Little Dipper” (not the real one but a part of the constellation known as the “Teapot”. The bright larger light at the right side end of what appears to be the dipper handle is the planet Saturn, which appears in the MilkyWay vertical cloud. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ea1a13a8d2f67c08156fbbbd64526543e061a8bd1a7ed8a5999a70dc83ec86dc.jpg
Wow this is such a beautiful picture. I read every word and will try some of your techniques this weekend when I make an attempt at astrophotography. Great work on the light painting and filtering the other lights down. You did an awesome job with this. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Barbara! If you want to drop me a line at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll send you some internet links to some great night photography resources.
Jim not sure I follow everything you did to create this shot but I think you got a really good result! There are some great night sky opportunities out there and you have inspired me to give it a try. Good job.
Thanks Valerie! If you want to drop me a line at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll send you some internet links to some great night photography resources.
I love this Jim! I want to learn how to do this. I took a class but it was a very foggy night and sadly, we didn’t capture anything. But back to your image, I just love it. It’s great you got the tractor in as well. Beautiful image!
Thanks Chris! If you want to drop me a line at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll send you some internet links for some great night photography resources.
this is so great, Jim! I have been trying for a long time to do this with NO success. I love the tractor and also the light pollution has also added to the overall composition.
I have recently seen another shot and the photographer told me he used a red filter—cannot remember the name! What kind of light pollution filter did you use? I have been looking upward the last couple nights as my intent has been to go out and give it another go, light pollution is not too bad in my area—there is some and hardly any when my neighbour turns off their outside lights! Well done…. really love the tractor and your patient wife!
I’m also interested in this filter
Thanks for the kind words Sheree! For night photography it is all about gathering in as much light as you can in order to capture as many stars in the image as you can. That is why you want to use as large an aperture as you can. F2.8 or larger. Your exposure time is going to be limited by the focal length of your lens, type of camera (full frame or crop sensor), and the rule of 500 so your stars are dots instead of comas or arcs. The light pollution filter I used was an ICE Lipo 150mm filter to fit my Rokinon 14 mm prime manual lens. It costs about $325 US from Adorama or B & H and the filter is about $129 US from Adorama. You will also need a filter holder and adaptor fro the lens you are using. You can also get the filters in other sizes. I found focusing to be a bit tricky. Best way I have found is to use your LCD screen, put Mars in the center of your frame and zoom to 100% and then manually focus to make Mars as small and as sharp as you can, and then secure your focusing ring with gaffer’s tape and you should be good to go for all night. If you want to drop me a line at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll send you some internet links on some great night photography resources.
Great shot Jim. It was nice to include the tractor as foreground element in the photo. I have not tried milky way photography but I really like this photo. Well done.
Thanks Romy!
great shot Jim Its a good starting point ,I also have had a go at this with small success but 1 day .
Thanks Peter. If you want o drop me a line at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll send you some internet links for some great resources for night photography.
Jim, that’s an amazing picture. Good composition. Nice to see the tractor in the foreground. Your milky way is terrific. Despite the light pollution you (and your wife) did a good job. Well done.
Thanks Christian!
Great shot! I enjoyed reading the process thanks for sharing
Thanks Andrew!
Wow – amazing image Jim. Love your explanation on how you shot this, it’s always good to have a assistant to help out. Yes I hear you about the light pollution but you did a good job anyway. Brent
Thanks Brent. You comments mean a lot.
Wow, fabulous shot Jim, and what an awesome night sky it was! Love the lighting on the tractor and foreground. (though
I’d really like to see the rest of the back wheel)
well done.
Thanks Kerrie! Using the 14mm wide angle lens and the angle I had the tractor parked at, the lens distortion at the edge of the frame made the wheel really askew as if it was about to break off. It looked really weird. I straightened it as much as I could w/o messing up the rest of the photo. My ultimate solution was to crop most of it out of the image. When I get a chance I’ll go back and grab the uncropped version and post it and you can let me know what you think.
Great image and thanks for sharing the details
Thanks Erez!
Stunning! I am always amazed when I see these types of photos. Well done indeed! I will have to try this soon! Thank you for the inspiration.
Thanks for the kind words Sara. If you want to e-mail me at jim.albertson@danis.com, I’ll be happy to send you some internet links on some great resources for night photography.
Well done Jim, very cool photo. You did a great job on your night photography, I think you’ve figured it out. Thank you for sharing the story behind the photo, and the stars and planets. Nice job.
Bloody good Photo, worth all the effort and some, well done you and your assistant.
Jim
not sure how I missed this, sorry, beautiful shot. Are there different kinds of “light pollution filters”? I am familiar with the ND filters.
Thanks Juan!
Wonderful result, Jim. Love the tractor – excellent idea to have it feature in this image. I like the layer of light from the light pollution, by the way. I have some technical reading to do on this subject (ebook partially read), and now that the days are shorter where I live, I’ll be heading out to the fields to try this too. Thanks for your detailed notes.
Thanks Judy!
Thanks Judy
So got this guy the other morning…. I know that the lens is opened up too much-I should have tried f8!!! — as his nose is out of focus. I do like his eye, thought! These guys live in my air plants—-needless to say I am terrified of them, so run the risk of jumping off the little steps I have to stand on to run away—-but before this challenge is over, I intend to try again, and hopefully he is not sat facing the wall! This is my first attempt!
D750 ISO 1000 60mmMacro f3.6 1/500sec.
Sorry…. I am have trouble with getting the right photo….here it is (fingers crossed) https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a8dfe9bc66161a72457701c8d2553509d57e5ddfee16a7403ab80877ab2975c9.jpg
Great photo Sheree, with amazing detail in that sharp eye. The rest of the photo doesn’t need to be in focus when you have nailed the point of interest.
Thanks, Rodney—-my eye only goes to the unfocussed nose! 🙂
Hi Sheree, if the nose bothers you try to crop out some more from the top so that the eye falls directly at the intersection of the grid lines (a third from the left and the top). It becomes almost a square crop. That way you will not be bothered by the nose although the image is great as it is. I have posted a screenshot below.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3fca2cb3013b85fc93773f30fd103cf5cc94bca520dc037f5a62f88803668cb.png
Thanks Romy!!! Looks a bit better! 🙂
Hi Sheree. You got the eye in focus, that’s important. Nicely done.
Thanks Romy! Appreciate your comment—
nice close up & the eye is very clear maybe a larger f-stop would help ,still a great photo Sheree
Thanks, Peter. Will keep giving it a try.
Sheree, a great close-up of your frog. Nice detail.
Thanks, Christian!
Great shot Sheree, with lovely detail around the eye. Certainly worth persevering to see if you can get some more shots!
I am going to give it a try! I am just so scared of them….and I know that is a bit daft—but can’t help it!!!
Sheree, super shot. I like the blurred background as it makes your beastie stand out. Lots of detail, pin sharp and nice colours. Good job.
Thanks, DAvid!
Great shot. Detail of the eye is amazing. The blurry background actually keeps the focus on the eye. Well done.
Thanks, Valerie!
Love that you have the eye tack-sharp with all those details. You’ve already spotted some of the things you can do differently next time – but with this image you can lighten up the frog more so that the wall does not dominate too much. Well done. Brent
Thanks! I realised that I do need to lighten up a bit more….. i need to not be so scared of post!!! Thanks!
This is a great shot, Sheree! You have the eye perfectly in focus. I agree with Romy’s crop suggestion, it would take the attention away from the nose.
Try playing with the sliders in post-Don’t be afraid of post, and also you don’t need to be afraid of frogs. They’re awesome creatures! 🙂
Thanks Kerrie.. not sure about the fear of frogs. something since I was a kid…. I try not to screech and run, but without success!
Great shot and the eyes are perfectly sharp. Well done!
Thanks!
Well done Sheree! Make the suggested adjustments and post another one, we won’t bite. 😉 Love the detail in the eye. Hopefully the next shot will be easier for you, both the photographing and the whole frog thing. I am glad you are not too afraid to go out and try again!
Haha, Sara!!! I see him there this morning, facing the opposite direction—going to see if I can “nudge” him up a bit…. haha…. stick and run!
Nice capture Sheree!
Great clarity Sheree, love the focus on his/her eye. Well done.
Thanks, Jeff!
Great job Sheree! Love the colors and his eye is amazing!
The eye is amazing! Lovely photo, Sheree.
Hi all, I was walking to my yard to scope things out for picture taking purposes and instead saw this large bee fly into this flower proceed to roll around in pollen. It was very entertaining. I took this with my cell phone because by the time I got the camera ready I knew he or she would be gone. My Samsung S9+ has a manual mode. I quickly put it on 1/1500, f1.5, 4.3 mm ISO 125. I cropped it but didn’t do much else to it.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9ffff53dfdb1f7e2cba334b894afd8210a5f4e6bf165fbf6e68994e0a6805ffd.jpg
Chris, an amazing picture. The bee almost disappears in the beautiful coloured flower. You got the bee very detailed. Well done.
Thank you Christian! I took about 10 pics. In some you couldn’t even see the bee, it was in so far. In this one you can see he is making his way back out.
Hi Chris. Fantastic shot. You got the bee with pollens sticking to its body. Great timing and patience. Well done Chris.
Thank you Romy! It was covered in pollen. Drunk on pollen actually.
beautiful flower shot but that Bee has a real dandruff problem ,Nice capture on your phone
Hahaha. Nice one about the dandruff, Peter.
Chris, Well captured. The bee actually looks as if he is entering another world as the centre appears to be glowing! Good capture! Cool that your phone has a manual mode!!!!
Thank you Sheree!
Great capture Chris. As Sheree says, it almost looks like she’s entering a portal – very surreal!
Thanks Tessa, yes, a pollen filled portal to roll around in.
Chris super shot. Love the colour of the flower. It’s pin sharp and has lots of contrasting shadows over the flower head. Great job. Amazing the pictures you can take with phones these days.
Thanks David. A friend argued with me a few years ago about not ever needing a camera since phones take such great pictures. I still like my camera and won’t be giving it up but agree, phones are amazing in their abilities now.
Wow very good and I really like how the center of the flower and bee are highlighted. Nicely done.
Thank you Valerie!
Very lucky to see this and photograph it. Like how the flower lightens up in the middle – really attracts my eye (and the bee fly). Something that you can try next time is to shade the flower somehow, so that the light is more even. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent.
Awesome capture, Chris. I like the radiating lines leading me into/out from the bee. I’m wondering how it may look with cropping out all the green, leaving just the bee and part of the flower.
Thanks Kerrie. I tried it a bunch of different ways but in the end thought this was the best crop.
Great capture and colors. Wonderful timing too. Well done
Thank you Erez.
Great capture Chris! There are so many things you can try with this photo, severe cropping to get just the flower and the bee fly, wonder how it would look in B&W, Great color.
Thanks Sara. Yes, I cropped it a few ways but decided I liked it this way best. But I agree, it lends itself to varous options.
Nice Chris! You really have to look twice as the bee almost appears to be the stamine of the flower.
Thanks Jim, yes, i took some others where the stamen was hiding part of the bee but thought this was the best one.
Beautiful shot Chris. It’s almost like there’s a spot light on the bee and the middle of the flower. Love the colors and the shadows.
Thanks Jim. Yes I only recently got this phone and am happy with the camera in it and the colors it captures.
Nice photo with a cell phone. Great vibrant colors with the purple and the green. The bee does look like he/she is having a good time there.
Thanks Jeff, yes, a very happy bee!
That flower is so bright in the middle; like a light shining from the middle! Very cool to catch the bee coming out with all that pollen. Great focus on the bee.
Hello, this is tougher than I first thought, my backyard in Sydney has no flowering plants or insects buzzing around so I have resorted to light play on a naked tree, hopefully my yard will spring into life over the next couple of weeks. 1/160 sec f/10 ISO 400 24mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ec50d73c4bab85ec52b0b689093f7fc96faecd5f6e09be0e00c8fd712ebab31d.jpg
I love the patterns and the light in this shot Andrew – a lovely picture.
Andrew, you might have been struggling to find suitable subjects but you have definitely found something with this tree. I love the light and the branches have formed amazing patterns. Great shot.
Thanks, still struggling
Andrew, You have captured a beautiful shot with a very interesting pattern of branches and perfect side lighting.
This is beautiful. The side light on the tree, the shadows and shapes of the branches are intriguing and the sky all are great.
This would make a great B&W shot too – with that side light. Love all the shapes – but my eye won’t settle on one thing. Brent
Yes I was worried about that also
Love your magic light!!! and all the crooks, crannies etc….. Keep an eye out for the “spring”!
thank you
Andrew, nice picture. I love the light lines on the branches. Good contrast against the sky. Well done.
thanks
Andrew, I really like the eerie feeling that these tree limbs give off, it is really creepy. I love the light on the top branch, it drew my eye more than the bottom branch, but I agree with Brent, my eye just kind of wandered around the image.I also think that this would be great as a B&W. It would be even creepier, like a woods you didn’t want to get caught in at night.
Love the perspective in this image, Andrew. The triangle of branches leads my eye to that amazing light.
Thanks Kerrie
Andrew well done. I was thinking about a shot just like this, although my trees still have a lot of their leaves (fall is just starting). I like the light on the larger branch. I imagine it would work very well in B&W. Well done!
Andrew, really nice image. I love the lighting. How did you achieve the lighting affect? Brent was not very kind to all of you in the land down under since you are just coming out of winter as we move into Fall here in the US. He should have known better being an Aussie himself!
I have the same problem Andrew. No flowers and very few insects. Nice job, though, with what you have. I like the light on the branches and the dark sky behind. Good job.
I like your image Andrew. It almost looks like a scene from a haunted movie. Nice clarity.
Very nice image, I agree, it looks eerie, possibly haunted…also love the lighting.
Yep – play of light on the branches is great. The soft sky in the background makes a nice contrast to the angular branches.
Maple on Lichens. I am making a short visit to Minnesota and saw this maple leaf resting on a lichen-covered rock just outside of my door. The leaf was curled, so I had to focus stack to get everything in focus. f/8, 1/40 sec, ISO 100, 200mm with 36mm extension tube to get the macro. 4 images stacked together.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1c90ee6c7d4822677a849b3a5c96558c45b82971f62d65efed29dcd418f0a8a3.jpg
Nice simple shot. Great color contrast with interesting light.
Love the way your leaf pops from that background – and well done for stacking the 4 images. Like the veins on the leaf – the only thing that would make this image better in my opinion is to show the top corner of the leaf (where it’s cropped off). Well done. Brent
Brent, thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately this one wasn’t cropped — I just messed up and didn’t quite get the whole thing in the frame. 🙁 I was stuck with the distance between lens and leaf based on the extension tube I used, and couldn’t quite get it all and keep focus. The wind was coming up and I didn’t have time to adjust before the leaf blew away.
You may be familiar with the old computer support term, “PEBCAK” — Problem exists between chair and keyboard. This one was a “PEBEAF” (Problem exists between eye and fingers). LOL.
Hi Brent, after some thought, I further adjusted the image via post-processing. I used content-aware fill to add to the top of the image, with some healing brush to keep the edges of the leaf crisp. I also ran the whole thing through Topaz AI Gigapixel, which helped with the little bit of soft spot on the yellow.
I don’t ordinarily like to add things that weren’t in the original image (in this case, the top tip of the leaf), but this does return the shot to what I was visualizing at the time.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4eba23e03a9f034f7bee9c96c382ee1d5c5ec1385a5a8b7c8b97de777619d9ff.jpg
Lovely shot, Bill. Love the maple leaf against the green background!
Great shot Bill. I am curious as to how you stacked? and did you just focus on the leaf or the whole image?
Maybe you can elaborate a bit on the technique you used. I am asking, as i see soft spots on the leaf.
Hi Rerro,
Thanks for the question. I took 4 shots while focusing on different parts of the leaf and rocks — started with the tips of the leaf and made very small focus changes until I got to the lichens. After some corrections in LR (did one image then synced the rest), I opened up the 4 images as layers in Photoshop, I did Edit > Auto Align (probably not needed since I shot from a tripod), and then Edit > Auto Blend to stack the layers. For those not familiar, this creates a series of masks on each layer that only allow the “in focus” part to come through.
As you note, part of the leaf (the yellow section) was soft, so I painted on the mask for one layer to allow the lower layer, which was in better focus, to come through. This improved things some, but wasn’t completely satisfactory. By the time I figured this out, the leaf was gone, light had changed, so no way to make a better recovery.
Lesson learned: take several “stacks” rather than relying on just one.
I know there are several ways to focus stack, and I would appreciate any other thoughts. But the bottom line is that I just didn’t nail the focus on that particular section.
Bill, nice picture with beautiful colours. Good contrast between the leaf and the background. As Brent said: a bit more space at the top would make it better. Well done.
the simplicity is brilliant
Bill a wonderful looking shot. It sounds very technical but looks brilliantly executed. Beautiful colours in the background and on the leaf. Great job.
Hi David, thanks very much. See my description of the process to Rerro, below. It’s not all that tough in the current version of Photoshop CC, and it’s a great thing to have in your toolbox for any situation where you want to have more in focus than the aperture DOF allows — and the subject is static. I primarily use in in macro and landscape work.
Bill, such beautiful contrast in the colours and textures. Love the simplicity of your composition.
Great shot – beautiful colors and textures. Nice composition too. Beautiful image
Bill, the colors are great! Being from Minnesota, I am excited for fall and all the different colors it brings. I like the composition. Well done.
Really nice capture Bill! I love the fall colors and the textures!
I know it’s already been said, but really nice contrast between the colors and textures. The bright orange of the leaf is quite striking against the dark colors of the rock. Thanks for mentioning the focus stacking. That’s technique I haven’t tried yet but probably should learn since I really enjoy shooting macros. Beautiful image.
Beautiful image, love the colors and contrast. Being from California, we don’t get much changing colors for fall.
My next image from my garden was photo stacked to get the main point sharply in focus. But i wanted to bring in a surreal fine art feel to the rest of the image. This is called ‘Perpetua’. 1/320 sec. f/2.8 90 mm ISO100….8 images stacked and blended.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3b98becca90f61a1396c8e5c9ef69a54e3ea2bed2a9a00268ea6e745e8219f42.jpg
Very interesting background, surreal
and the lavender just about to burst into all it’s glory is great.
I’m in two minds about the stalk just to the left of the POI
Well done once again
Thanks Nick 🙂
Beautiful details in the flower. I love how it stands out in the middle of all the blurred images. Great job with the stacking.
Thanks Valerie…i love stacking 🙂
Love it – you’ll have to show me one day how you do this “stacking” @rerrorocher:disqus – I do like how your image goes from light to dark (Left to right). I’m wondering if the main point of interest should be over to the right a little more – that lighter background kind of distracts me from it. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent…i will try and change the composition slightly and tone down the blown out spot.
And….anytime…happy to help out with the focus stacking!
Wow Rerro what a fantastic scene ,you would have to be happy with that one
Pretty stoked Peter! 🙂 Thanks
So very, very cool!!! Great shot, Rerro. I must get to experimenting with this photo stack thing!!! 🙂
Thanks Sheree….get experimenting…its easy….a bit laborious and finicky….but well worth the effort!
Christine, splendid picture. Amazing how you got such a result. You speak about photo stacking. Do you mean you did it by focus stacking? The latter is used for macro photography. How did you manage to have that mystery effect at the left and right? Is that what you mean by using different pictures (?) and blending them together? A lot of questions because it interests me a lot. Bottom line: great job, an amazing picture (did I already say this?). Well done.
Thanks Christian…. yes, i mean focus stacking. In this case i was focusing on the bud of the lavender, and getting that pin sharp. As the lavender had depth as well as length i needed to go from the bottom of the image up to the top at increments where i slightly overlapped. (a bit like vertical panorama shooting on a small scale). This was not a regular ‘focus stack’
I positioned my focus point at the bottom of the frame and zoomed in and manually focused until i had the closest part of the flower pin sharp. I then took the picture….i did this incrementally until i have covered the full length of the frame.
I then did basic processing in LR exported in layers to PS. Aligned and blended, flattened the image, then brought back to LR to complete the finishing touches.
The shades of dark to light from right to left was due to the location of the flowers. There is a wall on the right hand side which caused the shadow and the sun was just coming through from the left.
The surreal effect was post processing using the tonal curves in LR – i have developed a ‘Fine Art Preset’ that i use as a starting point.
Hope this answers your questions 🙂 Happy to help anytime!
Christine, thanks for your extended clear explanation. I didn’t use macro yet, but it intrigues me a lot. I will certainly keep in mind your workflow. Thanks.
Another thing to consider is the very small focal plane you have with a macro lens…..i used an aperture of F2.8 here, which gives a tiny focal plane….i did this because i want the background completely blurred out!
Generally the best approach would be F8 upwards. that gives you more room to move.
That is beautiful Rerro, really is art. I am impressed. Such a simple thing, a lavender stalk, turned into something really artistic. Very well done.
Thanks so much for your kind words Hilary 🙂
Beautiful
Thanks Andrew 🙂
Hi Christine. Fabulous focus stacking image. The point of interest is focused perfectly and that background provides the drama. Nicely done Christine. I hope I can have more time to do focus stacking. This challenge inspires me.
Thanks Romy….i look forward to seeing your images 🙂
Christine what a super shot. Just love everything about it. Can you please explain what “photo stacking” is? I haven’t come across that term before.
Focus/photo stacking is a digital image post processing technique which combines multiple images taken at different focus distances/points to give a resulting image with a GREATER DEPTH OF FIELD (DoF) than any of the individual source images. I will check with @brentmail:disqus if i can post a presentation i did for for my photo club about focus/photo stacking.
Would love that!!!
Christine, when I looked at this in full view and magnified on the flower, the details were awesome and it really stood out against the soft darker background. But, I found the little twig/stem to the right a bit distracting and also the blown out area to the left of the flower is where my eye initially went when I first looked at it. I think this could be a really beautiful shot if you composed it differently and removed or blurred the little distraction to the right. I really love the colors and flower!
Thanks so much Valerie for you helpful comments – i will look at recomposing based on your thoughts.
I love the simplicity of this shot and the soft colours, with the purple of the bloom really standing out. The main POI is in perfect focus. Perhaps a closer crop would cut out the stem on the right and reduce the light area on the left that Vicki mentions.
Thanks Tessa 🙂
Mysteriously beautiful! Really nice close up of this purple flower.
Thanks so much Deby!
Beautiful Shot Rerro.
Thanks Andrew 🙂
Love this one Rerro. Amazing detail in the lavender, and that pop of purple in the top flowers is awesome against the background. I am not distracted by the bright spots, because your POI is the star here.
Thanks Kerrie….your comments are appreciated! 🙂
An amazing piece of art. You certainly nailed the surreal fine art feel you were after. Great light too that you nicely used to separate the main flower from the background. The light areas nicely balance the dark ones… WOW
Thanks Erez…..exactly the feeling i wanted for the viewer!
Fabulous shot! I love everything about it. Your detail is stunning, the colors amazing.
Thanks for the kind words Sara! 🙂
Really nice soft image Christine, and I mean that in a very positive way!
hahahahaha….got it! Thanks Jim….:)
Cool photo Rerro. Looks like an oil painting. I like the muted colors in the back and soft purple in the foreground. I like it a lot.
Thanks Jeff 🙂
Stunning! I love the ethereal feel of this image. My one and only small critique is the small branch in the right hand corner…It is pulling my focus away from the center flower. Would it be better if it blended in to the background?
Thanks Amber….and noted……i think i was trying to line the 3 stalks across the image from bottom right to top left
Stunning image, it looks like a painting!
Another divine image, Christine. Love the splash of lavender at the top. Great job with the focus stacking – thanks for all your detailed notes. The blurred background with dappled light is perfect, too.
Thanks Judy….one of my fav’s!
Hi,I often take photos in my backyard,mostly of the same things each time, so this challenge is forcing me to look at things I generally miss. In the garage we have a collection of old license plates from states we used to live in and they caught my eye. The background is actually old brown wood, but I darkened it so the license plates stood out. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5538b03d0fa578ffd781c636c8330de431bf29830e260a839ab3cadfa84a773b.jpg NikonD5300; 1/200; f/3.5; 18 mm; ISO 3200.
Really neat idea, Leila! My only thing is nothing really stands out…. perhaps you have a favourite that could have been central? Not sure, good shot!
Leila, your picture gives me an impression of your migration. Apparently this was happening a lot of times. I like the casual way of presenting your collection. Personally I would have made the background completely black. The left Jersey has a small reflection issue. Well done.
Thanks, Christian. I didn’t notice the reflection til post-processing, Will see what I can do. I also debated whether to show the battered old wood or not. PS, the plate with Old Barney, Long Beach Island, will always be my favorite!
Leila, very creative, I like it a lot. You have achieved a nice random pattern with the plates. Good job, well done.
Leila most of my photos are taken in my yard and like you I take a lot of the same things. This photo is a very creative idea! Thanks for the creative inspiration, well done.
So creative, Leila. Love it!
Leila what a great idea! I like it!
Nice creative endeavor, Leila! I love the random placement of the license plates.
Leila, this is a very creative shot. I like the composition and the lighting .
Nice use different lines in your photo Leila. The plates look like they are all sliding off of the wall. I like the dark background with the light colored plates.
Found this little fellow in one of our plant. This little one ate up all the leaves in just one plant. Saw more of them in the other plants eating up all the leaves. They are actually 10 in total. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/42e209e4819b5f30082556b3f3d2a9ff160087f74b7d575d47bfd12ae8f8815d.jpg
Interesting shot Hazel. Looks like it’s got nothing more to eat and starting to chew on the branch. Nice image.
Thanks Romy 🙂
Great shot i Have to get a macro lens.
Thanks Andrew. Shot this only with my phone.
Hazel, it is amazing what creatures you can find when you look close enough. You have positioned the camera well to get a (nicely blurred) plain grey background making the green stand out.
Thanks Rodney.
Ugh! Hate these guys as they like to get at my veggies. It is a beautiful shot, though, with great color contrast. Does it get to be a butterfly someday?
Yeah, this is already the second time it happened. Yup, soon they will be 🙂
Hazel, nice capture. The stripe on his back looks like a zipper! Good job.
Thanks Valerie.
This is a great shot, Hazel .Love the way he is just hanging there. I’m glad he’s not in my veggie garden though. I don’t know what his eye should look like, but next time try to focus on the eye.
Thanks Kerrie, will do 🙂
Nice shot – good focus and separation from the background. Well done
Great shot Hazel! Too bad about it eating all the leaves. Lovely detail and color.
Nice capture ,Vivid colors & one day will be a beautiful butterfly ,good Bokeh
Cool shot Hazel! Nice focus on the caterpillar and background blur. I hope he and his buddies don’t destroy your garden!
Sorry about your plant Hazel, but you made a great capture with this little guy. Nice use of colors.
Nice shot, Hazel!! They are so pretty and then come out prettier—–like you, we hate them, we have a farm and they are disastrous!
This is a great shot. Bugs are so interesting close up!
Great shot. They are very interesting to watch if you can get past the eating of your plants. 🙁
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc8e1660a5f779f625b1a5bf8343c70f7e59d218e530a5a6337569c3ff517ae9.jpg Every backyard needs a shed
1/1000 sec f/16 ISO 6400 18mm
Great perspective shot Andrew. Well done
Great composition Andrew, good foreground interest with nice light on the Aloe Vera’s, love the sky as well. Quirky angle for the shot that works really well, good job Sir.
Andrew, this is a great shot. I love the vine-covered shed and the clouds above it. My only suggestion would be to crop off part of the plants/trees to the right so that the shed is not centered in the middle of the frame. I love how you shot this from below. but I think the composition would be better if the shed was more to the right and some of that very dark areas on the right were gone. That said, this is an awesome shot. Great shot!
Thank you, I will give your suggestions a go
Andrew, this is a great view, although I wonder what you haul all the way up to that old shed! I agree that cropping a bit on the right side would be good as it would emphasize the diagonal line from lower left to upper right. Would brightening it up just a bit help without taking away that lowering sky?
Thanks Leila, Like all sheds it has accumulated way to much over the years, I will take on your suggestions.
Andrew, this picture has something mysterious. Geat sky with those clouds. Personally I find that lowering the intensity of the green of the vegetation on the left would give a beter balance in your picture. Nice creative POV.
Nice moody photo taken with a unique perspective. I really like it! Well done.
Love this Andrew. This angle and the dramatic sky and overall lighting makes everything more intense and interesting. Great job
Great perspective and moodiness. I like how it is almost monochromatic, with the exception of the bit of blue in the sky.
Andrew, I like the plants in the foreground, the perspective of the shot and the dark foreboding sky.
Nice shot Andrew, the lighting is really beautiful, and the Agaves really pop. I agree with Vicky about a crop from the right. That vine must look amazing in flower!
I really like your composition, may bring it in a little tigher….and also lighten the shed a tad–but really nice, moody shot!
Amazing atmosphere in this shot Andrew, and a great use angle of view and perspective. You wouldn’t think that a shed could look so ominous and threatening!
Here’s another backyard shot. I found this old hammock hook buried in some bushes and suspect there’s another one somewhere nearby. When we bought the house we discovered how the original family (circa 1910) used their yard: working fountain (next time, folks!), lights among all the vines, a brick patio and this hammock set up. I’m still working on restorinng their garden. I love the texture and rusty colors of this antique hook and have photographed it a number of times. IPhone6s; 1/30; f/2.24; 4.15mm; ISO 32. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3d648bc65b96ecb5ef190159ede2fd0be59296e4ac224bbb4f0bc25d83fe8c6b.jpg
Nice photo Leila. I like old rusty things. If anything I would pull back a bit so we could see more of the context of the hook in its surrounds. It would tell more of a story. Possibly blur the background a little. Well done though.
Beautiful detail Leila. The rust gives it character. Could be a great B&W too.
I agree with Andrew that blurring the background a bit will improve this already nice image
I love it. What would it look like in B&W with all those textures and tones? I agree about seeing a bit more of the length, but it is a personal preference thing. Lovely job and can’t wait to see more!
Nice Leila!
Leila, a very creative shot. I love the colours and textures and you have achieved some background blur which isn’t easy to do on an Iphone. Great job.
Leila, nice photo … don’t ever paint this wonderful old relic !
yes, I love the texture and rusty colours also, really nice shot, although I think
a little straightening may help, well done.
What a precious find! Great texture and colour, and your subject is tack sharp, standing out well from the background. I feel that a little more space above and to the right may be a good thing.
How cool is that! Lovely textures…
Great find in your backyard! I like the textures and the story this image tells too. Couple of suggestions – shoot and a different angle next time, try shooting from low to high or even from the top down. Remember to keep watching the background as you move your camera around and shoot. That hook looks interesting too – maybe focus on that in the foreground with the ball-top in the background. So many way you can shoot this – but the main thing is to enjoy the process of looking at this from interesting angles and trying different things. Brent
I have dozens of pictures of the hammock hook and have added here a B&W version. I like the color ones as the rust and textures are fun. Next time I will try some of the new positions you suggested and I may have spotted the other pole inside a dense bush. Back to work with the camera. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0132b7394fb78d8f4c68c89a5635f357e0e5350323cdf99c3a6a6d3af5c20986.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c7e1c7c4ec81e9507230a50f1a0b465fa30a7d97289fed9bc5d6fb342cb38ccc.jpg
I have a 90mm macro lens that I have not used much before so I spent most of the afternoon out in my yard trying to find my creative self. I took quite a few photos and have decided to post this one of a flower pot in one of my flower gardens. 1/800 sec, F8, ISO 1000, 90mm.
Valerie, I like it. I like the way the orange flowers pop.
Thank you Sara.
I love this shot Valerie! Good com[position, focus textures & colors. Almost kind of a nature abstract. I love this little guy.
Thanks Jim.
Valerie, a lovely image. The greens and orange really pop out at you. The composition is well thought out and overall the image is well focused. Good job.
Thanks David. It is quite a challenge to find things and try to make them interesting.
Nice use of colors Valerie, you really made the pop.
Thanks Jeff.
Lovely mix of colour and texture, Valerie, and nice DoF. I really love that sculpture!
Thank you Kerrie.
Valerie, your picture has colourful accents. Personally I find the picture a bit crowded. As you have a macro, it could be an opportunity you take a detailed part of the scenery.
Thanks Christian. I agree and a good idea for practice to learn this lens since I haven’t quite got the hang of it.
Very fun photo, VAlerie. Like you, I am playing around with the macro lens and am finding it challenging! It is busy, and may have tried a couple different angles, but I think it is a cute, fun shot.
Thanks Sheree. I have been out every day with my macro lens and still not sure how to set it up to get what I was expecting. Hope to post another try soon.
Nice and sharp and colorful. Love the rust look and the contrast is great. This is a great shot. Nice job!
Thanks Barbara.
I found this big moth on my chair in the back yard & did some searching but no name ,I have never seen one before but there were a lot around in Queensland I read on Google ,It has this scull pattern on it head ,This one was about 130mm or 5″ long ,I read there was similar in USA & called a https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9e1ee116813011de6b9fae03c0a67df775ddbbca2a439af4f2a5409f2ac7d304.jpg Death Head Moth ? anyway it is worth a look. Sony A-77 , 1/80 , A/P , f6.3 , 105mm , iso800 , so a little grainy .
Peter, Glad it is a moth rather than a spider! Great detail on the head of the moth. I like the colors.
Thanks a bunch Sara ,the colors are very good with Sony cams & lenses & beautiful with some minolta lenses as well
Really nice macro shot Peter! Tack sharp and I love the colors. I think this one really works well with the head sharp and the body blurred. Well done!
Thanks so much Jim ,it looks good in full screen.
Peter, a really nice image. Could you have repositioned yourself to remove the wooden leg? On the left. The moth looks amazing and I have never seen anything else like it. Did you use a shallow depth of field on purpose? I like the effect with the rear of the moth out of focus. Great job.
thanks David ,when I saw this thing fly in I thought it was a bird & then saw it as a moth so I ran inside & grabbed my Camera which had a sony 16-105 lens on it & i just did the best I could with what I had before it flew away ,it was late afternoon & getting dark ,I put all the lights on in the BBQ area & really concentrated on the scull figure ,the bokeh was a bonus ,@ f6.3 I thought I had it covered
Peter, nice photo but I wouldn’t want that thing near me. Great clarity on his head. I also like how you blurred the background., well done.
thanks Jeff I was trying to get perfect focus on the scull figure on its head & didn’t want to miss the shot or touch it ,if you look carefully at the scull there is 2 eyes in the mouth slot .
Great capture, Peter. So much detail in the head. That is one weird looking moth!
Thanks so much Kerrie.
Peter, crazy to see how they look like. Pretty scaring little creatures. Still well done.
thank you Christian ,I took this shot more just to show people than as a set up photo ,it was a bit of a rushed job
Great shot Peter. Reminds me of The Silence of the Lambs!
Thank you Tessa, when i looked up to find about the scull head moth ,that came up in a reference .
This is a really good shot especially in the spur of the moment. Just glad I don’t have them in my yard. Nice job.
Thanks so much Valerie
I really had to read down to see what this is….so scary looking! Nicely captured and nicely composed.
Thank you for your interest & feedback Sheree .
WOW! What an amazing looking moth and what a sharp image. I can see every hair!!
Thanks Chris ,A good lens A fast shutter & a steady hand makes a world of difference ,
WOW! This moth is so sharp. Great capture. Love the shot and composition. Great job.
Thank you so much for your input Barbara.
I have taken a long time to get started on this Backyard challenge, partly because I struggle to get to even see my backyard during daylight hours at the moment and partly because the winter and dry weather has left it drab and uninteresting. Well the latter is not entirely true, Its more like on the few times I do get into the yard I see just how much work I have ahead of me and I’d rather be taking photos. This week we finally got some rain and early this morning I found this grevillea flower fresh from an overnight shower.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/459f5f0539bb30abd703dc75e22c2950d087925832d89615865dd923144b5ddf.jpg
Andrew, great job! I love the water droplets.
Really nice image Andrew. Nothing dull and drab about this shot. Tack sharp focus and great background blur. I love all of the water droplets. It looks like some sort of alien ameba instead of a flower!
Andrew what a super capture. I just love the water droplets on the flower head. Great colours and tack sharp. Did you use a macro or normal lense? Great job Sir.
Thanks David. I’ve updated the capture details above.
Nice photo. It looks like something you would fine in the ocean. I like how tight you shot this. Nice use of colors.
Really fun photo with the colors, raindrops and dark background. I’ve never seen anything like this. The lighting is so nice for this shot.
Really beautiful image, Andrew. Grevilleas are such complex flowers with so many layers. The water droplets look amazing! Interesting contrast in the blue ish green background foliage, it really makes the brighter green buds pop. Well done.
Andrew, this is certainly a colourful flower with great curls. Lovely to see the water drops. It was worth getting up early for such a picture. Well done.
What an amazing flower – and I Iove the water droplets.
Beautiful capture! Such a unique flower and the water droplets are a great addition.
REally beautiful shot, Andrew! I love the light on this and the crisp and cool looking drops of water.
Well done!
Nice shot Andrew. There is a great mix of colors here and you have blurred the background nicely to make the flower really stand out. It is a very unique flower that i have never seen before; thanks for sharing this image.
What a gorgeous shot! First, I had never seen that flower here and had to look it up. It looks like a fancy bow that should be on a package. Next, it’s great that we are all from all over the world and it’s just the end of summer here and I wonder if we will even get much rain in drought ridden California. But I digress, it’s a beautiful image, the water droplets are stunning.
Thank Chris. Grevillea’s are a common flower in Australia and there are many different varieties. I agree with you that it is great that people have come together on this forum from all over the world and we get to share a little of our part of it as well as our different perspective on it with so many others. I am learning so much from this bootcamp and not only about photography.
I was lucky enough, some time ago, to spend nearly a year in California (San Diego). One day I will get back over there again.
Wonderful image – beautiful flower, good composition and depth. I really love it Andrew
Another great image, Andrew. I really like how the water droplets stand out compared to the dark background. There is so much volume and detail in a grevillea flower, that I’m impressed you captured so much in sharp detail.
Thanks David, I don’t know the f stop for this since I am only using my phone to shot this.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/18d824e01460cb01d825b78c531309ac79fe64e2b39418e60d6138294f5c237c.jpg
This little guy is the guardian of my garden along with his sister on the other end. Not sure when they do their job, though, as I always seem to catch them sleeping. 😉 This is on the south side of the house next to the most vibrant of my sedum plants. I wasn’t happy with the dew on grass shots I got, so I decided to post this one. ISO 200 70mm f/5.3 1/200, tripod.
Sara what a lovely shot. I like the light on the wood chips in front of your “guardian” I find the outer perimeter of the photo a little dark. What did it look like on your computer? Nice detail and texture in the flower and wood chips. Good job Sara.
The dragon is cute. I like the different colors in this because they all have their own purpose. Well done Sara.
I love it ,looks almost real .your mind sees it as a Pup or Kitten ,Cute.
Nice shot Sarah, your guardian is sharp and has great texture also. He stands out nicely on the mulch. I might remove the vegetation from the bottom of the frame, but that’s just me. Well done.
Sara, this is a good composition. Personally I find the contrast between the guardian and he flowers/leavesa abit too great.
Cute guardian and I like the way you have gathered the light on his face. Nice job.
Thank you Valerie.
NIcely composed, Sara. I might have cropped the left a little bit a I think your POV is the figurine…just take out a bit more of the greenery and the top piece. Nice shot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/68bf930ead1ab7f28d928e45db9511300727906356c4bccb72fc073df809beb5.jpg
Here is a tighter crop to address the left side and top. Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.
Aw he is so cute. Yea catching them doing their jobs is hard to do. LOL. I do like the cropped version better. It brings him out more and lets you see the texture and sharpness better. Great job!
Yeah I like the crop better. Overall this is a great image – and I like your description of “catching them sleeping”. Your guardian is well lit, sharp and nicely composed. I like the bits of colour from the flowers but not too much to overwhelm the main point of interest. My suggestion is to shoot from a slightly higher point of view – thus removing that bit of white wall in the background. Brent
Nice shot Sara and I like the cropped version more. Good composition and great light. Liked your description too 🙂 Great job
This has been a real challenge because I have very few flowering plants in my yard so I’ve had trouble finding insects or bugs to shoot. I did find this bee drinking from my fountain. It’s not as sharp as I’d like because it was handheld. Nikon D5600, 1/30 sec @ f/9, ISO 3200. Shot with my Tamron 90mm macro.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/850abbb6f0fe3ef6fce29d01617cd25a89934b10e4d806f20e6e7a176e3e10cf.jpg
You were sure able to get in nice and close with your macro. This is such a great composition but I understand what you are saying about this not being in sharp focus. Brent is so good at explaining the settings to get great handheld shots. Perhaps try bumping up the shutter speed and lowering the ISO? I’m not an expert at this but I think you are well on your way to some awesome macro photography with experimenting with different settings. There is so much to learn with macro photography as I’m a beginner with it myself. Good shot, though.
Thanks Deby. Yeah. It would be nice to be able to experiment with different settings but when shooting flying insects you don’t normally have the time. In this case if I increased the shutter speed (meaning light would be hitting the sensor for a shorter period of time) I would have to increase the ISO (to make the sensor more light sensitive) or open the aperture more. I didn’t want to open the aperture because I would lose DOF and the ISO was already as high as I wanted it to go @ 3200 (more than 3200 would introduce too much noise). So that shutter speed was my only choice.
Jim, great subject. I haven’t seen a bee drinking from a fountain before. The focus seems okay and composition is good, but as you said unfortunately there is some blur from camera movement at the slow shutter speed (for that focal length). Why is there never enough light around when these photo opportunities come up ?
Man. No kidding. One thing I’ve learned when shooting outside with my macro. Have a mono or tripod handy or use an off camera flash.
Nice close up Jim ,the little B’s (pardon the pun) don’t stay in one spot long .
That’s true but I got lucky and had a little extra time since it was distracted drinking the water.
Nice work Jim. These opportunities often arise when a tripod isn’t ready to go!
Isn’t that the truth!! I’ll be sure to carry, at least, a monopod with me from now on when I’m shooting with my macro.
Jim, indeed it isn’t sharp. But your picture has a great composition. I also find it very colourful: the blurred background, the bee and the fountain. It all make sense. It is a greet job for a handheld shot. Well done.
Thanks Christian. The post work I did really brought the green out. Made a big difference.
Nice job with your macro lens and handheld!
Thanks Valerie.
So hard to get, Jim….never seen a bee drinking water! Even though it is soft, I like it!
Thanks Sheree. Yeah. It was interesting. I could actually see it sucking the water in. Pretty cool.
Jim, You are a brave man getting that close to a bee. I think you did very well getting the shot that you did, Well done. It has good clarity despite the situation you were in. Nice use of colors as well.
Thanks Jeff. It’s not quite that bad with my new 90mm macro. If I had done this with my old 40mm i would have had to be right on it. I’m really glad to have the 90mm.
Jim, well done within the constraints you had. Great use of color.
Thanks Sara.
I think any bee is a great shot! And that’s pretty clear given that it was handheld.
Thanks Chris!
Handheld macro shots are the hardest. You did a great job. The bee does have some sharpness around the middle of its body. My suggest for next time is try to adjust your focus point to the eyes and see if that helps sharpen its eyes. This is a great shot of a bee and I understand the problem with finding insects, etc to shoot, so good job finding this little guy. Nice work!
Nice shot Jim. Beautiful colors and great details. I like it
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/430ce8995deac163f845b0c559d12c4fcfe09906b318eb0144a39b1fab3935c4.jpg
This is my second photo for the My Backyard photo challenge. I actually shot this photo in my back yard in January 2017. This was a very dark day with rain puddles being created on our Paver Stones. I immediately thought to grab my Rubber rain boots, set them up outside, then snap a photo with my Canon GX7 point and shoot. I believe I did most of the editing in Apple PHOTOS program to bring a little life to it. I don’t remember if I used any other editing program.
ISO: 800, F 2.8, Shutter: 1/640
When I post my photos they look so blurry on my screen. Please let me know as my original photo is sharp until I resize it to the 2000 Width. Thank you.
Deby, your photos look sharp enough on the screen to me. e.g your photo above. Depending on what program you are using to resize, just check the JPG Quality setting. It should be up high (80-100%). I use the highest possible setting and the images I post are about 1 to 2MB in size. But as I said before, your image looks fine with what you are already doing.
What a fun image! Great composition. Love the contrast of the colours against the darks. Nice repeating patterns with the lines of the pavers and splashes from the raindrops. Your image is sharp on my screen. Oh, and I just LOVE your boots!
Hi Kerrie, Thank you for your comments along with letting me know that my photo is in focus. I’m still wondering why my photos come out so blurry on my screen when I resize them down to the 2000 width? Hmmm?
Deby, very nice picture. Great composition. Your picture has a good contrast between those colourful boots and the wet stones. Well done.
Thank you very much Christian.
they are the flashest Gumboots iv’e ever seen ,I love the colors & the rain spots in the puddle ,great shot
Thank you Peter.
I really like the photo! It creates a great story line. Composition is good and the colorful boots are a great contrast.
Thank you Valerie.
Lovely shot, Deby. I love the bright flowers on the boots with the pavement and rain drops showing up. Nicely composed! Well done.
Thank you Sheree.
Beautiful shot. The colors of the boots as well as the raindrops hitting the pavers, I love it!
Much appreciated, Kathy.
Nice photo Deby, I like the way you put the boots in the lower left third to allow room for the rain drops. Nice focus on the whole scene.
Thank you Jeff.
Deby, very nice composition and I love the colors on the boots. Great job.
Thank you Sara for your comments.
Great picture Deby and love the boots. SakRoots brand I believe. Love the pavers and the fact that the boots are off set and cropped. Really a creative shot.
Thank you Chris.
This is a great picture. The colors are vibrant and stand out. Nice composition and love the rain in the puddles in the background. Awesome job!
Thank you Barbara.
I love this picture! The subtle color pop and the detail of the ripples is awesome. Did you add some vignette as well?
Thank you Tony. Yes I did add some dark vignette as I wanted the feel for the dark and dreary day it had become. Perhaps it was too much?
This is a very unusual image – and I think it’s stunning. Love the colours from your rubber boots and the textures from the rain and stones. Composition is good too with the boots off to the left. My one suggestions is the vignetting might be a little too dark. Well done. Brent
Thank you for the tips Brent.
Love it Deby. Beautiful and artistic shot. Boots against the rain and color on the boots vs the black background. Wonderful piece.
Thank you Erez.
I love the way you’ve caught the ripple from the rain Deby.
Deby, I love the splash of colour on the boots vs. the (almost) monotone pavers and puddles. The circles from the water droplets contrast nicely, too, with the angular pavers.
Found my old guitar for my second submission.
ISO100, fl56mm, f14, 1/0.5sec
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d5c23e3c2b97df4c5df1661ac07b019fea9351b27ef9cf762263ddede800ec22.jpg
I like this, John.. Nice and simple, nicely framed, and very effective.
Thankyou Kerrie
John, nice picture. Good composition. You made a symetrical pciture who would be also a good B&W. I have the impession the top isn’t sharp despite the f14. Perhaps it is your choice? Well done.
Thanks Christian, yes that was deliberate.
Very nice composition, John. I love the leading lines provided by the strings. The delicate curve lines of the guitar’s body also provide accent to the leading lines. Awesome perspective. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Great composition! Perfect for black and white. Nice photo.
Thanks Valerie
I like this one John. The angle is great, just goes to show what a difference it makes when we look at things from a different perspective. the monochrome makes it interesting too. Well done.
Thanks Annette, it is getting harder to find subjects to photograph in doors.
Nicely done, John! Very retro, creative….. did you play it a bit? 🙂
Thanks Sheree, Yes I do Play classical + Flamenco
John, nice use of lines with your photo. I like how the strings lead my eyes up to the top of the frame. Well done.
Thanks Jeff
Well done! Great use of leading lines and love it in monochrome.
Thankyou Sara
I do hope you didn’t find it in your backyard. LOL. Great shot of the guitar. I love the black and white of it. Nice texture and composition. I like the view you used to get the shot. Nice work!
Thanks Barbara, unfortunately I do not have a back yard
I took this today, of some hellebores growing at the base of a huge Eucalyptus tree. I don’t have a macro lens, but thought I’d try some stacking/blending anyway. I took 4 images and blended them in photoshop, then edited in LR. It’s my first time using photoshop, so a very steep learning curve ahead! I know I didn’t nail the focus, but was pretty happy with the result
1/6 sec f8 ISO 800 @85mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/990f09868445cb370414c6c4a60ca45b6cfea176e5b92931b5201e70e1741b5a.jpg Don’tqiute know what happened there, it wouldn’t let me upload.
Kerrie…that is exquisite! Well done….just beautiful! 🙂
Hey, thanks so much Rerro! It took a few goes…a few “stacks”.. and the constantly changing light, and the little breezes kept me on my toes. To be honest, I didn’t really know if stacking was something only done with a macro lens, but thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t move the camera, so is that just blending? ? I am learning something new every month. Just loving it.
You can stack with any lens Kerrie….so glad you are learning and enjoying the experience! 🙂
Kerrie. If that’s your first attempt at photoshop I cant wait until you have some experience. This is a beautiful picture.
Thanks so much for the kind words Andrew 🙂
Kerrie, lovely result. Nice colours. The flowers are the POI. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Awesome shot ,just beautiful
Thanks so much Peter.
I also had heaps of problems in the beginning ,this is weird I can write comments & answer on Google chrome ,but have to open in (internet explorer) to upload a photo ????
Love this shot Kerrie. What more can I say. Beautiful against the dark background…just beautiful ! Well done
Thanks so much, Romy:)
Lovely shot nice colours well done
Thanks John.
Great lighting and use of DoF Kerrie.
Thank you Tessa.
Yes, this image is so beautiful. Really nice portrait of your flowers. The darker background really makes the blooms stand out!
Thank so much Deby 🙂
Great Job on your first attempt at photoshop I would like to be so fortunate! You have created a beautiful photo!
Thank you, Valerie. PS is a bit overwhelming right now, I have only just got the hang of LR-(and still have a long way to go with that)!
Kerrie, these came out so, so good. Well done!
Thanks Sheree!
Well done on jumping into PS! It is a huge learning curve…I’m still trying to figure it out myself! I love the subject. I think there may be a bit too much vignetting. Maybe a softer vignette to compliment the softness of the flowers.
Thanks for that feedback, Amber. I agree about the vignette, I thought it may have been a bit too much after I posted it.
Kerrie, Nice job on highlighting the flowers. I like how they are the main focus and the background is darker. Nice clarity.
Thank you Jeff.
Kerrie, well done. Well thought out. Beautiful colors.
Thanks so much Sarah 🙂
Beautiful photo Kerrie. I am trying to figure out why you took 4 pictures and blended them? Was one picture not sharp enough? I think it’s lovely, I am just trying to understand the why of your process.
Hi Chris, it was just something that I wanted to try. I didn’t get the same effect with just one image, so I moved the focus point for each image. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Kerrie, like Chris I’m curious about why you did the photo stacking. Was it just for the experience and the practice? The image looks pretty sharp and with the f-stop you used it seems like you got the DOF you wanted. I really like how you used vignetting to focus the viewers eyes on the flower and removing the distraction of the background. Nice job. Oh, you can merge images in LR too. Not positive, but I don’t think you really had to use PS.
Hi Jim, Thank you for you feedback and thoughts. I used the stacking just because it was something I wanted to try. Re merging images in LR- as far as I know, you can merge bracketed images to HDR, but not focus stack. This needs to be done in PS or other software packages with that function.
First off great job at trying the focus stacking and use of photoshop. I have not yet tried stacking. I love the photo. It is beautiful and the flowers are well focused. Beautiful colors and contrast and the vignette brings the viewers eye right to the flowers. Awesome job!
Thank you so much Barbara 🙂
Wow Kerrie – amazing image. That’s great that you’ve tried the photo stacking in photoshop – well done. I think the focus is really good and like how the flowers really pop. My only suggestion is that maybe the vignetting is a little dark. Brent
Hi Brent, thanks so much for the feedback. I agree that I may have gone a bit wild with the vignette!! Hope you get that underwater shot with the whales.
To me the focus looks good. Beautiful image Kerrie. Great separation of the flowers from the background. Love it
Thanks so much, Erez 🙂
Lovely image, Kerrie. Thanks for all your notes. I think you achieved an excellent result.
Well here is my second entry in the backyard challenge. Yesterday I was lamenting that my yard at present was drab and uncared for. Today I started and in the process at the base of one of my dead palm trees I found so different Fungi. This really caught my attention but how best to capture it. I have learnt of late that the real beauty of mushrooms and fungi is underneath but they tend to grow quite low to the ground. I must have taken over 100 shots of this one but although I still didn’t manage the front to back crispness but I still quite liked the result. I should point out that I do not have a macro lens and I think that is why I could not get the DOF right. This Fungi was only about 25cm above the ground so I think if someone had come into my yard at the time I was contorting myself around plants to get this shot, they would have found it quite comical. Unfortunately fungi do not last long so this was my only chance for this one.
Nikon D5300. 15-55 f3.5-5.6 lens at 34mm. 1/500 sec. f6.7. ISO200 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2f4bdc28651c05ab0e92170e99e1de303c87403e9ee1774679e1c4cda9144697.jpg
Just love the natural back lighting here Andrew, and the DoF you did achieve with this lens is very effective. I am thinking that the shadow at the bottom can maybe be filled in by holding a white piece of cardboard or reflector underneath and reflector the sun back up to fill in those shadows.
Andrew, your picture is impressive with the enlighting on the fungi. You caught them in a natural way. Good composition. Good result for your effort. Well done.
Nice shot Andrew ,the sunlight through the fungi looks great ,perhaps f 8 or higher may have given a little more light under the fungi.
Thanks Peter. I had a look back through all the shots I took of this and did have a number which were taken at f9.6 but unfortunately these all had distracting light flare spots. I realised later that I did not have the lens hood on which might have prevented this rookie mistake. The DOF clarity was still not the greatest either. I think what I really need to do while still using this lens was to increase the distance the front of the lens was from the subject so I should have used my baby tripod. I could then have also tried the focus stacking technique the a number of people have talked about. Looking at other peoples photos I am definitely considering purchasing a macro lens.
Hi Andrew. This shot is worth all your efforts. Awesome backlighting and the shadows provide more depth. Well done.
Thanks Romy. A number of people have suggested bouncing a bit more light underneath so I am glad that you agree with my choice to keep the shadows. I think the shadows enhance the effect of the sunlight coming through the fungus.
Very nice image, I do like your angle and the lighting, great.
Beautiful Andrew! I love the backlighting. As Rerro says, either a reflector or a fill-in flash would have given more light to the underside, but a great shot all the same. Well worth the contortions!
Your efforts paid off as you have captured a very creative photo. I really like the light coming through the top layer and how it enhances the details.
Awesome image, Andrew. I have always found all the different species of fungi really beautiful, elusive, and very difficult to photograph in many instances. You have captured this beautifully. I really like that we can see up the tree trunk, it gives great perspective.
Really love your angle and the way the light is from the side. Well done!
Andrew very nice use of the light
Well done on the contortion required to get this angled shot! I love the backlighting and the shapes you’ve captured.
This photo looks great when I clicked to make it bigger. Andrew, for not having a macro lens, you did a great job. Nice clarity and use of lines. Nice job on the colors as well. Well done.
Andrew, Wow! I love it. I am a big fan of fungi. You have captured this beautifully. Well done indeed.
This is a great photo Andrew, love the lines and colors. I have always had an irrational fear of fungi but putting that aside, it’s a great capture!
Cool shot Andrew. I like the composition with the perspective looking up and being so close to the POI using the wide angle lens. I like the lighting too. Great job.
This is beautiful. The texture of the fungi is great and the composition is well done. For having to contort yourself to get this photo you did a great job. I do wonder if lightening the shadows toward the back of the fungi would let it stand out a bit more. But even so, this is great the way it is. Just curious what it would look like. Nice work! Hope your not to sore!
Thanks Barbara. I did take a number of other shots where the lighting was stronger and which gave me greater scope to lighten the shadows. Unfortunately I had forgotten to put on the lens hood and the consequent light flare spoilt the possible images. Live and learn.
Your Welcome. Yes we learn all the time 🙂
Beautiful photo Andrew and great light. Good DOF. Great job
What I like about your shot is the angle of view – looking up towards the sky and the backlit fungi showing those veins. I can see how much effort you put into creating this image Andrew and I think it’s paid-off for you. I also like the contrast of yellow on blue. I think your depth of field is fine here – it helps showcase the textures underneath the fungi instead of the edges. With a macro lens you’ll get even shallow DOF and will need to shoot multiple focal distances and then combine them (focus staking). Great shot. Brent
Thanks Brent
Love the backlight highlighting the gills of the fungus.
This may look familiar – same shrub/different flower and this time I left it on the tree. A new process for me which turned out to be remarkably simple to accomplish (probably because the subject stood out from the background in the full colour version)
Handheld 1/80s, f/9, ISO 1000 and the 100 macro
Cropped a tad, the exposure lifted a little and the background turned into B&W. I was in two minds about whether to keep the two leaves in colour or not – decided not to in the end.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bb29badfe5080b4fbe63d1c7a1ec136c27e68cbb8c11df8d49c632fb512e2e1f.jpg
Nick, you got a nice picture of your flower. Good contrast with the branch. nice composition. Well done.
Nice shot Nick ,perfect Camellia on a B & W background.
Beautiful flower, nice detail. Black background really makes it stand out.
Wow Nick, Just beautiful. I really love your artistic touch to this image.
Interesting shot, Nick. I do think you made a good choice in leaving the leaves in B&W. Gives a whole different feel.
Nice picture, Nick. Did you cut and paste it on a different background or did you just change the color of the flower? I see some black fringe around the flower.
Juan
Thanks
No cutting and pasting.
In Affinity Photo I selected the flower, then inverted the selection (which in essence selects the rest of the photo and unselects the flower)
I then added a new black and white adjustment layer, played with the various colour levels until I was happy with how the background looked
Cropped and saved (I had already adjusted the flower). I understand Photoshop has a similar process.
I need to refine my technique a little to negate the ‘black fringe’ which is something I only noticed after I posted it here.
Beautiful image Nick! I love how you muted the rest of the image to make the flower really pop!
I like how the color of the flower pops against the dark background. Nice clarity on the flower. Nice photo Nick.
Excellent capture Nick! Beautiful flower and very clear photo
Nick, Great job! Such detail. I like it this way.
Nick, excellent job as usual. I am so impressed by your photography and want to get the level you are at. This is such a pretty pink flower and you have captured it perfectly. Great color, texture, contrast and composition. I like the B& W background, it helps the flower to pop out of the picture. A masterpiece!
Lovely image. Great composition and I love your processing. Beautiful Nick
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/143b4b208aa280a539a0fa7ad408e20cc2d06ce13bd06debeecf8718cae520c2.jpg
My back yard. Playing with a new lens.
You see. I have the shakes. That’s ok with me. It came with the broken hand. Good thing I never wanted to be a professional photographer.
ISO 100 35mm f5.0 1/250 second.
Nice photo Roseann with a different perspective. Love horses for subject. Hope that hand heals quickly for you!
Hi Roseann, the photo looks fine to me, composition is okay. I suggest to lighten the bottom a bit.
Really lovely capture Roseann, I like your composition-the angle, and how you’ve filled the frame .Well done.
Roseann, you have a creative perspective. Nice compôsition. Beautiful horses.
Nicely composed Roseann. I do find it a bit dark and too much vignetting, though. Also might have tried to move around the horse to get his eye more as a PoV and the light pole in back is distracting—but really good effort!
It’s not that dark on my computer. Ahh the Joy’s of uploading.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4d3c58127148f8c63af806bb439521658950129c427432b533eff9c8bf0a8b21.jpg
Redo. Lets see f this is lighter.
Nice use of colors between the horses, the green leaves, and the blue sky. I wonder what it would look like if you gave the lead horses head a little more room to fit into the frame instead of shooting it so tight. otherwise, nice photo, and good color.
Well the first one has more room. But I was sitting on the ground trying to take a close up of sunflowers when nosy 1&2 came up to see what I was doing. Trying to get them to look at me proved a little difficult.
Hi Roseann. This is much better than the first version. Well done.
Nice job Roseann. I agree about more space in front of the back horse. Great job on lightening the photo and taking out the light.
I will reply to this one since I was going to say the same thing. I like the brighter photo better. It shows more detail to the horse in the foreground. Great shot and I love the composition and the inclusion of the second horse. Nice job!
Nice job Roseann. I like the crop of the first and the colors of the second version, but both are nice. Beautiful horses and image
I has been hot and dry in the past month with only 2 days of rainfall in last 2 weeks and my backyard has nothing but dry, cracked red clay soil with some grass. Still waiting for the rains to come more regularly. My frontyard still has some life in it due to constant watering of the garden. For this week I am posting a photo of my parched backyard. The original photo just showed the texture of the clayey soil without any POI except the cracked soil. Had to crop tightly just to show something of interest. ISO 640, 30mm, f16, 1/60s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/521207a2b018f10b376378e7332ec0da7a60a1ca1a7ecf4734bfc84f14eb18ac.jpg
cropped:
There’s nothing as perennial as the grass.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92b5074bcdae3098a87b1a16e50d430c22b7bb15db19e7a6cdb26ac6884e1ea6.jpg
Love the colours and textures Romy. The deep cracks look amazing. Great story of the hope of new life, and the resilience of these grasses.
Thank you so much Kerrie.
I find it very helpful that you have shown the original and the crop. In the original I like the way it draws your eye into the garden meandering around the greenery. On the other hand the single piece of grass with that textured and cracked earth is a great juxtaposition and tells a story of survival. Well done. This is a great exercise as it makes us really look at things around the home differently.
Thank you Annette. I agree that we can always find something interesting in even the most ordinary and mundane. Thanks.
I like your cropped version. Who would have thought a plain bit of grass could be such a point of interest. Nicely composed and I like the stark contrast of the green against the dirt.
Thank you Rodney. Much appreciated.
Romy, it looks indeed very dry. Good testimony of that with that one blade of grass. Nice to see some difference in texture of the soil. Why cropping big your picture and not taking it immediately like your end result? Like this you have a great loss of pixels. Well done.
Thanks a lot Christian. Actually I was more interested in the cracked soil initially as possible source of texture for a composite and not intended for this challenge. After making a big print, I noticed that I could crop tightly and get another image more interesting and with a story.
Romy…have you thought about zooming in and filling your frame with only the cracked earth. I am thinking it will make a fabulous shot. there is so much detail there.
Yes, great suggestion. Thanks Christine.
Wow that is dry! Nicely composed and lovely texture!
Many thanks Sheree.
I love that blade of grass.
Thank you Roseann.
Cool shot! Like previous comments, I’d love to see a tighter crop… I think this texture would look great in B/W, too!
Hi Brenda, thank you so much. The zoomed in photo does look great in black and white. Thanks.
Interesting shot on how the ground is so parched looking and the green grass is just thriving. Nice use of vibrant colors and clarity. Well done.
Hi Jeff. Thank you. I appreciate your comments.
Great use of texture. I like the color difference between the grass and the cracked soil. Well done.
Thank you so much, Sara.
Hi everyone. For those of you who wanted to see a zoomed in photo of the parched soil, I revisited the area and here it is both in color and black and white.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b5aa9c8ea1e0e8113590d921fabf2eafd7e0d62dfc0e7f0d91ac65429660adf3.jpg
black and white:
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d4c60cb376ba92d6ea7669692d1dd19d896f464058cfe1988585d4b8576bbbf0.jpg
YES Romy! both of them!
Thanks Kerrie. Much appreciated.
WOW! I like both photos. They are so sharp and show great texture. Great job on the closeup.
Many thanks, Barbara.
For me the B/W rocks but in this case the colour is my choice because of those leaf shoots – because of the greens that is where my eye settles (wonder if you can make them more prominent?) Love that textures and the contrast helps too. Brent
Ok you have inspired me to shoot my boring backyard. LOL. Despite the no rain this is a great shot. The cracked earth has great texture, color and sharpness. The green grasses help to break up the redish cracked earth. This is a excellent shot!
Thanks Barbara. Good luck in finding something interesting in your backyard.
Thank you. Think I found something.
Very interesting and good detail. The original photo reminds me of a dried up river bed the way it winds through the greenery and pulls your eye through the photo. Nicely done.
Thanks so much, Valerie. Yes it does look like a dried up river bed.
An interesting image using a good eye lead and beautiful texture. Well done
Thank you Erez.
Hello Everyone, it has been awhile since I contributed. It is great to be back and see such wonderful images. I was desperately trying to get some creative juices running as I feel they are exceptionally rare in my case. I am not sure if this fits the bill but would very much appreciate your comments and suggestions. Nikon D7100 – iso 400, f/4.8, 1/8 sec, 52mm late afternoon with all lights on in the room. It was actually hand held as I was frustrated with the tripod and just started snapping. Enhanced a little in Lr. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e02db3bbd933bf8892f150147f9d0e19a7708889419a10047b64328f0821d545.jpg
Annette, very nice picture.Nice colours. Good composition. Nice combination with flower and music sheet. Personally I would have tried to get away with the shadow of the flower. Perhaps with a white paper to reflect light from the right side. Well done.
Thank you Christian, yes I agree with you about the shadow and the white paper is a good idea. I will try it next time. Great comment thanks.
Very nice composition here Annette. I love the idea of using the music sheet as background. Great imagination.
Wow, Anette… This is beautiful! Nicely composed—very creative! Love this!
I would say you’re creativity is just great. Love it.
Nice creativity Annette. I like how you made the colors on the flower and petals stand out against the white and black background. Nice blur with the notes at the top of the page.
Really beautiful! Very clear flower and great background. Good idea to bring nature inside take your photo this way. I’d say your creativity is wonderful.
Annette, my sister doesn’t think she is creative either and she makes the most beautiful greeting cards. You have nailed it with this one, it is very creative. I like the vibrance of the flower and the contrast of the music. Well done.
Wow! Thank YOU EVERYONE, what wonderful, encouraging comments, you have boosted my confidence no end. Much appreciated.
Annette, beautiful contrasting colours, and the use of sheet music adds a touch of elegance to this image. Well done for hand held! I think your creative side is running again
Love this shot. The colors are beautiful and the setting is wonderful. For taking the shot hand held it is a great shot. I too get frustrated with the tripod, but had you been able to use it, the rose may have been a bit sharper. Composition is great. Overall I love this shot and you did a great and very creative job. Nice work!
Love everything about this image. Creative and well composed. Nice depth . Great job
Lovely composition Annette…..very creative!
Nice capture, nice to see someone else moving indoors
Love your creativity in this image Annette – what does it mean? Brent
Got out a bit yesterday and tried puppy portraits….haha… Still needs work!–about an hour later though the storms rolled in, we had so much rain last night that our yard has flooded……so thought I would share the mood! I did process and crop slightly.
I have recently been shooting with the ISO sensitivity on….. is that good/bad or indifferent?
Nikon D750 25.0-70mm lens; ISO1000 24mm f16 1/5 sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1dcc5a0a37a648f65912e65ff4cd93d65d23a6f976ecea57f446096bc9992d33.jpg
Sheree, very nice composition. Well balanced. Great colours. The clouds are great in the sky. What do you mean with “ISO sensitivity on”? Just above the highest light part in the clouds on the right side I see a unwanted spot. You should look if it is on your lens or on your sensor. Well done.
Thanks, Christian. I did not see that spot and must have been on the filter…..will double check and also post a new one without the spot when I get home from work. I have the ISO on automatic, so wonder if that is only for certain situations or good to leave on all the time? For a shot like this, I probably would have only set it at 250.
Sheree, personally I only use auto ISO when I am in a hurry. First disadvantage is you have to reset when you stop photographing , otherwise the adjustment (auto IS) will be used (perhaps unwanted) for all next photo’s. Secondly perhaps by using other SS and aperture you could avoid some high ISO and don’t have the disadvange to have (much) noise. In this case using ISO 250 would mean a SS of 1sec. I suppose you don’t want to modify the aperture.
Beautiful shot! I would rather be in your backyard. I love all the colors, the greens in the tree and the chilling blues in the sky.
Thanks so much Kathy!
Love the mood.
Thanks, Roseann!
This is great image Sheree. I love the mood brought by the rain clouds. Nice.
Thanks, Romy
Great capture Sheree. Love the boats in the photo along with the storm clouds. I like how the the branches on the tree are highlighted a little. Well done.
Thanks, Jeff. I did bring up the highlights a little, which made the palm branches lighten up a bit, I too, liked that effect.
Well done Sheree! I like the way the sky mimics the sea, or is it the sea mimics the sky? Great composition.
Thanks, Sara…. who knows, love how nature interacts….also had a nice cool breeze which kicked up causing some movement in the palm fronds.
Nice job and it does set the mood. I am jealous of some of your guys backyards. Mine seems pretty boring with all the hi heat and then down poring of rain. but I digress. This is an excellent shot. Great contrast, colors, texture and nice composition. Great job!
Really looks like the storm is brewing. I like how you captured the rain off in the distance. Very good composition.
Good compositon Sheree. Beautiful colors and light and great dramatic sky. One can feel the strom.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/17d186ad2ee86a3cbdefcdffcc17a9b138fe667583a5d87b2cfc9af58cf13702.jpg
As many of you are approaching spring, it is Fall in North Dakota. I have an apple tree in my backyard and the apples are just starting to ripen, we need a frost before they are ready to be picked! I laid on my back under the tree and took this shot of an apple. And hoping my neighbors don’t call 911 with me flat on my back!
f6.0; 1/750ss; ISO 180 at 155 mm
LOL Kathy! Funny positions we get ourselves in. I wonder if you sprayed the apple with some water, it would be cool to catch a drop coming off of it….for some reason think that would look good with your lovely background! Like the background and composition!
I did take some with water droplets but they were out of focus (earlier in the day). Soon the leaves will be changing here, I look forward to trying to capture all of the fall colors.
Cant believe the leaves will be changing already!!! I look forward to seeing the fall colours, I miss them!
Kathy, a great classic nice coloured picture. Your apple will taste! Enjoy. The background is nicely blurred blurried: a bit for the leaves, much more for the other background further away. Also nice bokeh. Well done.
Kathy, a very nice looking shot. Good composition and colours with a nice blurred background. Well done.
Nice clarity Kathy. I like the color of the apple along with the background. Nice blurred background. Is that going into a pie? Haha.
If the birds don’t get to it first, it may go into my caramel apple cheese cake recipe!
Beautiful image. This looks like a juicy apple on a beginning of fall day. Great color and great capture.
Kathy, Looks good enough to eat! Lovely detail and colors.
Kathy, I want to take a bite it looks so real, love the subtle colours and blurred background. the composition is excellent and I really like your little story about the autumn and apple tree in your back yard. I often wish people would say more often where their picture is taken. I am off to Alice Springs tomorrow so will see what I can come up with there in my “back yard”.
Nice picture of the apple. Makes me want to take a bite out of it. Nice colors, sharp and great composition. Nice job!
Nicely composed with good details in the apple and soft blurred background . Looks like you could reach in and pick it!
Nice classic composition, beautiful light and bokeh. Well done and enjoy it!
Lovely autumnal colours – this shot really captures the atmosphere of the season.
The apple looks delicious. I like the simple composition…well, maybe not so simple given you needed to lay down to capture this perspective. I like the light bokeh in the background, too.
Forgive me for not commenting on each individual photo. I’m still new at this gig and unsure how to offer suggestions or critiques. Suffice it to say, all of you inspire me.
I am enjoying this Challenge. It is making me stop and appreciate my everyday existence which I too often take for granted. Unfortunately, it also makes me realize how far behind I am in my weeding chores.
This pic shot with 100mm macro lens, f2.8, ISO 100, 1/500sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/85e9cd8420378c21ebf90649d7a3e7db4f6ebff17ceaa7675dab380179b0a85e.jpg
Nice capture of the spider. I like how the circular look of the web draws my eyes upwards to the top of the frame. I also like the contrasting colors between the sky and the spider. Well done.
Beautiful image, I especially love the circular web and the spider is so clear and detailed!
Kathleen, I like both versions, but I think I like the close up better. You have captured the web very well. I have been struggling with trying to capture a couple. Well done.
Great shot of the spider and its web. I don’t like spiders but you guys are showing me some with colors I have never seen before so it makes it a little interesting even if it is creepy. LOL. I like the composition, and as you stated in your above post, I do like this one better then the silhouette. However, maybe you could adjust the shadows a bit more on just the spider so his colors stand out a little more. Otherwise great work!
I will try that! Thanks.
Great shot Kathleen. The spider is lovely and sharp, with great detail. I like the composition, with the foliage in the background providing a kind of frame – the web stands out against this, so that the eye then follows it round to the spider.
Did I mention I do not like spiders.
Question for you all: Attached is the original photo. Should I have kept the silhouette look, or edited as you see in first post? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7435d2f6e15b1842cc20b8a165ee1c74a79010df44964ccaf52b7f628f59273a.jpg
I like the first one where the reds show up in the spider. The spider web is also much clearer in this photo. I can even see the hairs on the spiders many legs. Not a spider fan either but they do make a beautiful photo! I agree, I always seem to want to wait to go somewhere else to take photos when my backyard has so many opportunities. Great shot!
Kathleen, I agree with Kathy. The first post has more potential. As you used a macro it’s nice to see more detail: the red in the spider, the more pronounced presence of the spider web. Personally I would desaturate a bit the green (of the tree?), because now it distracts a bit. Nice composition. Well done.
I prefer the first post, unless of course you actually convert to B&W? Would be interesting! I have goosebumps now looking at the spiders!!!!
…and because I dislike spiders so much, I found another photogenic one…all for the sake of my Art!
100mm macro, F2.8, ISO100, 1/60sec
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/06171714c83d26da94eb885f1e5936e9ae2d2690df17b88bd7a73080e1761276.jpg
This is a great shot. I love the front to back clarity where even the fineness of the web stands out. The blue/green background is a perfect contrast for the spider and I really like how you have left so much space around it. I really need to look at investing in a macro lens. Well done Kathleen.
I recommend highly the macro lens. It is easy to use.
Another beautiful shot. I just love the detail. What lens are you using?
Canon 100mm macro
THanks, I have a Nikon but I am sure there is an equivalent for that camera. I love Macro photography, almost as much as taking my bird photos.
Ok. Bit the bullet today and ordered a macro lens. It won’t arrive in time for this challenge unfortunately.
I am not a fan of spiders either, but what a beautiful shot! Love the angled depth of field and the complimentary colors. You might try cropping just a little off the bottom to align it with the rule of thirds… just to test. 🙂
I will try that. Thank you. I am more a beginner at editing than photography so I appreciate all suggestions.
Beautiful! My father always said if I don’t hurt them, they won’t hurt me. I like to watch them as they build their web. Great capture.
Your Father was right…unless the spider is in my house!
Hi Kathleen, great job with the macro lens. The spider is sharp and the web is well defined. Crop the bottom part a bit more so that the spider is at the bottom left intersection of the rule of thirds gridlines. That would make a stronger composition. Just a suggestion. Well done.
Thank you, Romy. Great teaching suggestion. Still working on my Composition skills and this helps.
I’m with you on disliking spider. However, really beautiful shot with this very colorful, photogenic spider with backlit web. Nice job!
Well done-such great colors on the spider.
Kathleen, nice picture. Great colours. Much detail. Well done.
Nice shot & colors ,I’m with you I hate spiders.
I really like this capture! He is colourful and also crisp…also like the framing with the web! Good job.
Not a real fan of spiders but this one is unique, as in, I have never seen one with this kind of color scheme. Great shot! The spider is sharp and the composition is excellent. I like how the web soft then a little sharp and back to soft again. Just gives you the feel of the spiders home.
Very colorful spider, I have not seen one like this before which is probably a good thing as I am not a spider fan either. I especially like how you were able to capture the web. Good composition. Well done.
Thank you.
Nice shot and beautiful colors. I like the angle you shot, so the web dissappears in the background. Well done
Wow – what a great image! Love how that web really sucks us in (pun intended). Your spider jumps out because of the colours and your shallow depth of field – however I’m thinking maybe close your aperture down a little more like f5.6 and up your shutter speed to 1/200sec (if you’re hand holding your 100mm lens). Great capture. Brent
Thank you, Brent. Still learning about the harmony between aperture, shutter speed, ISO so it helps tremendously to receive advice and see the setting my fellow Challengers are utilizing. The beauty of photography, though, it is fun to learn!
I really like the angle you have captured on the web, but the best thing is the focus on the spider. Super sharp!
There is a small lake in front of my house that is visited nearly every afternoon by a Great Egret doing some fishing. Even though this shot is a bit soft, I like that I was able to catch the bird preening itself. Canon EOS 6d, EF 100-400 lens at 400 mm, 1/800 sec ay f/10 and ISO 640. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/406e0bde616ece365654dfb12f27829396fec00ec4d8f31136960a0c7f914c4d.jpg
I love it! I am always trying to take pictures of these beautiful birds. I love the spread wing and reflection. Great capture.
Steven, well done. I like the bit of reflection you were able to get.
Steven, nice reflection. Good composition.
Hi Steven, I love the softness of this photo and the “pleated” effect you have captured in the wing which is mirrored in the reflection. Excellent job. Well done.
Great image and the reflection adds dimension to the photo. Nice composition Steven. Well done.
Oh to bend like that! Nicely composed and love the reflection. Nice shot!
Nice catch. Great reflection in the water and being able to catch a bird in action and get it tack sharp can be a challenge. Sometimes soft works and this time I think it works well with the cloudy day and the great reflection.
Love the way the bird is looking from underneath the wings! Nice reflections, well done!
Nice capture – col position and reflection. Great job
I really like the reflection you captured here Steven. Nice job on getting the wing spread like that, I like the detail in your photo.
Well caught Steven. Love the reflection.
Great picture with a nice reflection.
This time no big story. Just enjoying of the sunlight falling through the foliage on the bark of a tree. I find it nice to see the interaction of the enlighted texture and the non-enlighted part.
settings: 96mm, f5.6, 1/60, ISO 100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e4378b915dd7273d9bb5099c9c90491eb85f1b3a055d7e94b7257d18b852d102.jpg
Nice texture and light. Nice crop with nothing else in the photo.
Thanks Chris for your comment.
Very nice texture here Christian. The lights and shadows add mood to the image. Great capture.
Thanks Romy for your comment.
I too love looking at the light playing on different textures…. nicely composed.
Thanks Shree for your comment.
I like the way the light hits the tree. It forms the face of a gargoyle and the upper part of light forms the long ear.
Thanks Juan for your comment.
The tree is sharp and i like the play the light has on the bark. Great texture. Nice work!
Thanks Barbara for your comment.
Christian, bark is always good for texture and adding some dappled light just adds to the effect. Good shot.
Thanks Rodney for your comment.
Christian, well done. Love the texture.
Thanks Sara for your appreciation.
Nice capture of the texture in the bark. I like the glimpses of sun coming through.
Thanks Jeff for your appreciation.
I also like the dappled light on the bark, Christian. It’s amazing how different the texture of tree bark can be from one tree to the next.
Thanks Judy for your comment. Nature is indeed very various.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/450ccb6c2397844837ca592cc171721467453028141a4e5956d8db0f22b1193d.jpg
For my second contribution, I submit a confused bee on a Harley. Yes, I was in my garden looking for plants or bees or insects to shoot. I live in California, we are at the end of summer and getting into fall or what we refer to as Indian Summer. It’s great for weather but the garden is sort of blah. So I was tracking bees and taking what seemed to be the same shots I always take and some friends of my husband pulled up on their motorcycles. We were all chatting and I was looking at this one bike which the guy must have spent a small fortune customizing, and a bee landed. It seemed confused, like where’s the pollen? I realize this isn’t the normal back yard shot but it was in the front of my house, so hopefully it counts.
Chris, I like very much your picture. Depsite the fact that the bee has a small part of the whole picture, it still makes sence. If I hadn’t your story I could think that the bee is painted on the bike. It would give the beautiful painting on that bike a quirk effect. Beautiful colours. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Very cool shot, Chris. I love the colours. I might have tried to crop more off the left side… to enlarge the bee a bit….but really cool shot…and sure it counts!
Thanks Sheree. I toyed with cropping but wanted to capture as much of the bike as I could.
It counts if its in your yard. Great shot of the bee and the beautiful motorcycle. Since your POI is the bee and if the detail stays, you could crop it in more to focus more in on the bee. Otherwise this is an awesome shot. Nice work!
Thank you Barbara.
Cool image of the bike and its rider. It is a nice image of the bike, so I understand that you don’t want to crop it, but the bee gets a little lost.
It worth some more work in post to try and emphasize it a little more.
Thanks Erez, well I wanted to emphasize the bike too, that’s why I didn’t crop it much more.
Interesting shot….love the colours and the perspective….given the colouring of the bee…i think it adds to the image!
Thank you Rerro.
Great shot! Love the colors! Great perspective.
Thank you Sara!
Nice shot with the bee, and the torn looking flag. I like what you did with this.
Thanks Jeff.
Shot definitely counts, Chris. As others have already commented, a bit of cropping could be employed here, but I get that you also liked the detail on the bike. It looks beautiful. I like the orange theme of bee and bike…totally different subjects, but both loud and ‘buzzy’.
This is one of the frequent feathered visitors to my backyard or more specifically our Grevillea. It is a Noisy Miner which is a native Australian bird and is in the honeyeater family.
Settings: 1/800 sec @ f/6.7, ISO-1250, lens MZ.75-300 @300mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/266d42d8a1a05e38443f86d6c074e90a4ec9faa742bbaa0898e80d1f8710e8a7.jpg
Such nice clarity, Rodney. I really like your speckled background and the lovely grasses/leaves in focus with the bird. Nice shot!
Thanks Sheree
Rodney, nice picture. Good composition. Good balance with light on the left side and shadow on the right side.
Thanks Christian
nice job Rodney
Thanks Juan
Great shot… love the composition and the bokeh!
Thanks Brenda
Rodney, nice shot. Good colors, nice and sharp and like Brenda I really like the bokeh. It helps to focus your eye on the bird. I’d like to see the rest of it though. I think cropping a little off the top and showing the rest of it’s legs and tail feathers (if they were in the original of course) would enhance the image.
Thanks Jim. Regarding the legs … if only I could – The branch the bird was on was just behind the top of a fence, which I framed out of the original in camera. I took quite a few photos during that session, and others did have the full bird, tail and legs included, however I liked the pose and look of the bird in this one more, so used it for this submission. I will keep in mind the aim to capture all of the bird next time. Thanks.
That said, I do have those other photos with legs and tail feathers, so perhaps with a little bit of Photoshop ‘adjustment’ … 😉
Great job! The birds eye is sharp and has a catch light. His feathers have great texture and detail. Nice composition as well and beautiful colors.
Thanks Barbara
Beautiful! Love the composition and the great detail in the bird. The yellow eye is definitely the point of interest. Good Job.
Thanks Valerie
This is such a beautiful shot in so many ways. Great job with composition, exposure, subject, sharp focus and background blur. WOW!! Love it!
Thanks Deby
Great compostion and bokeh. The back light creates a nice separation. Great work – love this
Thanks Erez
Great image Rodney. Birds are my passion project, and I am always struggling with getting them sharp, as you have done here. This is a very nice composition and I am immediately drawn to the eye, with that bit of yellow in the feathers. Well done.
Thanks Steven. It is hard not to be drawn to the eye with that bright yellow patch next to it. For focusing I generally use a single (small) autofocus point and try to at least get it on the head, preferably the eye. However birds that decide to move, being most of them ;-), means I still end up with quite a few blurry photos.
Beautiful bird……and a lovely shot!
Thanks Rerro
Indeed a great image. Well done, Rodney.
Thanks Romy
This is a beautiful image, Rodney. The focus and catchlight in the eye is awesome.The angle of the bird’s body on the beautiful Bokeh
works so well. I’m thinking that a crop from the right and a tiny bit from the left to balance out that space might work, but it’s great as it is. Love it.
Thanks Kerrie for your comments and suggestions. I particularly liked the bird’s pose in this one.
Beautiful picture!!
Thanks Pamela
Fabulous shot, almost doesn’t look real. Great details.
Thanks Sara. Definitely a real bird !
I just love all the details and textures in this shot. The detail in the wings,and the soft greenery behind. Beautiful shot.
Thanks Kathy
Great shot Rodney, I like the clarity of the Miner and the flower right besides him/her, and like the blur of the background but not so blurred you cant figure out what it is.
Thanks for your comments Jeff. I am glad you liked the flower next to the bird. I had been in two minds about whether it was a distraction or not, but in the end decided it added to the photo.
Great clarity on the bird Rodney. I like the way that the flower in the background echos the pattern of the feathers.
Thanks Tessa. As I said to Jeff below, I was in two minds whether to keep the flower or not. Glad I did keep it.
Nice picture – love the sharpness of the bird on the blurred background.
Thanks Lone
Beautiful bird, very sharp. Love the face on this guy.
Thanks Chris. It is a loveable face.
This is beautiful, Rodney. The bird is tack sharp and the depth of field is perfect. I really like the way the light is sprinkled through the background, too. I like that you have the bird looking across the width of the image.
Thanks Judy
Well done! Beautiful shot. Love the yellow under his eye and the hues of yellow in the background. I can’t decide if I am missing his feet or not.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cfd12cb3360257a533dca968242ed894723f1ed1eb3f4be54d7b67c585bc68f8.jpg
Was trying to get the bee but a grasshopper photobombed my pic.
ISO 100 35mm F.2.2 1/500 sec.
🙂 Roseann. Love the clarity of the flower, especially the two buds. What is the PoV, though? I might have cropped out a lot of the right hand side and focussed on the buds and centre flower. Can hardly see the grashopper, so with a bigger crop, he will probably be more prominent.
Yea bugs will do that. I was wondering what was in the middle of the flower. Maybe if you adjust the shadows a bit, or do selective adjustment on the bee, he will come out more. As for the grasshopper you might be able to clone him out. LOL. Great photo!
Bugs are often un-cooperative… Beautiful shot of the flowers and a great color contrast
I think that by cropping you can emphasize the flowers more. You can crop significantly at the right side and little on top as well. I would also crop or blur the cropped flowers at bottom.
Love the shot!! I love sunflowers.
Roseann: Great shot, the flower looks like it has a face where the bee is.
Photobomed, thats pretty funny. Nice clarity on your daisy, and the stems beside it. I like your choice of colors with the yellow, and the muted greens in the background.
Did not know that my jalapeños were getting so big https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8f3eb5c1c65cf85f1b273160e96fb54d0f37f2bfabef0c37f37f9febfbf7323f.jpg
Yep that is big. Great shot! Clear and sharp and composition is good.
Juan, that’s a big chili. Nice green colour. Unfortunately it disappears a bit in the leaves due to the colour.
Thanks Christian. Let me know what you think about the new post
Juan, much better. Personally I would lower a bit locally the highlicht on the leaf. Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/72094e84addd3435cd01d606b36b2e2b031d768156732cd4f4e344312e65d56c.jpg
Juan, you got it. Great result. Well done.
Hi Juan, I like this one the most. Now the chili is talking…hot. Well done.
Hi, this is better. Looks good enough to eat!
Looks great!
Good healthy looking plant. Nice use of different colored greens in there.
Yup that’s a big one for sure. What setting did you use here Juan? I’m thinking a wide open aperture so that shallow depth of field would be good to seperate your jalapeño for the background – especially because everything is green. Maybe even try macro photography. Also try to shade the area, or use a circular polarizing filter to get rid of the glare (hot spots) off the pepper. Well done. Brent
I used my Iphone X. Raw but was not able to change the aperture. I added a vignette on the following one https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8d5e54f2bac398ac424a1d0125fcf7a9ee2eb5cc4915b6674400b1b2c61105b7.jpg
Beautiful pepper! I would try to reshoot with a wide aperture…. and zoom in closer–also as Brent advised, us a polarizing filter.
Good luck!
I love the ‘green on green’….wish i had these in my garden….there is a little shiny spot…a polarizer will help with this.
Here’s another attempt at shooting an insect with a macro lens. This time I did use a tripod and I was surprised the fly stayed on the rose pedal long enough for me to setup and get the shot. Used my Nikon D5600 with 40mm macro lens,
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5ee047a3d36a7a8fa33ed5a7dbc80fc97a3e1a6d5dfce7f9a3f77d9086ebe13.jpg ISO 1000, f/9.0 @ 1/400.
Terrific shot Jim! You got the focus spot on with the head and eyes sharp, the fly positioned well, and everything else nicely soft. Sometimes the insects do linger that little bit longer to be helpful.
Wow this is just awesome. The fly is extremely sharp and composition is good. Great job!
Nice picture! The flecks of pollen and the small hairs on the fly are really sharp. I like the contrast of the red flower and the fly, even with the highlight a bit on the color of the eyes. Great shot
This is really good! The details in the fly’s face are amazing. The red flower is a nice compliment. Great job.
Jim, good picture. We can see the structure on the eyes of the fly. Nice DoF. Good composition. Well done.
I cant believe how much detail you achieved in the eye. Great work
Great shot Jim. The detail is amazing and you used the rule of thirds.
Great shot – the eyes are sharp and full of details. Beautiful colors.
So cool how you were able to capture the texture on the eyes…. Great job…..feels like he is just going to jump out at you! Love the composition and colours and everything about this! superb!
incredible to see these pesky things up close…..great shot!
Amazing, Incredible! Just wow. This is an masterpiece! The eyes are so sharp and the composition and color is awesome. Excellent work.
You nailed this one, Jim. Well done!
Great Macro shot ,its great to see the eyes up close with all the detail ,good job Jim .I tried some reverse lens macro a while back & shot some fun stuff .
Great Shot!!
Fabulously ugly fly! Great shot-color, texture, DOF. Very well done!
Great shot Jim – it helps with a tripod as long as the fly and rose don’t move (I have not been that lucky yet).Like that you have the fly’s eyes so dominant in your image, reflecting the reds off the rose petals. Excellent work. Brent
Great clarity on the fly’s face. I like how vibrant the petals are compared to the fly itself. It sets them both apart nicely.
I really like that this photo draws me into the space and causes me to pause and look around to figure out what exactly it is. Thought provoking.
Great shot! This just proves that even bugs and flies that are common are beautiful when enlarged and sharp.
Whoa! That is an ‘in-your-face’ shot. Love it. Amazing detail in the eyes. Great job, Jim.
Good evening everyone! It’s been thunder and rain here for a while where I live, not the greatest for pictures outside. That said, I caught this little guy (or gal) snacking on some of the apples in my back yard. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/da88801743f572baceec225f9eb3fd6d74b859f869c5b321dca3619828f550cc.jpg
Good morning Tony. Nice picture. You caught him by surprise. Bambi is quite boxed in the picture. Personally I would get more space at the left side (a bit) and the right side (a bit more). What are your settings?
One of the things I am struggling with is moving the photos from my camera to (and through) a post edit process that doesn’t leave me with a heap of photos in various states of edit. Somewhere along the way I think I lost the original raw file with the capture settings.
Tony, to loose your file you have to delete it: or directly on your pc or in Lightroom (or…). If you did perhaps you can still find it in your “recycle bin”. Unless you took action to empty it. Don’t you have backup of your files? What if your HD stucks?
One of my favorite subjects to photograph and you have captured him in the act! Good detail. Love it.
very nice job Tony.
Great capture with the apple in its mouse.
I agree with Christian regarding the space left and right.
I love the expression on his face. If you cropped a bit off the bottom and left more space on the right, I think you would like it better! Nice capture.
Nice, looks like he has to “oh no, I am caught look”. Nice and sharp and good catch light in the eye. Well balanced for color as well. If you cropped this little guy, then try resizing before cropping and maybe that will help you to keep more room on the edges. If you use photoshop, then just go up to image, resize and tell it to be 2000 pixels tall and see if that leaves you with more room. Nice work!
Thanks! I will give it another shot moving the pixels first.
Cool can’t wait to see how it turns out.
This is a great capture, Tony. Nice image.
Thank you!
Great shot, Tony! I love the look on his/her face. As for your note about the crop, I would first crop it the way you want it to look and then change the image size to fit the forum post specs before saving out a copy of the final image.
oh, I saw Barbara’s note too late… we were thinking along the same lines!
Thanks for that. I was struggling with getting the picture small enough meet the upload requirements. I will give it another shot that way.
Cute little Guy ,you wouldn’t mind it pinching an apple or two .nice capture & sharp photo Tony .
Awesome. Almost looks like you were playing catch. Great detail.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c27761250450a211a04da944c12770509d2d56f04dbc92db70735d0597883af.jpg Here is another try at the crop and loading. Turns out the original frame was pretty tight so there wasn’t much more room but I agree with all of you it needed to be adjusted.
Sweet little baby. Nice capture of the deer with the apple. I like the clarity of the deer and the foreground. I like the use of colors.
Thought I’d post my entire backyard. Staying on a very small island in Tonga (Vava’u) right now with very limited internet connection. Flew my drone yesterday and shot the whole island, at high tide with the sun out in the afternoon. Been rainy with rough seas today so glad I flew yesterday. Still no whale images but I did get into the water and see one, and then heard a whale singing on another occasion. Amazing experience. Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ac78b9f76e9c3c533ed57791a3a02b4c28489a4971478cb65cf563e7d9ceccb8.jpg P.S. I’ll jump in and comment on everyones images as soon as I get a chance (or a better connection).
Brent, nice island for cocooing. Beautiful colours in the water (polaroid filter?). Small enough for a daily walk or jogging :-)) Have fun with your whales. Well done.
Yes got an even tinier polarizing filter on the drone. It takes about 2 minutes to walk around the whole island. Lets hope I come away with at least one underwater whale image. Brent
Wow Brent. Great view.
What a great place and photo… Amazing colors and I love the boat in the corner with its shadow on the bottom – a great detail.
Ahhh, now that’s a nice looking backyard… especially when viewed from a cold spring day in Auckland!
We have a similar very small island in Cayman—on Little Cayman—but you cannot stay there! Just lovely, so too are the deep blues in the water. Where were you standing? Great shot!
Nice back yard you have there….! Awesome shot Brent….i love the perspective from the drones…..to me the drone has taken photography to another level….so to speak!
Wow great drone shot, and what a backyard. Your own little island so to speak. I love the composition, clarity and the beautiful blue ocean water. Love it.
Beautiful back yard and wonderful opportunity. Looking forward to the whale photos!!
I’m having a little envy right now with this backyard shot! …. Enjoy your stay. We look forward to seeing your whale photos soon.
I almost didn’t post it because I thought it might be bragging- but then I wanted to share a little too. Brent
Beautiful… can’t wait to see the whales in your backyard!
Beautiful colors! What a great place to stay. Would make it hard to go back home.
Really cool looking (little) Island,the water looks so crystal clear, I hope you get the shots your after with the Wales .
I’m trying – and enjoying the process. Brent
Fantastic backyard, Brent. Nice drone shot. Enjoy your swim with the whales.
Thanks – it’s been an amazing experience so far. Brent
I’d say “wish I was there” however I think that’s fairly obvious for most of us 😉
As a major introvert, the idea of spending time on that island sounds like heaven on earth. What a beautiful shot and a beautiful place to hang out. I have seen whales in Cabo San Lucas but hearing them sing will have to be added to my bucket list!
Yes that was really cool – hearing them sing. Yesterday was epic – we had a playful whale calf swim around us for ages. Brent
WOW Brent, way cool shot. Not much room for a golf course tho. Haha I love the different shades of blues in the water, It does look very inviting. Nice shot with your drone.
Any higher tide and you may not have an island! :). What a beautiful spot to work from. Beautiful image! I love how the little boat really shows the viewer how small we really are compared to the vastness of the sea.
Nice. I love the crystal clear water. I hope you get to “shoot” some whales. I was out “whale watching” a few years ago and was so disappointed not to see a single majestic creature rise out of the water. Do you hope to get underwater shots?
The colour of the water is amazing. So clear. Love it.
Alright so I went outside today and looked real hard for something to shoot. Finally ran across some butterflies, which were hard to capture since they wouldn’t sit still. I used our new Nikon Coolpix P1000 to get the shot. The settings were, F/5, 1.250 sec, ISO 100, 117mm. This is a Variegated Fritillary butterfly found in the D.C area. Though I found him on the Eastern shore of Maryland which my home is directly across the Chesapeake bay from D.C. so I think they come to visit sometimes. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/652246cd78fa3c286e8f65015ee726531eb947db1453f5eaf0f9b9bd8b23ce75.jpg
Hi Barbara. It’s a beautiful find in your backyard. The butterfly is sharply focused and the color is a nice contrast to the greens. Great shot.
Thank you
Really well done! I like the detail and the golden color next to the green.
Thanks
Barbara, nice picture. Beautiful colours. Nice to see the detail on the butterfly. Well done.
Thank you
These are so hard to capture….and you did in perfect focus! Well done, Barbara!
Thank you. I spent quite a bit of time chasing them and taking photos. This was the best one of the bunch.
Thank you very much
Very pretty butterfly & nicely taken clean shot Barbara .
Thank you
Nice Barbara. I hate chasing the butterflies around, they always win.
Thanks
Great capture – I can just imagine how much patience you needed to get this shot! Well done!
Thank you. Yea it took a bit and several shots to get the right one.
Beautiful! Great detail. I like the space you left for him/her to fly into.
Thank you
Very nice Barbara, I really like how the butterfly stands out from the greens of the plants. Nice clarity of the butterfly.
Thank you
Wow. This is such a great capture, Barbara. Well done.
Thank you
Thank you
You nailed the focus with this one, Barbara, and got it with the wings open!
Thank you
It was a nice sunny day today so i went on the hunt https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b6ba449b8384f7f8c4b6a9f7787a75cb00f24553608514f92623eaea4e2a112e.jpg for a bee ,i found this one on this succulent in my garden .Sony A77 , sony 16-105mm , 1/320 , A/P , f5.6 , iso100 , @105mm .
Great shot – extremely well focused!
Thank you Sig glad you liked it.
lovely photo of bee, nice and sharp and capture of the wings
well done.
Thanks for looking & your feedback John.
Lovely shot. Great DOF.
Thank you Sara
Peter, very nice picture. There is much detail on the body and the wings. Lovely coloured touch with the flower. Well done.
Thanks so much christian
Great shot Peter. Good sharp detail on the bee and in this case the composition with it centred works well for me.
Thank You for taking interest & your comments Rodney
Well done Peter. I really like the level of detail, especially in the wings when I zoomed in. The red flower really lets the bee stand out from the green background.
Thank you for your feedback Steven
Successful hunt, Peter. The bee is sharply focused and the image is nicely composed. Great job.
Thank you very much Romy
Really good photo. Great detail on the bee, nice composition and DOF. Nicely done.
Thank you for your comments Valerie .
Did you struggle as much as I did? Great capture, contrast and colours. Brent
Thanks Brent ,It went on about 6 flowers before I got him
Great photo Peter. Love the clarity on the bee and the rich colors. j
Thanks so much Jeff
Great shot Peter – the bee’s super sharp and I like the choice of a portrait orientation.
Thank you very much ,Tessa
Beautiful, so sharp! Great capture!
Thank you chris
Super shot ! Perfect focus on the bee and very good composition. Maybe reduce a little bit contrast in the greens and add vignetting. Great job!
It has been cloudy and rainy. I have a “fairy garden” in the front yard. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/42fd0913ecad899139a86c894bfe10e177fd69f0b36a4f308299fdd04e436f97.jpg
Hi Pamela – I like your composition and the contrasting colours. However, you may wish to take a look at the focus of the photo, especially the focus on the gnome. Since this is a static scene, you should be able to re-shoot the image.
Thank you, I agree. But I have a new camera and we are at odds.
I love it! My Nana always talked about the Nisse Men, gnomes from Norway. The focus is fairly soft on the gnome, it is not aways easy to focus with the fronds around the figure.
Thank you Sara. I have 2 homes among the rest of the gardern.
what a great little gnome , Maybe if you had moved a little to the right you would have got a clean shot at his face for better focus ,still a fun shot.
Thank you.
Like how your fairy’s red peak sticks out of the rest of the garden but I think the focus is off here – looks like your camera has pre-focused on the leaves in front of you main point of interest. To get over this choose a single focus point in your camera and make sure that’s over the fairies face. I do like your composition and shallow depth of field too. Brent
Thank you. I had to get a new camera and we are still at odds. It was suggested that I move a little to the right. Will try that.
That’s pretty funny. The red of his hat adds a nice contrast to all that green.
Thank you.
I came across a photobook showing an Australian ‘Rat of Tobruk’ ( WW2 1941, western desert) photographer next to his camera,
so I am showing the modern camera over the old.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3ca1452aa38d89efd9c2b0122a4747dd2cbd3252ea09417514ad4b6723037eae.jpg
John, great to see the evolution. At that time it was labour… Good creative picture. What are your settings?
Thanks Christian, for reminding me of my error. now corrected
Box Camera ,it looks like a beer carton with a lens in it ,wow fancy running around with that over your shoulder .good to see the difference from then to now ,Thanks John .on another note I have a lot of original photos from actual battles between ships & aircraft from my dad in the war & his Pull down front bellows camera he had from new .
Thanks Peter, sounds like you have real treasures.
Great creative shot! It sure is interesting to see how far we have come with photographic technology.
It certainly does, I still have my fathers old box camera.
Super creative photo. I love the story it tells. Nice job.
Thanks Valerie
This is so cool John. Well thought out and interesting like a photo you would see in National Geo magazine.
Thanks for that Derby
creative composition John
Thankyou Juan
I bet that camera man would have loved the ease and lightweight of your camera compared to that big thing he’s hauling around. I like the idea of the comparison tho. Its a great story on how far camera gear has come.
Thanks Jeff
So creative and well shot.
Thankyou Kerrie
Reflections in our bird bath, shot with Sony Alpha 7ii full frame camera – 191 mm, 1/125, f6.3 and ISO 1600 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28d35d89000d4f7b773cc2a0b36908584c52e96fadde99c49813fefb6c8b270e.jpg
Sig, nice picture. You have a creative POV. Great contrast in the water of the leaves and the sky. Nice coloured background. Personally I would give more space at the left to have the bath in full view. An alternative way could be to zoom in and have cropped that bath at both sides. Well done.
Hi Christian, Thanks for your comments and suggestions! I do agree with your assessment. I could re-shoot the image, but I’m now onto other things. So instead I have cropped the image on the RHS. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/48afd84957c3d2680b9b0e51c6c831e66f6add3feabbd3a221656fe90573a4ed.jpg
I really like how you captured the reflection in the water so clear, that’s a great idea.
Thanks Jeff!
Brilliant and creative idea. I think that this version is better. Great work Sig
Hi Sig. Very creative. Well done
Thanks Romy!
Lovely image! Great perspective.
Thanks Sara!
Nice Image! I really like how you have captured the reflections.
Thank you Valerie!
This image rocks Sig! So creative – and you pulled it off beautifully with that shallow depth of field. Great work. Brent
Thanks Brent – much appreciated!
Brilliant work
An interesting shot Sig! Love the way you’ve managed to get just the reflection sharp.
Thanks Tessa! This was just an on the spur of the moment shot – not carefully planned.
Really pretty, so serene. Love the reflections.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4cd7d8379a0f0b449a093c01bdcffdedf20c9a3c0e403bab6a7903f50754c578.jpg
Here is a shot of one of the flowers in my garden. I have two of these plants, I can’t remember what the name is. I was happy they grew and bloomed this year as they were pretty scraggy when I bought them last year. ISO 200, 300mm, f/6.3, 1/13.
Sara, very nice flowers. Lovely colours with a great contrast between the flowers and their petals. Nice blurry background. Personally I would give the flowers the focus instead of those petals.
Christian thank you for your feedback.
they look like chocky biscuits in the middle ,i have not seen this flower before but i bet they are lovely in full bloom .Nice & crisp shot Sara
Peter, thank you. I will have to go back to the nursery where I bought them to find out the name.
Love this image, Sara. Nicely focused and good composition. Well done Sara.
Thank you.
Just lovely – great composition!
Sig, thank you so much.
Love the colors and the composition. Nice photo.
Thank you.
I love macro photography. I see so many great shots of flowers and bugs! The colors in this are beautiful. I love the centers of the flowers. Very nice job.
Kathy thank you.
The colors are awesome!
Thank you Tony.
Beautiful Sara! You really captured some wonderful fall/autumn colors, too. This one should be framed for fine art on your wall.
Deby, thank you. I am thinking about putting it on canvas or maybe metal.
Yes! Absolutely!!!!
I just love these colours, Sarah. Beautiful composition, and great separation from the background. I’d love to know what species they are!
They are a version of Helenium, Mariachi Salsa. I just looked it up on Google. They are a perennial in Zone 4 in Minnesota. Thank you.
Thanks Sarah, I’ll look into whether I can buy and grow them here. It’s a beautiful plant.
Great colors and composition! Did you take this photo handheld? If so, I wonder if you could retake the photo using a tripod. The use of a tripod might allow you to get a tack sharp focus on the one of the centers of the flowers. Please keep in mind, my eye sight isn’t perfect, so if these are as sharp as you want them, then no problem. I really like the photo. Great work!
I think this might have been tripod or handheld. I can’t remember. I know there was some wind regardless. Thank you for your comments.
Your welcome. Yea wind can do it too. It sill a great shot, just some suggestions for you.
Agree I think a faster shutter speed would help with sharpness especially at 300mm @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus
Great vibrant colors Sara. I liked how you singled out the three flower heads instead of a whole bunch of them. Nice work.
Jeff thank you.
what a stunning mixture of oranges and yellows and the framing is spot on
I agree a tack sharp centres would have been super
And I think they (or one of them) would make for a brilliant black and white image
Great color mix on these flowers, looking nice – nice picture
Great capture, very fall like. Beautiful colors.
Great colors and DOF Sara. Well done beautiful image
Caught this moonflower in my back yard, just opened as the light began to fade. I blurred the background a bit in Photoshop, as even at my maximum aperture, too many of the nearby leaves were sharp and distracting. Canon 6D, EF 70-200 lens @ 125 mm, 1/30 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1000. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e98f7389daf40ab9537b3a441edb0deeee6661794e0b278626e8df2d7985728.jpg
Really nice shot ,tack sharp & the grain in the petals are so clear, great shot Steven
Beautiful, almost ethereal! I can’t decide if I would like to see it lightened a bit or not. Very well done.
Nice contrast between the dark background and white flower. Good detail in the flower.
Fabulous – all the tones and textures of the flower come through, including the subtle colour nuances! The contrast with the background is great. Also, I prefer exposures to be slightly on the dark side, so I think this is perfect.
Thanks Sig. I liked the contrast between the white flower and the dark background as well.
Great shot. I love the texture in the leaves of the moon flower! I see these flowers in my “backyard” in Florida and I didn’t know what they were!
Very nice image , Steven. The flower is sharply focused and stands out against the dark background.
Well done.
This is a great shot. A few suggestions to help make it even better. With the dark bottom you should be able to add a little more space at the bottom. Also I think if you cropped a little from the top and the right it would help the viewer focus on the flower more. Lastly, I would bring the shadows up on the flower and brighten the flower up a little more. I understand that it was getting dark out, but in post processing we can make those adjustments. Either way this is a nice shot. Just my opinion on some things I might do to bring it out a bit more.
Agree
Brent and Barbara, thanks for the suggestions. I tried to combine all of your recommendations into a new edit and this is the result. I had not cropped much from the bottom, so could only add a small amount of space below the flower. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a061025da3becaf5afa3fb6a5eb37ff10858a31d827729539ac96dd76f4ecd35.jpg
This is awesome. Glad you were able to make the adjustments. Nice job. The flower is brighter and whiter and has room to breath. Lovely!
Hmm
Nice composition and the flower is superb in it’s simplicity.
Can I have the lighter flower with the darker background?
This version is great Steven. Lightening the flower helps to bring out the detail and the slightly lighter background adds a little more interesting without being distracting. Great job.
Like how you’ve composed your flower near the bottom left, and how it jumps out against that darker background. It’s super sharp too. My suggestion is the lighten your image overall and apply some kind of noise smoothing filter in Lightroom (colour noise). Brent
How pretty, I really like the white against the darker greens in the background. I also like how you didn’t center the white flower, but left it in the lower third of the frame.
This is my second submission for this challenge. Funny thing about this is my tiny back yard was host to 7 deer, so I had lots of subjects to practice with. Nikon 3400, 70-300 lens @260, 1/640, F/6.0, ISO 800. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9783f1662b44f9b07a4a9af40f663a334b45c903dd7e210522693cc2f739012f.jpg
Very nice shot, Tony. Great detail in the deer; I especially like the texture in the folds of skin around the neck. Well done.
Thank you!
Very cool! Great detail. He looks very intense.
Thank you, I found that I could kind of change his character by manipulating the darks in the photo. The more I brought up the highlights the more his face lightened up and almost changed his character completely. When I went the other way he looked almost evil. Kinda fun to mess around with.
Wow I love it. Great detail in the deer’s coat, face and horns. Almost looks like a garden statue…
Thanks!
Honestly I thought this was a lawn ornament. This is a fantastic shot. Plus a beautiful set of antlers. I am surprised you could get this close. Was it shot through a window? I have a friend who gets deer in his backyard but I’ve never been able to get outside to take a shot without the deer running away. Nice job.
Thank you! We have quite a few deer roaming around in our neighborhood. It’s not unusual to see one or two every day. I opened the gate to our back yard so they would come in and eat the apples that fell on the ground. I took my time an moved slow, I think they were generally comfortable around people having lived in the neighborhood, and after a few concerning looks didn’t really care about me being there. So I got about 20 or so feet from this guy. There were three others bedded down around him in different parts of the yard too. He was the biggest.
Awesome Capture ,super fine clarity blown up & all round great shot ,well done Tony.
Thank you!
Hi Tony. Indeed you are very lucky to have deers in your backyard. They are very nice to photograph. This image is great with the deer posing for you. Very nice composition and sharp focus. Well done.
Tony, very good portait. Good framing. Well done.
Lucky you! This buck is very sharp. Great textures and the composition is nice. He looks so relaxed in your backyard. Nice Job!
great shot Tony
Great capture Tony – your focus is so sharp with enough depth of field (at f/6) to keep the deer’s head in focus but blur the background. I like how you’ve shot this in portrait orientation too. Something to try in post is to darken those green bushes in the background that are catching the sun (reduce highlights) and lighten the deers face/neck a little more so that it pops more. Brent
Holy cow, what a great photo Tony. Great clarity on the whole deer. I like how the deers face is in the middle of the frame and not off to the side. Well done.
What a beautiful subject and image! I agree with the comments that some adjustments to the image to make the deer more of a focal point would really give it the extra Wow factor.
Classic photo
Sweet shot Tony. I wish I had a backyard host to such wildlife! I hope you don’t attempt to grow a garden. 🙂 I really like the separation of the subject against the background.
Great shot Tony, with wonderful sharp detail on the deer’s head.
Nice Shoot – the details are great and the look at the face – just thinking.
Great shot! He certainly looks like he’s made himself at home. What a beautiful animal.
Wonderful shot of this beautiful creature. Love the sharpness of the deer and the DOF. Well done
What a beautiful shot. Would darken a little bit more the foliage and maybe highlight a little the deer head. I love the composition and portrait mode. Great job.
I am still practicing with my macro lens and experimenting with settings to try to get an anticipated result. Needless to say it is still a work in progress. These two Yellow Jackets were invading the bird house on my deck. 1/800sec, F6.3, ISO 1800, 90mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d2c72403b3b4c91ece5cf5e5b36db4a5706820c31da6a862efa0e83d6bbad6fe.jpg
They look ready to wage war! Great detail and texture. Wonderful job.
Thank you Sara.
They look evil! Great capture. Amazing shot of the yellow jackets.
Thanks Kathy.
Nice shot ,I love these wasps they look like super heros or villains ?, good focus & crisp shot, nice one Valerie
Thank you Peter.
Wow, just wow. Down to the details of their eyes, I think you nailed this one.
P.s. how did you do the watermark signature in your photo?
Tony – watermarks are pretty easy to do – google “watermark photoshop” or watermark whatever your post processing software is and you’ll get heaps of hits
Appreciate the comments Tony. When exporting the photo in Lightroom there is an option to add a graphic to the shot. It allows you to customize or pick something you have saved already. I just set it up to be part of my standard export. Pretty easy to do.
What an amazing shoT! Great capture, composition and posing on these little guys. Nice!
Thanks Deby.
Great photo – nice focus on their heads. A menacing pose
The positioning and the framing make me wonder whether there are more of the blighters waiting in the dark depths
They look to be something I’d not want in my backyard!
Yeah – “menacing pose” for sure
Thanks Nick, they are very pesky and I am sure there are more of them lurking around.
Amazing job with your macro lens Valerie. Focus spot on. Well done !
Thank you.
Valerie, you have positioned the camera well to get both faces sharp and within the shallow zone of focus. Great shot.
Thank you Rodney.
Valerie, I love your composition, colours, the sharp faces and that dark background. I would be tempted to crop a tad from the right to balance out the arc of the timber and the black space. Really well done.
Thanks Kerrie I appreciate the feedback and suggestions.
Valerie, you have a great picture. Nice to see 2 wasps with their beautiful colourful bodies. Good composition. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
This is an awesome shot. They are very sharp and the color is spectacular. Keep practicing with the macro because you are doing an excellent job at it.
Thank you Barbara.
This shot rock Valerie!!! Those “danger” colours against the blacks and browns really make these pop. Like how you’ve composed this image too. My only advice is a little noise reduction in post. Brent
Thanks Brent. I will pay more attention to the noise reduction and I appreciate the advice.
I think you did a great job on your photo Valerie. You have nice clarity on the Yellow Jackets, and I like the contrasting colors you chose. Keep up the practice but I think you’ve got it already.
Thanks Jeff.
Great contrast and textures. A beautiful image Valerie.
I have to get myself a macro lens.
Thanks Andrew. I have had a hard time getting use to the lens and this challenge has pushed me to keep at it. After working with it for awhile I will tell you that you would probably enjoy a macro lens!
Ok Valerie. I decided to catch up wit the rest of you and today ordered a macro lens. It won’t arrive however in time for this challenge unfortunately.
Wow! I love the detail of the yellow jackets! Great image! I’d say you’re getting pretty fantastic results with the macro lens.
Thanks Amber for the really nice comments.
The best shot of the Backyard Challenge. I love the stark contrast of yellow jackets against the black and the rough wood texture. A WINNER.
Derry I appreciate your comments. Thanks so much.
Great capture Valerie – super composition!
Thanks Tessa.
IT is a really great picture of he yellow Jackets – they scare me. – Well done
Thank you!
Wow, what a great shot. Love the way you cropped it. I try to respect all of nature but these guys are scary looking even in a picture.
Thanks Chris.
Wow, that is a great captue Valerie. Wonderful composition and depth, great details
Thank you Erez.
Eeewww… look at those amazing eyes!. Simply excellent, Valerie. I like photographing insects, but would have run a mile from these guys…too many stings over the years.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/29996770d79a4eba8729c31b301dba4b161dfa3dd3fd82cdfd3a90d638ea42fe.jpg
I was outside trying to capture small insects on a flower and instead took this photo of the spike on a blade of grass. The flowers in the background created a nice bokeh for the spike. ISO 800, f8.0, SS 1500 at 350 mm.
This is really a nice capture, sharp and great colour, well done
Great job! It is a little windy here or I might have a couple pictures like this. Love the colors!
I live in North Dakota and the wind drives me nuts! I did read one piece of advice if you are trying to capture a flower and it is breezy, use a clothes pin to attach it so other stems, or even a stake to stop the flower from moving in the breeze! I haven’t tried it yet.
Great piece of advice!
I like this photo simple subject with a lot of detail. Your focus is spot on and the bokeh helps the poi
I wondered whether it would work better if the 2nd half of the spike was parallel to the frame rather than the 1st half
And thanks for the tip on the cloths peg!
Kathy, the lovely smooth bokeh in the background really helps make this a great photo.
Beautiful focus in this image Kathy. Nice picture. Great job.
Kathy, this is a great picture. Beautiful colours. Very nice background with the bokeh effect. Well done.
Great work! Very sharp picture. The bokeh really helps the spike pop in the photo.
Kathy very nice and simple picture. I like the Bokeh your lens created
Blade of grass – wow, never would have guessed. Yes for me its that beautiful bokeh and colours in the background and then the tack-sharp focus on the spike that make this an excellent shot. I also like that above is darker than below, somewhat confusing my mind. Brent
Very nicely done. Clean photo with good clarity on the spike. I like the blurred colors in the background.
I love this – the colours, the texture and the bokeh -fabulous!
I love the muted colours in this image. You’ve captured such awesome detail in the grass flower stalk, and really great Bokeh. Great image Kathy.
Great detail in the grass. The bokeh is like tiny lights in the background. Very nice. It’s amazing what you find to photograph when you just get out and walk around. Love it.
These challenges have really made me think and look outside the box. While I was planning on taking a photo of a flower, this blade of grass caught my eye. It was a last second shot and turned out better than any of the photographs of flowers!
I love this shot Kathy. It really caught my eye as I was scrolling down through the discussions to catch up with what I’ve missed over the past few days. Beautiful soft colours and great bokeh.
Lovely sharp shot & with the colors in the background the subject stand out nicely ,nice one Kathy .
Lovely shot Kathy. Beautiful light and boke. Well composed image. Beautiful
Wanted to go for a fine art shot from my backyard…..this one is called ‘Meadow Land’ – it is a macro shot…..the question is….What am I?…..HINT: it grows on a tree! 1/2000 sec. f/4 90 mm ISO100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5d40ef16dcc678eeb6ed575c74c7bc1eb9ca0b65de62a72a4fb2051a48e82af8.jpg
Really cool perspective!
Thanks Tony!
Great effect. Looks like a painting. Well done.
Thanks Sara!
Very interesting and unusual. When I’ve tried for this style of photo I’ve tried to get every ‘hair’ in focus and haven’t been able to and have been disappointed, I can see I’ll have to revisit what I’m trying to achieve. Cool photo
At first I thought “she’s growing bean sprouts”
Callistemon?
Absolutely right! Winner….:)
I’ll send my address for the prize
Very creative…I really like the wide crop of this image Rerro. I think Nick is right with Callistemon!
Thanks Kerrie…and correct….the humble bottle brush!
Great imagination and creativity Christine. Amazing macro shot and composition. Excellent decision to post it in black and white. Well done !
P.S. with your creativity and imagination I would not be surprised if you post photo of a garbage dump or nose hairs and still make the image look interesting.
hahahahahaha….nose hairs! Hmmmm……watch this space!
Thanks so much Romy!
Really? Will look forward to it, hahaha.
Nooooo!!!!
Christine, you used a creative way of showing a detail of something we use but don’t pay attention of. Well done.
Thanks Christian….much appreciated!
Not sure what it is, but I really do like the fine art look. Great job and the black and white image really makes it pop. The way you cropped the picture is just right for this kind of shot. Nice work as usual!
Thanks so much Barbara – this is the red bottle brush tree – called Callistemon. I focused on the bottle brush for this image.
Its a cool shot. Never heard of a Callisemon before. Thanks for sharing.
Rerro
very creative
Thanks Juan 🙂
Love your fine art photography Christine and this one is great too. Took me a while to figure it out, had to read everyone’s comments. Super creative. Brent
Thanks so much Brent!
Rerro, Very nicely done. I like that you left room from the middle of the photo going upward, It creates a nice space the the flower things to grow into. Well done.
Thanks Jeff….yes….purposely left the negative space for that exact reason and to simplify the image. 🙂
Very nice shot. I had no idea what it was but thought it looked like the tops of grain beginning to grow. The black and white gives it an abstract feel. Super creativity!
Thanks Valerie 🙂
Clever shot Rerro!
Thanks Tessa 🙂
Hi Christine. Very clever use of your surroundings. Good use of B/W. Like it.
Thanks Denis….welcome back!
Creative and smart idea Christine. Great in B&W – creates a simple and interesting image that I keep returning too. Just love it.
Thanks so much Erez!
I found one of these trees during my recent trip to San Diego. Lovely whatever way one sees the blooms. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8644ffc0ad80b1ac14e47ed4e3b069dcd83ea0d1888f8497a3b8af8046c6eea3.jpg
Fantastic….they are truly beautiful….and the parrots love them!
Rerro, You definitely have a fine art shot here and I really like it. However, I’m a bit puzzled with the title ‘Meadow Land’ and the hint “grows on a tree”. A color rendition with some sense of scale would be helpful for identifying it, but with my sense of a 90 mm macro lens and my husband’s plant knowledge, we’re guessing that it could be a the fruiting bodies of a lichen or a fungus. If I’m wrong I won’t be embarrassed for guessing … I’m wrong about many things.
Thanks Richard 🙂
Very cool, Christine. Before I read the notes, I thought this might be moss. I like the way you used B&W to highlight the structure of the blossom.
Thanks Judy 🙂
Coachwhip at Dawn. Caught this beautiful pre-dawn moment from my back porch, and thought the juxtaposition of the soft clouds (shot wide open at f/1.8) with the Ocotillo spines was particularly striking. Shot at f/1.8 for short DOF to create an abstract-looking background, and to allow for the still-dark conditions. ISO 100, 35mm, 1/600 because the wind was shaking the stem of the Ocotillo.
The Ocotillo is popularly known as the “Devil’s Coachwhip” due to its vicious-looking spines. Interestingly, the Ocotillo is not a cactus, although it is often referred to as such. Instead it is a woody shrub and these stems will leaf out for a few days if it gets any water.
If I had anything to change, I would have tried to shine a flashlight to “light paint” the plant. However, the windy conditions made a long exposure impossible.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d22e007e5beec8900db49f2f415a3907d87b75b7c48a107f5c1dc00f18742b3.jpg
Fabulous shot Bill….love the melting pot of colours in the sky…..such a great contrast with the sharpness of the Devil’s Coachwhip! well done 🙂
Simplicity and beauty. The stem is so sharp against those dreamy clouds. Wow. Love it, Bill.
Great shot Bill. I am pretty sure that if you would have shot it from the top down , it would not have done the trick.
Very well done, love the use of the colors.
Amazing!! I love the sharp ocotillo against that soft dawn sky (I’m not a morning person so I miss that blue/golden hour)
Love the colors in the sky, just beautiful! Very well done.
Great
I at first thought the out of focus background was not good. But it enhances the image and the starkness of the coachwip
well done
Bill, great abstract coloured sky. It has an amazing effect. Dramatic contrast between the soft sky with the sharp spines. Well done.
Amazing sky Bill! I love the contrast between the soft but brightly-coloured sky and the sharp thorns. I think the silhouette actually helps this effect.
Great photo Bill, love the sky and the colors along with the thorns in the foreground. Nice focus on the thorns. Well done.
WOW! This is a beautiful image. Sharp but like a water color. I love the colors. Great capture!
Beautiful image and a great mood. Very well done
Bill, I love the silhouette of the Ocotillo against the beautifuly blurred colors in the background sky. It looks like a painting. Very nice work.
Dark & sharp vs vibrant and soft. Love the use of contrasts here, Bill. Beautiful image.
The images here have been amazing and my congratulations to everyone for taking time to find interesting things in the backyard. We don’t have to go far to find something to photograph. Here I am still posting dirt/soil although I have my flower garden wherein I am sure I can easily find something beautiful. So here is a pile of dirt/soil barely 4 meters high that has not been removed yet. Some weeds have already started to grow. I took the shot with the camera at near base level of the pile pointing up using the sky as background. The bush at the top is just about 1 meter high. By the way, it was very windy and dusty I may have caught some dust in my lens so if I missed a spot during spot removal, my apologies. ISO 125, 57mm, F11, 1/60s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/15bbd9f50447f869e35eca441daa46f113bf1d61c5493f0ff6ce54247033e04e.jpg
The colors are nice. Interesting perspective.
Thanks Sara.
Romy
I like the contrast of the land and the sky. did you try taking the picture of the tree against the sky to see what you get?
Thank you Juan.
If I had not read your comments I would have thought this was a mountain scene. You have done a really good job with your efforts and the contrasting colors against the sky are nice.
Thanks so much Valerie.
It is interesting what a creative perspective and framing can make us think we know what we are looking at. At first glance a mountain with a huge tree in your back yard, as Valerie said. Nice shot of more of your ‘dirt’.
Many thanks Rodney.
Romy, this picture has a special effect with that lonely bush on a very bare ground.Nice colours. Good contrast of the green with the sky and the brown of the earth.
Thank you so much Christian.
Hi Rev. Good use of your surroundings. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Nice contrast of colors. I like the green in the foreground along with the different shades of blue. Nicely done.
Many thanks, Jeff.
The ridges and clouds all point to the lonely bush on top – it is a great image Romy. Love it
Thank you, Erez. Glad you like it.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b92fca7befa459d10783b124df353fe72e2bb7bf8c5c01ac7913a0e3acde938.jpg
A bit late to the party…It’s been that kind of month.
This shot turned out to be a happy accident. I was working with a new macro lens attachment trying to capture this spider on it’s web while windy. Needless to say none of the shots turned out. Until, I tried a different angle and ended up with a set of images that reminded me of an x-ray. I brought the image into LR and began tweaking it to create a more abstract piece. Though I’m not a fan of spiders I’m actually really happy with this series.
Unfortunately, my settings were not captured in the metadata of the image.
I am not a fan of spiders either, this is a cool version. Otherworldly and creepy.
Very interesting image
and well done for thinking outside the frame(?)
would be interesting on a T-shirt
Thanks Nick! I think it would be interesting on anything. :).
Your post processing really did make it look abstract. Very creative.
Thank You Valerie!
What an awesome “happy accident ” this one was!! I don’t know how you managed to do this, but it’s really impressive. Great image, Amber.
Kerrie, I’m not 100% sure how I managed to do it either! I’m glad you like it. I wasn’t sure how it would be received.
Cool photo. It looks like something out of a scary movie.
Thank you Jeff! It does have a haunting quality about it.
There is nothing like these happy accidents – often obtain the coolest results. Cool “movie like” image.
Thank you Erez! Sometimes it’s not the shots we intended that give us some of the most interesting results.
Creepy! The result was totally worth exploring all those tools in LR. Great result, Amber.
lol…Thank You Judy! I had some fun with it for sure.
Fall is starting here in New Jersey and we’ve continued to have rainy, dreary days but are grateful Hurricane Florence hasn’t hit us (yet; next week just the remnants). I wanted to convey that fall feeling as my roses begin to wither. Nikon D5300; 1/80; f/4.8; ISO 400; 44mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5656bfcbcf2c02b9562e368d98666963f84b923c3596da79c9e48e3e8ccad3bb.jpg
Nice picture Leila. We usually like to shoot the beauty in flowers but I like the way you capture this stage. I would try to crop it to make the flower the entire frame to see how it would look.
Interesting photo depicting past majesty
I’d prefer it if more of the flower was in tack sharp focus
good luck with the weather
Funny how you pass by things that turn out to be interesting photos. Nice job.
Still a beautiful flower, even though it is not in it’s peak. Great composition. Well done.
So sad . . . 🙁 Yes, winter is coming but with it a new beauty!
Leila, nice colours. Personally I would have got the middle of the flower sharp. Good composition.
thanks, Christian. I think my mind was on the hole in the petal as a way of emphasizing the dying rose. Also, this flower was way above my height so I held the camera up and hoped. I’d like the whole flower to be much clearer.
I hope the remnants of Hurricane Florence doesn’t affect you. I survived Hurricane Irma with little damage. My flowers are fading as well.
Hi Leila. Nice capture of a fading Rose. Well done.
First of all, stay safe with the hurricane. Great background blur with emphasis on the flower up front. I like the rain drops on the leaf stems.
FROM MY BACK PORCH.
SHOULD HAVE USED A FASTR SPEED SETTING.F/8,1/400, 400MM ISO400
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a516b18b84a3c47a9d519a90cf78f07fc7875cc7113d1035df6afb7229f6fc71.jpg
Norm, I like the shutter speed you used. It nicely captures and shows the movement of the club and ball, while fast enough to keep everything else still. Good shot. (How did the the golfers shot end up ?)
Nice capture – and I like the blurred ball and stick, shows movement and not a posed shot
Well done Norm. I also like the motion of the club.
I like the motion blur too. I’d say that the shutter speed was just fine!
Great motion shot. Well done Norm.
Nice shot Norm. Ever think about selling the golfers their in action photo? Good job capturing the motion of club and ball.
Hi Norm. Good shot. I think you got the balance right. well done.
I also like the blur showing the movement. If anything I would slow down the shutter speed even more to show the arc of the club just a little more.
Lots of nice colors in your photo Norm. I like your idea of capturing golfers during their swing. It would make a funny book eventually.
I like the motion blur here – it suits the scene. Great action shot Norm.
Back yards are for kids. I am back in Canada right now visiting my six grandchildren. September birthday celebrations today for three of these amazing little people, one, three and five years old! Blowing bubbles is the best! F/4.5,1/1000, 32MM ISO400
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db796e49bba6d7ed811c3eee764289020724f18acc3d5b7ccd7f25963e0d4600.jpg
great photo
the main man is in focus and looks to be totally involved with the bubble blowing exercise
if you could tone down the background a bit he would stand out more
Nick, thanks for the tip. I looked at the image again and agree with you, although I wonder what you mean tone down the background. (Haha! As a kid I was told to tone it done in the background a lot!) I lowered the exposure in the background and lightened my grandson and the bubble a bit. What do you think?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/50462319ed28d6fa6f6fa0f76e0ba210e2404050481f88bde1c77b56d5441f34.jpg
And with Tesa’s suggestion, here I have de-saturated the background a bit. What are your thoughts? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9ec7391fb447f8e84dd90096b4c4bf4a90b80011b322616aca1dfa3ea632aa4c.jpg
This is the better version. Now the bacground does not compete with the subject for attention. Well done Derryl.
Hi Darryl. Good work here. You have improved on a good original. Well done.
Hi Derryl. Yes, I think I prefer this version.
Great image Derryl. I started to write a similar remark when I noticed that you already created this version. The original is good too, but I think that this is the best one.
Yep – no question here that your grandson and his bubble are the stars of this this show.
Lovely capture, I would like to see the background blurred a lot more
so the child and the bubble become more focused, still a great image.
Ah, now what did I mean?
At the moment it detracts from the lad, inmo it’s distracting, though it does add a bit of context.
I think I initially thought desaturating as Tessa suggests but on further reflection I think the background needs further blurring – use a gaussian blur perhaps.
I like what you have done to lighten your grandson
Derryl, very nice picture. Great to see the concentration of the kid on the mystic bubble blower without looking at the soap bubble as the result. Good composition. Well done.
Haha! I just hear him thinking . . . how did that happen!?
Beautiful capture, Derryl. Really nice use of DoF,- the little boy and the bubble are perfectly in focus. The reflections in the bubble especially his face, are just awesome!
Thank you Kerrie. It is tough to get these little ones to stand still long enough for a portrait! Pretty much like the butterflies in my first entry to this challenge!
Great shot of a young man concentrating on his “craft”!
Haha. I like the term “craft”. The art of the perfect bubble. If only they would last longer that a few seconds! That is the “craft” of the photographer . . . to preserve his perfect work!
Beautiful shot. It makes me want to go out and purchase bubbles! I love the colors in the bubble. Nice photo.
Thanks Kathy, truely a fun activity with kids!
Lovely shot Derryl! I love the expression on his face and the way you’ve captured him in profile and the colours on the bubble are great. DoF is super, getting both boy and bubble sharp with background blur. I agree with Nick that toning down the background (perhaps desaturating a little?) would reduce distractions. Still a wonderful picture.
Thanks Tessa, take a look at the edits under Nick’s comments. What are your thoughts?
Great Shot, and the little child is so focus on blowing the next bubble – just amazing.
Great shot Derryl. Nicely composed.
Darryl I like all three versions. Good capture of both the boy and the bubble.
Cool photo I love the bubble focus it’s so crisp. Good job.
Hi Darryl. Like this one. Good capture and composition. Well done.
Great photo Derryl. Nice focus on the child and the bubble. I like the intense look on his face. Great colors in your photo.
Great photo! That bubble is so clear! I love it.
Derryl, This is a great photo … one for the child’s scrapbook. I love how you have captured his very serious expression and the perfect bubble.
I tried for a night time shot this time, I used the torch on my phone to sidelight Buddha in my back yard. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07a37387259724e7a59d0562d4f78d4dfa84df47c9f3009afb8d279d58d9784b.jpg
5 sec f4 ISO 160 @55mm
I like this a lot – fabulous shadows!
Thanks so much, Sig:)
I love the mood in this image Kerrie. Interesting shot. Nicely done.
Thank you Romy
Nice texture and tones
and the side lighting is superb
great B&W
Thanks Nick
Side light and shadows have created a dramatic feel. Well done!
Thanks Valerie
Hi Kerrie. Nice composition and good shot. Good use of the torch to light the subject. Well done.
Thanks Denis
A lovely, atmospheric shot Kerrie.
Thanks Tessa
This has a mysterious feel to it which makes it really cool. Nice definition on the parts that you can see.
Thanks Jeff
A great mood and details Kerrie. An interesting image worth exploring. Well done
Thank you Erez
Lovely!
Thanks Sarah 🙂
I like the use of B&W here to show of the texture in the stature picked out by your light. Maybe it needs a little more room at the base?
Hi my fellow Boot Camp friends. Just a line to say I am back from my holiday and I see I have a lot to view and catch up on. I will be going through all the posts over the coming days which I am looking forward to seeing. Will post a view from my back yard for the past 16 days.
Welcome back.
Hope you had a good holiday Denis.
Where I live (north of Toronto, Canada) summer is fading. The flowers in my yard are starting to look bedraggled, but the colours are still vivid. Shot on tripod with Sony A7 ii with 16 mm extension tube on 85 mm lens at f8, 1/25 and ISO 100. For me this was an exercise in depth of field. I wanted all three flowers (not equidistant from the lens) to be well in focus and the background to be as out of focus as possible. I shot the image at different apertures from f4 to f16, but found f8 to be the best compromise. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e80a9bc84235894f0ca268dee69c866c1a92a562e4fb1b9bdc3cdd0077a0d5f6.jpg
You did an amazing job. I also went in my backyard to try and catch the fading flowers as fall is well underway. To me it is a statement as to the changing of seasons. But my photos were not very good and yours is perfect. We are taught to look for the perfect flower, but to me, this is just as beautiful. Great job!
Hi Kathy, thank for your comments and perspective on the changing seasons!
I really like these 3 flowers, the colors are great and they just show their proudness.
Thanks Lone!
Hi Sig. This is a beautiful image. Great job on finding the best aperture for this shot. Well done.
Thank you Romy!
An interesting image, spent beauty
nice colours and the flowers are well defined against the background
Did you look at B&W for this shot
As you took a number of photos, I wondered whether you tried a HDR stack or focus stack? Just to see what might happen …
Hi Nick, Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I had not considered B&W for this photo. I tried it just now, but I don’t like it as well. In my judgement the flowers don’t stand out as clearly against the background. In retrospect I should have taken a few shots with varying exposures in order to create an HDR image. This could still be done, but I would have to do some re-shooting. I thought focus stacking is only used for situations where exceptional focus and clarity is desired throughout the entire image. That is not the case here, since I want a focused foreground and unfocused background. May be I’m wrong…
Hi Nick, I have redone the image in HDR – using Lightroom to merge the individual images. See above.
Love the color contrast between the flowers and background. Nice details in the fading flowers.
Thank you Valerie!
Sig, interesting to see the impermanence of nature. Good composition with the number of odd. Personally I would have zoomed out a bit to have the lower flower completely in picture. Well done.
Hi Christian, thanks for your comments. I have re-shot the image – see above.
Hi Sig. Nice shot. Good clarity and detail.. If was to try this shot I might try to isolate one of the stems. Well done.
Hi Denis, thanks for your comments. Can you clarify “try to isolate one of the stems”? Do you mean including only one of the flowers and perhaps shoot in portrait orientation to include the stem? Thanks!
Great job sig ,its easy to see you were fighting nature for this shot but you still got out there & took the shot .In my eyes that is Photography ,well done .
Great detail on the flowers Sig – I’d say that you achieved what you set out to do! Nicely balanced composition and it captures the feeling of the onset of autumn. It would be good to have the full petals of the lowest flower, but I know that nature doesn’t always position things just right!
The flowers are trying to keep their colors and doing a pretty good job at it. Nice focus on the the flower heads with a great blur in the background. I Like the color segments you have chosen.
I’d say you nailed it! Great job getting them all in focus. Even though they are fading they are still quite pretty and with beautiful colors.
Great shot Sig and great details. You certainly succeeded both technically and it transfering the end-of-summer mood. Great job
I decided to incorporate Christian’s comment (all flowers completely within the frame) and Nick’s suggestion to use HDR. I took a five image bracketed shot (-2 stops to +2 stops). The settings are essentially as before. Here is the result. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dda3ed57e56874fb51e24add2430fc0b33ffa6ccd58aeb02142a1c1c9b74e37f.jpg
Hi Sig, I really like this composition with all 3 flowers. Beautiful detail, and great Bokeh. Really lovely image!
Sig, nice picture. I really find it an improvement. Well done.
Sig, You have accomplished your goal with this photo. Its a great image. Thank you for explaining what you did and why. It’s very helpful !
I think I like this one better, too. My flowers are starting to look raggedy, too, so I can relate to the message that the end of the season is here. We had a bit of snow here in Calgary a couple of weeks ago.
This is a close up of the centre of a New Guinea Impatiens, which is still flowering like mad in a pot on the patio, despite autumn being on the way. The colour is so bright that looking at a whole flower is almost overpowering, so I decided to crop in on the centre detail. Tamron 90mm/macro lens 1/160 sec f/8 ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/984e9684cfacd5b9854ddc9062164ab75af62b0ed8deb387830e3de5fbed4e5a.jpg
wow….thats impressive detail Tessa
Thanks Rerro!
Hi Tessa, the shapes, forms and different tones of red and orange makes this image very interesting.
Thanks Sig
I love this close up shot. Nice composition.
Well done Tessa.
Thanks Romy!
Very interesting photo
great detail and colours
It’s interesting when we look closely at nature
Thanks Nick
Wow great detail. Love how you have captured the highlights in the petals as well. Good job.
Thanks Valerie. Yes, when you look closely at these flowers you notice that there are sparkly bits in the petals. I think this combined with the intense colour make it almost impossible to focus accurately on the whole petals – I certainly had difficulty and in the end went for soft focus on the petals themselves.
Tessa, wonderful to see such details in nature. When looking closely there is a whole new world to discover. Very nice colours. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Hi Tessa. Nice shot. Good clarity and detail. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Really nice photo, tack sharp & great detail ,I can see where the almost luminous color would be overpowering ,best viewed in full screen as most detail is present there ,well done Tessa .
Thanks Peter. As I said to Valerie, I found it really hard to get the petals in proper focus – the iridescence and colour seem to work against it – so I went for soft focus on the petals and detail on the very centre.
Great use of vibrant colors Tessa. I like the close up of the bud/flower inside. Nice clarity. Well done.
Thanks Jeff. I’m pleased how accurate the colour came out.
Beautiful image Tessa! It reminds me of a Georgia O’Keefe photo. Great capture. Beautiful colors and so sharp.
Thanks Chris!
Wonderful image Tessa. Beautiful colors and great depth – it pulls the viewer into the flower. Great work
Thanks Erez.
That colour is intense! Love the natural sparkle within the petals. The centre is tack sharp. I have to confess, that looking at this image I am reminded that flowers are ALL about reproduction 🙂
Yes – I know what you mean Judy!
Greetings Bootcamp members. I am new to this bootcamp learning so I will give it the old college try. This is a photo of a bird feeder https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3be7b017ab99b1378d2b75c98b50b55fe72d6d5b7588a8a2d0d3a5f9c81e5142.jpg in my backyard. As it is getting close to winter season the birds are at the feeder constantly which makes it hard to keep full. My setting for this photo were Nikon D750 exposure 1/1000 @ 5.3 ISO 800 using a Nikon 28-300mm lens.
Hi Dane. Welcome to Bootcamp. This is a beautiful shot. My eyes are dreawn to the bird feeder. Well done.
Thank-you Romy I appreciate the feedback!!!
Nice contrast between the feeder and the background. Welcome to the group. Good job.
Hi Dane. Welcome to Bootcamp. Nice shot and presentation. Well done.
Welcome to Bootcamp Dane. It’s amazing how even everyday things can make good photos. I like the way the light picks out the pattern on the top of the feeder. Maybe straighten slightly and lighten it a little to make the feeder stand out even more?
Thank-you Tessa for the constructive feedback
Hi Tessa. I realized the feeder was hanging crooked but the firepit in the background was straight so I decided to make the background firepit straight and live with the feeder hanging crooked
Welcome Dane, glad to have you here. I like the highlighted dome on the bird feeder, it draws my eyes straight to it. I like the slight blur in the background too. Well done.
Thank-you Jeff I appreciate the feedback
This Photo is taken at the morning when the sun is rising, it still has the water drops and the sun is just caching the flower.
Nikon D7200 – 44 mm (Tamron 24-70), F9.0, 1/125 sec, ISO 200
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01f34aa4cf37c704aa094c06bbff9cc65a9e125ca6eb92f2235700c9979f40dc.jpg
Beautiful – great details!
Thank you Sig
Hi Lone. Lovely detailed image. Nice composition. Well done
Thank you Romy
Nice capture. I like the dew drops and the light coming through the petal.
Thanks valerie
Lone, nice colours. Good composition by filling the picture with your flowers. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Hi Lone. Good capture. Nicely composed and presented. Well done.
Thanks denis
Hi Lone. I love the soft colours, the detail of the water droplets and the light coming through the petals – great composition too. It might be nice to have just a little light on the front of the flower – maybe by using a reflector or post process with a radial filter in Lightroom – without detracting from the effect of the light from behind. Great shot – worth getting up early for!
Hi tessa thank you for your comments, and yes it is worth getting up early for such a Nice picture.
I Will try to give a little more light in the front
Nice use of muted colors in your photo Lone. You did a great job on capturing the water on the petals and the clarity of the flower. Nice job.
Jeff thank you
This is a beautiful image! I love the muted colors and water droplets, well done!
Thank you Chris
Beautiful – great details and light. Such a lovely image!
Thank you Erez
Really lovely image, Lone. I especially love the lighting around the edges of the petals.
Thanks Kerrie
Very pretty! Soft colors.
Thank you Sara
I’m a huge fan of backlighting and the detail in the wager droplets is very nice. This is a lovely image, Lone.
Thank you Judy
Love how you captured the water droplets on your flowers – and like that backlight too. Did you do any post processing on your image? Brent
Thank you Brent
The only Post Processing I have done is in Lightroom where i slightly adjust the Highlight, Shadow, White and black balance, and put on some clarity. And a small cropping.
Hi Lone, The back lighting that you have captured in this image is terrific. I love the composition and the crisp focus. Well done!
Phill Thank you very much
This is not an entry, but thought folks would find it interesting.
Black Widow. I was going to fill our bird feeders this morning, and when I opened the container, I was greeted by this Black Widow spider. For those in other countries, the Black Widow is the most dangerous venomous spider in North America. Since I’m crazy about photography, and I had my macro setup on the camera, I (of course) had to get the shot. 2 images focus stacked, hand-held. f/5.0, 75mm with 24mm macro extension tube, 1/20 sec, ISO 200.
The second image shows the distinctive hourglass on the underside. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t hold still enough to get a solid photo.
For those concerned, she is now an “ex-spider.” (HT: Monty Python)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dafee3fa11c351f24d4e861ed36e23146f11581335bfaa937769eee0bb0f7b64.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a2703296f3dc509cb3bf56a3f5bfbc2662f3d823752ec22165ea8ecc7be6288c.jpg
You are one brave person to take time to photograph this spider! You did an amazing job.
Hi Bill. Beautiful image of a beautiful but deadly specimen. Well done.
Btw, If I were in your shoes the photo that I would probably post would be a splatz of a spider completely crushed with my shoe.
Bill, great picture. Nice contrast with the background. Great details. What were your focuspoints for your stacking? Just curious as I am new on this matter. Well done.
Hi Christian, I actually didn’t intend to focus stack when shooting. I didn’t want to spend any more time close to this beastie than I had to, so was trying to nail the focus in one shot (hand held). Took several that I thought were right on, but when I looked at them in post, one was sharp on the legs, and another was sharp on the abdomen — so they were the focus points. I wasn’t sure if I could actually stack them, but thought it worth a try and it came out nicely.
Normally, if I’m focus stacking I’ll be on a tripod as well
great photo I have seen a lot these girls out in Colorado, I had to check everywhere in the house to make sure we didn’t have any and I usually found one. Good contrast and lighting in the first photo and the second one I agree it’s hard to get them to be still. Good shot.
Hi Bill. First shot is my pick. Nothing so sinister in little old Ireland. Well done.
Good capture ,Nice & crisp shot Bill .These spiders look exactly like the Redback spider we have in Australia & the Red under the black widow is on the back of ours & the same very nasty bite .
Good shot Bill. Well done for keeping your hands still enough that close to such a creature – especially at 1/20 sec!
Better you than me Bill. Haha. Great shot of the spider especially with a macro lens, and nice clarity. I probably would have dropped my camera just to get away from it. Well done.
I like the first image, Bill. Sharp focus providing plenty of detail to help me identify these nasties in my own yard.
I have seen this guy? before for the last couple months this time he was on my back door. I took this with a t6 Canon and a 60mm Macro 1/125 sec f/10. I was so close I could see him smile, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0b5b35ba4a77d9b7c487ac3ba2af89f65388e5bcd7096a9b9fbb5fbc3f40d16a.jpg lol
Hi Garry. Nice shot . solid and good clarity. Well done.
Great clarity Garry. Isn’t that nice he smiled for the camera. Haha. I like the colors from this little guy. Nice shot.
Strange guy – till I read your text I thought its a brush 🙂 Nice image and a sharp smile
Great job!
Very good focus here, Garry. What a lovely fuzzy fellow.
Hi everybody, I have been watering the gardens a lot because of the dry spell & with the warm weather we have early this year nature is getting tricked & we have a growth spurt of flowers ,these Irises in my garden have burst open for the sun ,so I thought I would share them with you & I am calling this photo Beginning to End because of the three stages of growth I caught in this shot ! Hope you enjoy them. Sony A77ii , Sigma 18-125 lens , iso100 , f9 , 1/320 , @ 55mm . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ea8325721fee789baf4829e0200df1689e2746d4b0f9f21d3acf87b0e45b408d.jpg
Peter, very nice picture. I like the interaction between the open flower and the closed one. Nice detail of the flower with a lot of beautiful colours. Good composition: our eye is being led from right to left by the flower stalk(s). Well done.
Thank you Christian for your feedback.
Hi Peter. I like this shot. Good capture of the full circle of life in one frame. Well done.
Thanks Denis for your kind thoughts.
Lovely crisp centre to the flower and beautiful clean colours Peter.
Thanks so much Tessa
Great capture Peter. I like the vibrant colors and the nice focus of the water on the petals. Very nice shot.
Thank you for your feedback Jeff .
Beautiful image Peter! Love the colors. Your photo is so sharp, great capture.
Thank you so much Chris .
Thank you Chris hope you liked it.
Beautiful image. Great sharpness and colors and the water drops add interest.
Thank you so much Erez .
Beautiful. I love the droplets in the flowers along with your composition.
Thank you Deby , I’m glad you enjoyed it .
Hi Peter. Fabulous image. The water droplets are added elements to a nicely focused and beautiful composition. Great job.
Thanks so much Romy ,I was watering as you can see my grass beneath is all but dead ,its been ages since the last good rain ,anyway i was watering & looked down at the wet flowers & thought ,that would look good in a photo so out came the camera .
Gorgeous! Love the water droplets and colors.
Thank you Sara ,sometimes a simple garden flower can look good .
Spider web after a morning shower.
Nikon D5300. 18-55 lens @ 48mm. f5.3 ISO 1000
There is not much I can say about this. Webs are an amazing creation, a thing of beauty. We may not like the creator but what they make is pure art.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/30b3c97b71e20bd863404c8ac32d482ce15a9d244efbe708743b71e8cf94852f.jpg
Hi Andrew. Lovely shot, well captured and great clarity. Well done.
Andrew, I like very much your picture. It is indeed art by nature. Great effect with those raindrops on the web threads against the dark background. Even the blue back texture of the background gives a special finishing touch. Well done.
Love this Andrew – simple beauty! The dark background shows the web off splendidly.
Spiderwebs are so fascinating, I can’t imagine how a spider can building such artwork in such a short time. I also am not a spider fan but they do provide us with some beautiful webs! Nice job on the water droplets and the dark background.
Very cool Andrew. I like the nice focus on the droplets of water along with the lines of the web. You are correct about the creator and about the pure art. Well done.
Beautiful image. I am also intrigued by spiders and think they mostly are helpful. Love your image.
Cool image Andrew. Minimalism at its best. Love it
This is great, Andrew. Beautiful detail, and I really like your composition.
Super. Love how you composed this shot. Nice capture.
Lovely image! Well done.
The contrast of the dark background with the dew drops works so well. Great image, Andrew.
Good morning all. I have just spent the last few hours going through all the posts for this months challenge. Well done to you all. Great shots and I can see the expertise and quality growing all the time. I have decided to pass comment on a global basis this time as if I was to comment of every post I would never catch up after my vacation. I will post a couple of shots over the next day or so in quick succession. Well done to everybody again.
Glad you’re back – no need to comment on everyones images, just comment on 2 for your 1 post. Enjoy. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/304357b63d23e7640a1a7cffffa07e37163eb80c7871c6ed8c653f7caf4bd984.jpg This photo was taken earlier in the year in my front yard. I’ve been traveling for work and not been home, so am posting this new fern frond unfolding to the warmth of the sun in the springtime. Taken with Sony A-7 with 28-70mm lens at 46mm, f/4.5, 1/50 sec at ISO 125. Camera was placed on small tripod allowing camera to be lower to ground.
Nice clean shot Eugene .
Hi Eugene. Lovely crisp shot. Nice detail and clarity.
Great highlight of the fern and the stem. Nice clarity of the plant and the blurred background. Cool photo.
Beautiful image. So crisp.
Great shot. The fern is well focused. Nicely composed photo. Well done Eugene.
Love this shot Eugene. Great light and an intresting subject. Well balanced in every way. Just wonderful
Well done Eugene! Lovely colors and depth of field.
Eugene, I think this is fantastic. The frond is super sharp, the background is nice and simple and serves to highlight your subject and the lines from the grasses (?) lean in a similar direction to the frond.
LOVE this shot Eugene – the new fern frond really does jump out with that light and shallow depth of field. Interesting background too with the different shades of green and then the blue up top . My suggestion is to crop off some of the right hand side where it gets darker. Well done. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8f13aa68ac0ac375efcf1fdb3610ebf35fa64f71f7100e7408e4eca3fd970879.jpg
This is my third submission for the backyard challenge. I am lucky to have two backyards, one in North Dakota, the other in SW Florida. I was about to walk to the beach and I saw this roseate spoonbill in the pond next to my condo. Golden
hour was just ending and I was able to capture the spoonbill with the reflection of the building in the water. I had to bump up the ISO with the low light so it is a bit grainy.
f 6.0; 1/180 ss; ISO 1250 at 185mm.
Lovely shot Kathy. Beautiful and clear reflections. Even the concentric circles of the ripples help to draw the eye to the POI. Are these a form of leading line? I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the building reflection in the top right. While (to me) it does add interest where it crosses the ripples, but the larger part of it is a little distracting. A lovely shot.
I just tried to crop off more of the building but it just seems to bring the spoonbill in too close. I really didn’t want to crop out the concentric circles. I agree the building can be a bit distracting.
I wouldnt do anything with it at this stage. This would have been one of those situations where if the photo was taken from a different position it could have changed things, but if you had tried to move you would have most likely missed the shot altogether. Sometimes we have to accept what we get. With this Bootcamp peer review we will all have a different point of view and thats why I am liking these challenges so much. I know that I have been challenged to look at how I have framed images in the past and may or may not do things differently.
Again you have given us a lovely photo.
Great photo Kathy. Love the reflection in the water along with the ripples from the bird. I actually like the contrasting colors, it keeps my eyes moving all around the photo.
Great capture kathy ,nice & clean & i also like the golden reflection in the ripples ,it gives it that little extra ,good job.
Wow, great capture, beautiful bird!
Kathy, nice picture. Good composition. Nie colours. Great view on those ripples and the reflection of the construction. Beacuse of the weaved texture of the latter it doesn’t disturb me in whole picture. Well done.
Hi Kathy. Nice composition and well taken. Well done.
Lovely image. Love the ripples in the water that accents the spoonbill and its reflection. Great job.
Great capture of the bird in such a pose and the golden circles add a lot. Beautiful image.
Regarding the building reflection – maybe you can reduce its effect in post. Don’t remove it – just reduce its glare a little to make it less eye catching. Great image as is so.
Lovely shot! Nice colors!
Lovely photo. I would try to lighten the face of the bird more to give more contract between the bird and the water and brighten the pink feathers. Very sharp and great expression and love the rings around the bird.
Kathy, I love the spoonbills and you have captured this one perfectly with the circular ripples and reflection in the water. I also agree with Erez’s suggestion to remove or reduce the effect of the building. I’m not advanced enough in Lightroom to suggest how that could be accomplished, but perhaps someone else in the group could respond.
I like the composition, Kathy. The circles in the reflection add to this image, especially where the golden colour comes from the building. Great focus on the bird. Always enjoy looking at your bird images.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b6aca9a8bb18e3378058b04950b26b7cc6315f0b23074a595d0ca05804d7296b.jpg
1/250, f8, iso 220, 90mm
A random bee frolicking in my yard. I call these velvet bees though I am sure they have a different name. They are big and hairy.
Chris, nice picture. Your living creature apparently has camouflage colours: green stripes like the colour of the blom button. Good composition. Nice blurry background. Well done.
Thanks Christian. Actually the bee is black and yellow but I see here now it looks green. Weird. It looked correct in Lightroom. Oh well.
Hi Chris. Lovely shot.
Hi Denis, welcome back. Thanks for your comment. Looking forward to seeing some of your pics.
Beautiful capture Chris. The bee is in focus.
Thank you @romy_villanueva:disqus
Good capture – nice composition and great sharpness and separation from the background
Thank you @ere@erezshilat:disqus
Great job. Love the colors.
Thank you @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus
Hi Chris – this image is super sharp – well done. One thing that would make it better is if the bee wasn’t in the shadow of the bud. The bee must not have been listening to your directions to move into better light.
Haha, true. That bee was not listening to me @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus much like my cats also don’t listen to me. But I thank you for your feedback.
Better late than Never as they say. My first contribution to this months challenge. I will call this Busy Bee. Shot Details: ISO 200, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F5, SS 1/320 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80256895d4de9e2a8224f4ce37d4f6a0d89253e0473dba332b10faaa7f0cd539.jpg
Beautiful image Denis and welcome back. Great colors and the insect adds life. Well done
Hi Erez. Many thanks for your feed back. I struggled this month. A lot of the shots are quick fire and in a short space of time.
Denis, nice picture. Great colours. Personally I struggle a bit with the proportion of the sharp bee and the unsharp (prominent) flower. My eyes are going at first to the yellow part of the picture.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for the feed back. I agree with your comments. Best of a bad lot.
Hi Christian. Have a look at this version. Love to hear back. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6c5933b9882483774ffd0bfff8256e35b22105e1065fa0cfb27ada5dc543697b.jpg
Denis, this is great improvement. Well done.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for the feed back.
I agree with Christian. My first thought was the yellow center is out of focus, and then I saw the bee. I love this shot and especially like the ruffled petals on the flower.
Hi Kathy. Many thanks.
Much better version Denis .
Hi Peter. Many thanks for that feedback.
Better version. Well done.
Hi Sara. Thanks for the feedback.
Hi Denis, nice image. Personally I like this shot more as I can see the eye of the bee. I tried to zoom in my tablet in order to take out of the frame and hide the yellow stamen of the flower. The photo becomes a portrait crop and the bee is larger. Try it, maybe you will like it. Well done.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for that feedback. I will give your suggestion a go. It is great to get an alternative to try.
Romy, what do you think of this version? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4e26ad55cd6384077f7079471b3808d54586f486dfd54d6d1eaf2bc8422f8b38.jpg
Personally, I like this one most Denis. The flower fills the frame and the bee becomes the odd man out and gets more emphasis. In the first photo the bright green leaves in the corners also compete for attention. Nice cropping. Well done.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for that and your sound advice. I was trying to show too much and lost sight of what I was trying capture – The Bee.
Oh yes, this crop is much better! It really allows us to focus on the bee. I love the colors!
Hi Amber. Many thanks for that feedback.
Denis, I also think this is the better crop to put the viewer’s attention on the bee.
Very nice shot Denis. I like this crop best.
Hi everyone. I took this at the end of shooting a macro session in my yard – could not resist this pose and this is the only image I liked in the session. It was the end of the golden hour so ISO is high: ISO 1600, f/4.5, 1/56s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9a078f90f0b5703c3103388b3df65df239f63ef4864d2342163a2bdbbb5bf47.jpg
Erez, very nice picture. Good composition. Nice colours. Well done.
Thank you Christian
Hi Erez. Nice composition here. Well created and captured. Sense of mystique to it. Well done.
Thanks Denis, much appreciated
I love it. I’ve been trying to capture a photo of my dogs but they just can’t sit still long enough for me to get sharp focus! This picture makes me wonder what the cat is thinking! I love the colors in this photo and the cat just peeking out from behind the pot.
Thank you Kathy! I had the same problem with my animals (cats and dog) when they were young and even now sometimes. I saw some nice tips in http://dogbreathphoto.com. The main one was to use a leash and remove it at post. It should be trivial, but I never thought about it before.
Hi Erez. I love this shot. Nice composition and beautiful pose of the cat. The cat and the apple are sharply focused. Maybe you can try a portrait crop and remove part of that pot at the right side and see which one you like more. Just a suggestion.
Thank you for your suggestion, I’ll try that
Very nice shot. I agree about cropping more to a portrait view, but that is personal opinion. Great colors.
Cute subjet! I find the amount of pot on the right a bit distracting as well as the item in front of it. I agree with some of the other comments; try cropping it in portrait to see how that reads. Otherwise well done!
Great capture Erez – love the golden light colours and the body language from kitty. Something I noticed is to feather your vignette a little more so that it’s a smoother transition. Well done. Brent
Well captured, Erez. This is a lovely image. I really like the warm tones, echoing the red of the apple.
Thank you Judy
Thank you all again @brentmail:disqus , @amberpallasbrunt:disqus , @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus and @romy_villanueva:disqus.
I tried a tighter crop and to fix the vignetting.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc32e4d82a1aa3a89b814d79b80443f452874774477aa9fd7faae229c435243d.jpg
Awww, nothing better than a curious kitty. Very sweet.
Forgive me if I post again today. This one is ” Prick me if you can” Shot details: ISO 200, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F5, SS 1/200 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0cc9228063309543debec72b2db760544b1d886d3c0757084406f3b3c3e088a3.jpg
I enjoy looking at everyone’s photos. It gives me creative energy! Nature is amazing. As a Florida person, I rarely see cactus. It looks like the spines could reach out and prick me.
Hi Kathy. Many thanks for that feed back.
Denis, you have filled the frame nicely with that leaf and the focus is spot on to capture the sharpness of the spines. Ouch! Good photo.
Hi Rodney. Many thanks for that feedback.
Hi Denis. Beautiful capture, sharp focus and prickly. Great shot.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for that feedback.
Denis, nice picture with that cactus leaf full of spines. Great contrast between the sharpness of those spines and the smooth looking leaf. Good composition. Well done.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for that feedback.
I think I would not pick it! 😉 I like the colors and detail. Well done.
Hi Sara. Thanks for the feedback.
For a My Backyard challenge, why not my backyard fence. Settings: 1/1250 sec @ f/1.8 ISO-200, lens MZ.45mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/657c9de9ef098687a0d9cb5291edd9409d0784cb5c30be61023954256e5816fd.jpg
Hi Rodney. Good subject matter. I think I might like to see a greater depth of field. Maybe even in B/W which might show off the texture and different tones in the wood. Well done.
Thanks Denis. My aim was to have just the knot in the wood the only part in full focus, which I did get in this one. I did take quite a number of photos at many different apertures, giving photos with a range of depth of field, however I liked the look of this one best. The others tended to make it look like the full paling was the POI rather than just the knot, at least with my eye 😉
Hi Rodney. Having read your explanation above you have certainly achieved your goal. Personally I never noticed the knot. What grabbed my attention was the shallow depth of field. I will have to have the eyes tested again I am afraid. Well done.
Hi Rodney, I like this narrow DoF shot of the knot in the wood. Well done
Rodney, nice picture with the knot as the POI. Nice DoF. Well done.
Nice use of a shallow DOF Rodney. Well done. Can be nice in B&W as well
Well done! Love the DOF and the focus of the knot in the board.
Rodney, I like how you have created this photo. You have a dominant POI and leading lines that draw you through the photo and back. Nice job.
Rodney, I like the way you have focused on the knot in the one piece of wood with the rest of the boards in blur. It would probably be great in b&w too.Nice work.
Great use of narrow depth of field, Rodney. The knot is nicely highlighted, and the alternating dark and light areas from the boards adds extra interest to the image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6db9f56fc83f9349a047f1d1b89486b50675377e9e4d732c7319221fd0877abe.jpg
This is my 3rd submission. I shot this late afternoon today.
Thank goodness my husband has some fun toys to play with so I grabbed this German Soldier, propped him on a branch (in the small tree in our Backyard) and started “shooting”! His hat kept falling off so he is without it in this shot. I handheld my camera while my husband held a small reflector to light up the soldier’s face, as the sun was behind the tree my tiny model was posing on.
Canon 6D, 100mm Macro, ISO: 100, f 5.6, 1/125 Shutter Speed. No flash used.
Hi Deby. Good use of subject matter to hand and creativity. Nice to see the husband pressed into action!!. Like the shot which I think is well composed. Well done.
Thank you Denis. Hubby is not much of one to help out with my photography so I was very grateful for the extra set of hands this time.
Deby, I like the the foreground foliage all around the frame nicely out of focus and framing your subject. I think you are safe though, as he seems to be looking at something over your right shoulder where you have nicely provided enough space within your photo to follow his gaze. Stay hidden! Good shot.
Thank you for your comments Rodney.
Way to get creative! Love the composition.
Thanks Sara. I was running out of interesting subject in my small backyard so had to put my creative cap on! Ha!
That’s a really neat shot. Just the right DoF.
Thank you Rachel.
Very creative Deby. Nicely composed. Well done.
Thank you Romy.
So much fun! I tried to photograph a dinosaur in a similar fashion. It was all wrong for me, but I love what you have done here.
Hi All, this a image from my balcony ( Backyard )
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e31e478cc11aabd956366e33c3cf25fbbd5a2f9cebf981d2c4656216eee486a.jpg
Hi John. Interesting and different. I have studied it and yes I like it. Well done.
Thankyou Denis
John, nice view from your balcony. Good composition. What are your settings?
Thanks Christian, have now updated with settings
Great and interesting idea. Beautiful image
Thankyou Erez
I have seen a few of these types of photos around. I like it. Well done!
Thanks Sara
Hi John, this is an awesome and interesting way to show us your backyard. The focus is sharp nd the image is nicely composed. Well done.
Thanks Romy
I love this. very creative
Thankyou Lynne
Awesome back yard! Very creative. Well done.
Thankyou Valerie
Great idea, John. That’s a great view, and I like that you have presented it via your camera. Beautiful golden hour light, too.
Thankyou Judy
John, I love it … a picture of taking a picture. Very creative !
Thanks Richard
Good morning from a calm Ireland this morning. Yesterday we had a mother of a storm for this part of the world. Any way shot 3 for this challenge. Will call this one ” Wet or Dry”. Shot details: ISO 200, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F9, SS 1/500 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7a40f62631116cc183a412b49bc8a393aeb18f99405c4d79de882ea933ab600e.jpg
Denis, that is indeed a lot of water. Good composition. Nice colours. Well done.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for the feedback.
Nice bright colors on this one Denis.
Hi Rachel. Many thanks for your feedback.
Gorgeous colors! Love the detail in the water falling.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for the feedback.
Hi Denis, beautiful shot of a fabulous fountain. The colors are gorgeous and the image is nicely composed. Great capture.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for the feedback.
Wow! The detail is astounding. I like the composition, colors, and detail of the water.
Hi Point. Many thanks for your feedback.
I love the detail in the water here Denis.
My kids have a fit when I say I want one of these for our beach house! Love the shower or water drops, nice capture.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae5a609ea67188e9f9b6a2c465b6eb162ae5635b5256f4e7cafda4a2b5103c0b.jpg
Here is my latest submission. I have been busy with life stuff. I had time last weekend to edit a few things, including this one. ISO 200 300mm f/6.3 1/160. This is growing on the edge of my woods.
I love this image Sara. The black background highlights the flowers in focus. Simple and without distractions. Just beautiful shot. Well done.
Thank you. I am happy with the way it turned out.
Hi Sara. I like this shot and the dark background. It brings the subject matter to the fore. If anything I might just take a bit off from the left side. Well done.
Denis, thanks for the feed back. I appreciate it.
Lovely shot Sara ,Tack sharp in the sweet spot & the black surroundings look great .
Thanks Peter. I just received my metal print of this.
Sara, I love the contrast of the white flower against the black background. Very good composition.
Thank you Valerie.
I like the transition from sharp to soft blending into the black background. Great shot – love it.
Sara, nice picture. Good composition. I like the transition of the enlighted flowers disappearing in the black background. Well done.
Wow Sara. I love the way these flowers fade into that dark background.
Really beautiful, Sarah. Pure and simple.
A lovely simple shot Sara. The plain black background makes your eyes search deeper into the detail of the flowers without any distractions.
Beautiful shot Sara. Love the “fading” flowers around the sharp ones. Great work
It’s been over two weeks since I last posted. “Time flies when your having fun!” Back from a impromptu holiday and having a bit of a problem with creativity. For this submission I decided to stick with the ‘bug macro’ theme. This little guy ( about 6-8mm long ) was on a potato plant bag in our garden. Not very sharp as it just wouldn’t stay still. f/11, ISO 100, 1/125sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/add46d1f48d47b7296e1161917874584be6665359b25eb257b6f3cd0461d2a3a.jpg
Hi Rachel. Glad to see somebody else trying to catch up. Welcome back and hope you had a good time. I find these shots always difficult for the reasons you stated. Next time I would try a faster shutter speed and maybe you will need to play with your ISO settings. All that said it is a good shot in difficult circumstances. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
Well done Rachel! I really like the texture of the fabric the bug is sitting on. Having tried to capture a spider with a macro lens myself (and failing) I’m impressed. I love the contrast of the spider and the background as well.
Thanks, Amber.
Rachel well done with considering your circumstances. I do like the texture of the bag and the fur on the spider.
Thanks, Sara.
That’s a fuzzy little fellow. I like the contrast he makes with the woven texture of the potato bag.
Thanks Judy.
In an effort to catch up a bit, here’s a second photo. Took it yesterday with a new ( to me ) lens. Konica Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.4 vintage lens, set at f/2, ISO 200, and 1/1000sec. Some people may have a problem figuring what this is, most Aussies should recognize it. 🙂
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/59eaa05bc76d7670fe5213da40efbbb7006f2fd22f0a8706e881a48efe9fb1dc.jpg
Hi Rachel. I am one of those having difficulty. That said I am not having difficulty in recognising a good shot. Well composed and nicely framed. Well done on this.
Thanks Denis. It’s a new bunch of bananas.
Hi Rachel, Like Denis I have no idea what this is but you have done a nice job capturing the essence of the plant. The contrasting red color is very nice.
Thanks, Valerie. It’s a new bunch of bananas.
Great colors and depth of field. I am sure that would not grow in Minnesota. ;-). Wonderful job!
Thanks, Sara. No, I saw few banana plants in South Florida, never mind north of there. The Sydney area is quite temperate ans they’re easy to grow here.
Hi Rachel. Interesting shot of banana inflorescence as a point of interest. The focus is spot on and the background has nice, clean bokeh. Well done.
Thank you, Romy!
Great detail and I like the bokeh that the vintage lens creates. I have been tempted to get a Konica Hexanon but I kind of embarrassingly have too many manual focus lenses. :p
Thanks PR. They can be addictive. I have to remind myself that my goal is to improve my photography skills, not increase my lens collection.
Konica was my first SLR and I love their lenses. I have 3. A 21/4, 28/3.5, and the 57/1.4. I’d like the 50/1.7. It’s supposed to be one of the sharpest lenses out there.
Rachel, very nice colours. Good blurry background. Good composition. Well done.
Thank you Christian. BTW, It’s bananas.
You are somewhere warmer then me Rachel! My banana is looking sorry for itself as we slowly come out of winter in the Perth Hills. It is a lovely shot, like it. Well done.
Thank you Hilary. I’m just an hour south of Sydney. Two other plants have had bunches growing since fall.
I’m surprised!! Mind, we have had a very long and wet winter. Today actually felt like the first day of spring, though a little late!
What an interesting subject, Rachel. Love the intricate details contrasting yellow and scarlet. I haven’t tried using vintage lenses. With an aperture of f/1.4 I would have expected a background that was even less defined than this.
Thanks Judy. The subject is a bunch of new bananas. Three hands so far. This is the third banana plant, in my backyard, bearing fuit.
I have never seen a banana plant bearing fruit. I couldn’t work out what this was until I read it below, and now it’s so obvious! Love the separation from the background, the light passing through the leaves (?) and the amazing bokeh!
Thanks, Kerrie. They take months to ripen. We have two other plants that have had bunches on them since fall. ( down under )
What an interesting subject Rachel! Lovely detail on the plant and a great bokeh. The background sets the plant off really well.
Beautiful shot Rachel. An interesting subject and a great bokeh
Thank you Erez, Just hope the bananas get a chance to ripen.
Good afternoon from a Wet Ireland. This time the weather alerts are for Rain and not Wind. Shot 4. This was taken down at the beach as a storm was passing through. I will call it “Looking out to Sea” Shot Details: ISO 200, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F22, SS 1/80 Sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/128820c556f979bc44659b7a0765a5bb0b3ef5f9fe7557f5c45f3ab83abeea06.jpg
What a beautiful (and chilly) spot Denis! I love the subject. Would it read a bit better if it was brightened up a bit? Maybe lessen the shadows?
Hi Amber. Many thanks for the feedback. When I loaded the shot it seems to have lost its brightness. It is not as dark as that on my system. In fact the rocks to the left have a very nice glisten/sheen to them which is absent here.
Hi Amber. I went back to the drawing board on this one. Brought things up a notch to compensate for any losses when up loading. Even with this it is not showing as it does on my Mac. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/41a2c81a737191818aada37de45ce4d7dabe8f00eea1150dec1197964ae247db.jpg
Denis, I like this one a bit better. Although there is a slight haze around the outcropping. Well done.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for the feedback.
Wow Denis I love this! Lots of emotion and the detail in the rock is super. Very well done.
Hi Valerie. Many thanks for the feedback.
Your original to me shows more of the emotion due to the dark clouds and gloomy day. Great highlights that are not too bright. Very moody shot that gives the scene a great feel.
Hi Gary. Many thanks for that feedback.
I love this image. Nice mood and composition is good. Makes me wonder what the person is thinking on such a gloomy day. Great capture Denis.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for the feedback.
Nice composition, Denis. It’s wet here, too, thanks to Hurricane Florence turning north to New Jersey. The contrast between the sharp rocks and the water is very pleasing and you captured some nice droplets. The small figure adds a lot to a pensive photo.
Denis, I love photos like this with a single person in the shot to show scale and tell a story. It’s a great capture. Of course I don’t know if would have been possible when you took the shot, and I know you can’t make the person move now, but I would like to see them moved over to the right and then remove the tree on the left.
Plant from yard. Used my 35mm lens, Iso400 , f1.4, 1/160. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ebb8e62a5d37c85b92fb8f0f790d69e4b49d250e8b93c738910a924a7a0f7280.jpg
Great image! I like the tight crop. Very nice DOF as well.
Thank you Amber!
Hi Phyllis. Great composition. Your Depth of Field works well here as does the crop. The light source looks like it is from the left of the flower. I might try and lift the shadows on the two leaves to the right in Post Processing. Well done.
Thanks Denis Post Processing is new to me I have Lightroom Classic cc how would you lift the shadows on the two leaves?
Really pretty, I like how you captured the light on the petals. Nice Job.
Thanks Valerie!
Really well done. I like the colors.
Thanks Sara!
Nice. I like how you controlled the DoF so that my focus was on the detail at the top of the plant and then slowly follow the soft background.
Thanks !
Nice sharpness at the front of the subject & Bokeh is good also ,well done .
Thanks Peter!
Phyllis, great picture. Good composition. Good contrast with the green plant and the dark left uppercorner and the oranje bottom right corner. I like it very much. Well done.
Thanks Christian the colors were a happy surprise not planned but thanks again.
Really nice DoF and framing Phyllis. Well done.
Thanks Kerrie!
Beautiful use of depth of field and colour, Phyllis.
Thank you Judy 🙂
Hi Phyllis. Beautiful image. I love the narrow DoF. Nice bokeh. Well done.
Thank you Romy!
Thank you Romy!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d9f168db144b3bcb8f8a0d47b72fd4c5b49775b944c57ec0483cf33fd280521.jpg
I got a new macro lens attachment for my Nikon CoolPix P900 so I spent some time playing with it. Still have a learning curve with macro.
This is an image of dew on the grass.
F3.5, ISO100, 1/13
Hi Amber. This is a very good shot with great clarity. Like it. Well done.
Nice job with your Macro.
Very nice capture, I love the colours and abstract effect you have created, well done with your new macro.
I must try and buy myself a macro, looks interesting.
Thank you John! It’s a fun new toy. 🙂
Cool abstract image. Well done.
Thank You Sara!
Amber, great colours. Creative picture. Well done.
Thank You Christian! I try to keep it interesting. 🙂
I like that Amber, beautiful colours, and a very creative idea.
Thank You Hilary!
Beautiful, Amber…I feel like I’m underwater . Love it! Well done.
Thank You Kerrie! It does have that underwater feel.
The dew captured on super fine web is very pretty. I like the abstract feel and cool tones in this image.
Thank You Judy! I do like the abstract quality as well.
Creative shot, Amber. Great job with that macro lens.
Thank You Romy!
Lovely shot Amber – unusual and interesting.
Thank You Tessa!
This is really intriguing, feels abstract, and i like the calm color pallet. I still have to figure out what it is
Thank You Leila! It is some morning dew caught on a fine web on the grass.
Great shot Amber! Isn’t it fun when you get a new piece of equipment and need to experiment? I like the “bubbles” in your image and all the different shapes. Something to try next time is to shoot at a more oblique angle. With a macro lens (or adaptor) you’ll have a very shallow depth of field – so choose your main point of interest and make sure it’s the only part of your image in focus. Well done. Brent
Thank You Brent! It is fun (and frustrating…lol) to experiment! I understand what you’re saying about the different angle and focusing on POI. As always appreciate the feedback!
This is a daylily in a flower bed that gets sun throughout the day. They are really pretty in the fall when everything else is going away. Settings: 1/800 sec., F7.1, ISO 800, 90mm Macro lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c38dcf3eab6a70dfc9d967f02a9a0e30c1dfa68ccb473efe891f91afb4ebfccb.jpg
Hi Valerie. Nice shot and well framed. Just wondering if you concentrated on one flower head would you achieve a sharper flower centre. Personally I don’t know. I may well be talking rubbish. Well done.
Thanks Denis for your suggestions. Like you mentioned I did try to focus on just one flower but it just wasn’t working for me when I got it downloaded to my computer so I decided to post the two. I struggled with a soft focused center on most of my shots as I am still getting use to the lens.
Well done, lovely colors. Sometimes I like the rule of odds, 1, 3, 5 etc, but I do like the two blooms.
Hi Sara thanks for the comments. I wasn’t thinking about the rule of odds but I am glad you brought it up. Something else for me to keep in mind.
Lovely colors & nice scene ,maybe you could have moved right a little to get the 1st flower sharper with the 2nd one in the background & still have good Bokeh.Still a nice shot Valerie .
Thanks Peter. I did take a few shots focusing on one flower but seemed to like the two together.
This is beautiful!
Thank you.
Valerie, nice picture. Beautiful colours. Good composition. Beautiful contrast of the yellow flowers against the green background.Well done.
Thanks Christian I appreciate the comments.
Lovely capture, Valerie. I like the detail in the flowers, Your framing, and the contrasting background.
Thank yyou Kerrie for the comments.
Beautiful image, Valerie. You have fantastic focus on both blooms.
Thanks Judy.
Beautiful shot Valerie. Well done.
Thank you Romy.
A lovely, well-composed shot Valerie.
Thanks Tessa.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0ccd3ef42b88277e76a17e3c6096940dc589c90e49443869684f2d9e9663ffec.jpg I wanted to add an additional post, still traveling, but found this sphere, actually a Playground Jungle Gym just outside of the hotel grounds. Shooting upward from the ground toward the sky through the ropes and supports at a slightly skewed angle gives an interesting grouping of geometric shapes. Shot with a small aperture to assure sharpness of all the ropes. Photo was post processed to a higher contrast Black & White using Dramatic Black & White Software. Taken with a Sony a7, 1/60 sec, f/22, 24-240mm lens at 24mm, ISO 160.
Eugene, very cool! Love the B&W and the shapes. Not sure if a straighter angle would make it stronger or not, I think that is a personal preference. Well done!
Nice clean B & W image ,well composed with the offset centre ,Nice shot .
Hi Eugene. Very good shot. Nice composition. Well done.
Great image, Eugene. The depth of field is great is for showing all the details like the textures in the ropes, and the light shines of the hardware. I like the B&W treatment.
Great b&w with good contrast and depth of field to make you feel like you are falling into this web.
Interesting shot. The ropes are well focused. Good decision to post process in black and white. Well done, Eugene.
Great geometric shot Eugene. Love the crisp focus on all the ropes.
Adapted Minolta 55mm f/1.7 on Fuji camera. Taken at 1/800 sec. @ f/1.7, ISO 400.
It was golden hour with a mild breeze which made this shot rather difficult with narrow DoF and manually focused. The lens flare was not added in post. I purposely positioned the lens in a way to get the flare. Part of the fun of using these old lenses is taken advantage of the imperfections.
Cropped to 16:9 because I found this image looks really nice as a background screen on my computer. 🙂
I call this shot: Fall Equinox 2018 is coming.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b85260ae0d3e022431a1ded92352384e96e727767ff9b11cd5181dfda6486fe1.jpg
Point, beautiful colours. Nice bokeh.
Hi Point. Nice shot and bokeh. Well done.
Beauty and simplicity, Point. I really love that blurred leaf behind your POI, as well as the very cool Bokeh. Love it!
Interesting shot. The leaves as point of interest are in sharp focus. Bokeh is nice. Well done, Point
I’m watching the colours change in my backyard, too. I really like the warm tones in this image and the bokeh is dreamy. Beautiful image, Point.
I really like the composition and the bokeh in the background… lovely colors!
I love what you have done with this shot. Lovely fall colours……very dreamy.
HI all. I will call this one “Surfs Up” Shot this in both B/W and Colour. My preference was the B/W. So here it is. Shot details: ISO 160, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F 22, SS 1/50 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b32ec759c0ba32b2c64ddbc7b9c80bd0a84414105b3f8fff2113824191e3dced.jpg
Denis, your backyard is enormous. Good composition with the waves, coast and sky.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for the feedback. Yes I took Back Yard literally. These shots may not be in the full spirit of of the challenge.
Hi Denis, I really love this image, nice and moody, and beautiful in B&W. I understand that you were restricted to 50mm. I kind of want to see more of the sea, and less focus on the houses… given that you called it “surfs up”
Hi Kerrie. Many thanks for the feedback. I was side on so hence the background. I agree it would have been better Head on. But there you go, I will have to go back and try again – and hope the weather plays ball.
Great capture and I agree with your choice to post it in BW. The mood is captured in the clouds which look like an impending storm or bad weather. Well done.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for your feedback.
Denis, I like the layering of the different elements here. Focus is very good throughout.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for your feedback
I like the composition here Denis. The different layers give the eye a lot to explore. B&W really suits it.
This month it has rained and rained. Got up in the rain the other day, went to the kitchen, and very briefly a shaft of sun highlighted a spider’s web in a potted fig ourside the window. Rushed out with camera, knew I hadn’t got long, assumed I would need Aperture priority, shot the web, and the sun disappeared and the rain came again. Didn’t get the effect I wanted, but offer you this. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7fa04918cb5d63d727a3b769dcaca25b89ed76a8eeb268e5b7413f6bca6bd3d9.jpg Taken at 1/250, f2.8, ISO 125. I am also attaching the original shot in the hope someone can suggest how I could have done it better. Should I have been further away maybe instead of going really close in? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d549798476ae6caef34c964017b4a866d8d775dc4ab6fa2bd528697023d0e205.jpg
Hilary, I like very much your crop. The web and the raindrops on it stand out very good against the dark background. There is even reflection on the raindrops of the sky. Well done.
Thank you Christian
Hilary, I read the other comments. Kerrie has a point: a crop from the top to get that sky away will make your picture stronger. Personally I agree with you that besides this extra cropping is not needed to see the whole spider web.
Thanks Christian. I had just hoped to get a photo of the web as I saw it from the window! Quite pleased with what I have got however.
Hilary, you have cropped this nicely to get the background predominately black. Spider webs are so fine and light in colour, they need a dark background or they get lost. The water drops add to the interest. You could try cropping in even closer and just look at a smaller section.
Thanks Andrew. I did look at closer crops but thought it lost the context. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for. In my head was displaying a spider’s web as I saw it from the window! Unfortunately I didn’t quite achieve that, but I am quite pleased with what I did achieve, even so!
Well done Hilary. I really like the close up version. I might just lower the brightness of the sky a tad. I’m no expert to advise on settings for this shot.
Thanks Kerrie. Yes, I can see what you mean about that bit of sky – I will have to give it a go.
Hi Hilary. Really like the cropped version. Love the rain drops, the way they stand out. Good capture. Well done.
Thanks Dennis. I like the raindrops too!!
Hi Hilary. The cropped version is better in my opinion since your POI is the spider’s web made up of thin threads. The water droplets help define the web and add more depth. Nice capture.
Thank you Romy.
Crop version is best. Little balls of light just hanging on the web! Excellent
Thanks Kathleen.
Cropped is good. The dark background is needed to show up the droplets as others have already suggested.
Yes, that is what I thought too. I just wish I could have captured what I saw from the window – a detailed web, albeit not at close range, glistening in the shaft of light. That is why I thought further away might have produced a different shot, more akin to what I first saw. I am quite pleased with what I have however!
Hilary, I like the cropped version of your photo. It’s much better without all of the distracting stuff. I think it would be even better without the bright spot at the top left. You could get rid of the spot by just blacking out the spot and that corner of the photo instead of more cropping. I would not want to lose any of the wonderful web. I just posted a similar shot.
Thanks Richard. It does look better without that bit of sky, though I did crop a little further. Couldn’t figure out how to black out the spot. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/328319d741717ae540cec27753b67eb8b129410a94f3f409ef19222582dc9493.jpg
This looks really cool! Wonder if you could lighten the drops a bit to make them more dramatic. Well done!
Hilary, I use the brush tool in Lightroom to darken the exposure on that part of the photo to reduce or eliminate the bright spot. Hope this helps.
Hi everyone. First sorry that I have not posted much on anyone’s photos lately. This week has been taken up with fielded messages and phone calls and sending out text messages to other family members about my mom. She is in the hospital and requires surgery so she has a better chance at living. One wrong swallow and she could die from a burst vein. Plus I am headed out for a weekend long photo shoot that will wipe me out. So will hopefully get some comments in soon. Thanks for understanding.
Barbara, best wishes for your mother and a lot of courage for you!
Hi Barbara. Prayers for the successful surgery and quick recovery of your mom. Have faith.
Hi Barbara. I wish successful and safe surgery for your Mom and wish her a speedy and full recovery.
Oh dear. Hope all goes well for your mother and that you can draw strength from family and friends during this time.
Hope all goes well Barbara. We are all hoping for a good outcome. Keep strong.
Barbara best wishes and prayers for a successful outcome.
Barbara you have many hugs from around the world coming to you. Kia Kaha (stay strong)
I was taking photo of a yellow rose bud in my garden when suddenly a bee decided to be in the frame. After one shot the bee flew away before I could change my settings for another angle. ISO 100, f 3.2 , 1/125 s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd8d6883e46663f050ba245f17a8efbd42af12623a174f8affa28e89492ee334.jpg
Hi Romy. Very good shot given the quickness of the event. Well done.
Thank you Denis. I call it luck. That was my one and only bee shot.
A blue banded bee….awesome!
Thanks Christine. Much appreciated.
Your bee’s body is super sharp! Love the blue bands.
Thanks Judy. Just lucky, considering I had only one shot.
Beautiful, Romy. The blue really pops against the yellow, and I love the sharpness of the bee’s body and motion of the wings. Well done.
Thank you Kerrie. Appreciate your feedback.
What a gorgeous bee – and beautifully sharp. Well done Romy.
Many thanks, Hilary. Much appreciated.
Romy, great picture with those lovely colours. Special coloured stripes on the bee. Good composition. Well done.
Many thanks Christian. Just lucky as this is my one and only bee shot.
Wow well done. Love the colors in the bee, I have not seen one like this before.
Thank you Valerie. That was also the first time I have seen such blue banded bee. Just lucky to be able to get the shot.
What a nice coloured bee. Good shot Romy.
Thanks much Kerrie.
Wow, What a nice shot ! everything is perfefect in this image. Really love the composition, the softness of the yellow rose, the nice bokeh and the really sharp bee. Great job. I love it !
Great capture, Romy! I love the color on the bee’s stripes… they almost look like opals. Perfectly composed, too.
Thank you so much Brenda. Honestly, the composition was completed in post. Had to crop a little here and there just to align the bee with the rule of thirds grid intersection and remove some distractions.
Beautiful image Romy and a great capture. Lovely colors and a good composition. Great work
Thank you so much Erez. Much appreciated.
Great colours on your bee, looks like you have a spider in there too! Well done!
Great image, lovely colors on the bee!
Trying something new to me here. Photos at night. For the want of something better IO will call this “Pool Illumination” Shot details. ISO 800, FL 50mm Prime Lens, F1.8, SS 1/13 Sec. I also used a https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b2a08fec6086f9a70a2fbba6c1e7ebccf9b1a92581cc00954be65a0891368d40.jpg Grad Filter. Had to hand hold the filter as the fittings don’t match up with this lens.
Hi Denis – I like the colour from the pool brought out by the submerged lights, and I think the reflected light helps give the image depth.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for the feedback.
very nice picture, I wonder how it would look with a blurred house and the nice lit pool?
Hi Juan. Many thanks for the feedback. Your suggestion is worth a go. Maybe next time.
Nice composition Denis. If you can re shoot this scene, try to turn off the pool lights at least in the right side if not all and just use the lighting in the house with long exposure. I think the reflection of the house would be more defined. Just a suggestion. Well done.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for the feedback. Good suggestion. Will keep it in mind If I am back there next year.
What I really like about this image Denis is the way the blues really pop because of the yellows in the background (contrasting colours). Great time of the day to shoot this kind of an image. Good choice using the grad filter to darken the structure in the background to make your pool the main point of interest. Well done. Brent
Nicely done, Denis. I would not have thought of using a filter for this…..and as it is the pool illumination, I really think you captured what you were after!
Last call…..My ‘Bee’ shot…..this is Maja the Bee enjoying the nectar of Spring!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3ee5963b965a7946a5ddfa1a2b729cc8afd38d7646dd4818120bdbdfd235b692.jpg
Wow love the colors and all the detail of the bee. What were your settings?
Thanks Kathleen….added settings into comments!
Thanks, natural light?
Indeed…..I prefer natural light in nature shots
Awesome capture Christine ! Beautiful composition with the bee in perfect focus. Great bacground blur too. Well done.
Thanks Romy 🙂
Beautiful detail in the bee and flower, Christine. It’s really nice how the bee stands out from that super-soft background.
Thanks Judy 🙂
Wow! I really love this one, Rerro. Your composition is awesome, I really like the little bit of detail on the leaf fading softly away. So so good!
Thanks so much Kerrie 🙂
Beautiful… love the colors, DOF, and the tight crop!
Very nice shot, you always do such great work. Like the beautiful colors of the flower contrasting with the bee.
Thanks so much Gary…much appreciated comments!
Gorgeous photo Christine. Where do you find ‘bee models’ to pose for you like that?
thanks….hahaha…..much patience Rachel 🙂
Another great shot Rerro. At last spring seems to have arrived in Perth.
It sure has….and so has my hay fever!
Hi Christine. Great work and shot. The clarity of the Bee is amazing. It is on the flower that is there but not overpowering. Very nice balance and presentation. Well done.
Thanks Denis…and welcome back!
Christine, great picture. Sharp portrait of the bee. Nice soft background. Personally the soft blue on the left disturbs me. But that’s just my impression. I would be lucky taking such a great picture. Well done.
Thanks Christian…yes….i tend to think there is a bit much going on in the frame….but wanted to keep as natural as i could!
Superb shot Rerro.
Thanks so much Tessa!
Rerro, you guys on this forum are amazing. Your are inspiring me more and more to take my photography up to a new level THANK YOU! This takes great patience to capture a guy this small and fast with such clarity and beauty. Well done.
Thanks so much Derryl….yip….patience….good practice for me for sure!
Wow, perfect composition and amazing detail. Love it.
Wauvv a great picture with a perfekt sharpness og the flower and the be Nice clolor really love this picture
Thanks Lone 🙂
Oh Rerro. This is just devine. What a beautiful capture.
Thanks Kerrie 🙂
Oh WOW ! Don’t change anything in this fantastic shot. Like Keri says, this is just divine. Love it!
Thanks so much Jackie 🙂
Wonderful image Christine – great details and colors.
Thanks Erez!
Beautiful. I love the light, colors and the treatment of the background. Beautiful!
Love this shot! So gorgeous. It’s perfect.
..and now it’s my turn for a ‘Bee’ shot. Settings: 1/640 sec. f7.1 ISO 250 using 100mm macro lens. I had two challenges with this image. Firstly, there was a long, bright white petal from the flower in front that was like a thick underline under the bee. It was distracting, so I cloned it out. Secondly, I agonised about the crop, and finally decided to go tight and remove a lot of the flower detail from the bottom left corner. I’ve been pretty quiet on Bootcamp this month due to work commitments. Will catch up on comments over the next couple of days. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b6f57b5c99c5e1227193afbb977291f5350f1bc4ec07ed79d6cae62acca95fe1.jpg
Just gorgeous, Judy. The bee is so sharp, with the dusting of pollen. I particularly like the texture, lighting and beautiful detail on the red petals. Love it!
What great contrast between the black/yellow and the red/green sets of complimentary colors!
Great shot using rule of thirds. Great color contrast too. Maybe up the shadows a little bit at the front of the bee to bring out a little more detail would help but overall a great shot with nice sharpness.
Yes, I see what you mean about upping the shadows. Below is my original unedited image. I think the detail in the bee is better there, but I lost it with some of the edits I made, thinking that there were too much reflected light going on in the bee’s body. Taking a fresh look, I think you are right.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c9c3aa7e4326befa1c62a1cfe887806fe23495c29187b6a51fa03fb7d789b73e.jpg
Great shot Judy. Love the contrasting colors.
Fabulous image Judy. Great job in removing the distractions. Nice composition. Well done.
Hi Judy. Great work here. Love the detail and clarity. Very good composition. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Judy, nice to see new work from you. Great details on the bee coverde with pollen. Nice structure on tghe petals. Great colours too. Well done.
Thanks Christian! The petals to the left were actually a very bright orange, which I really liked, but decided to darken a bit so they didn’t compete with the bee.
Lovely shot Judy. Great crop, putting the bee in just the right place and using the petals as leading lines to guide the eye to the bee.
Oh my, Judy, I am SO IMPRESSED with this shot. Is that pollen all over the bee? He has really been stuck into it! So sharp. It raises a voice of praise in my heart for the ONE who created this little guy. Amazing!
Definitely an amazing little creature doing an incredible job. Thanks for your comments, Derryl. I was really happy with the dark background and how that helped define the texture of the bee.
Fab shot Judy…..love the detail in the bee!
Thanks Christine 🙂 It’s such a good feeling when you get the shot of the bee in the right place and it is in focus.
Super shot. The contrasting colors and detail in the bee is great.
Thank you Valerie!
AMAZING SHOT. Look at all the pollen on him. WOW!!!
I know! This was probably the last warm day of summer that I found bees in my garden. He was busy and getting that last bit of goodness out of the fading flowers. The bees are gone now 🙁 Thanks for your comments, Keri.
WOW Judy, this is a perfect shot. Great details, the contrasting colors and the super sharp bee in action.
Wow, he is covered in pollen, could he even move!!! Lovely capture.
Lovely Judy! In my opinion, there is really not much better than a messy, pollen covered bee! This is so sharp and detailed! Love the colors. This should be published in a magazine.
Here is a budding plant I took on a nice warm summer day at a bog just down the street from my house using my Nikon D7200 at F10, 1/250 sec and ISO 450. Some slight adjustments of contract and vibrance to bring out the details. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e3ccd1bccd63601ae6bb34917a07bca66ffb68f802c9acf1e16b5f2b8782555a.jpg
I like this photo Gary. The bee is just an additional element to the purple flower which I think is the point of interest. Nice composition and background blur. Well done.
Really nice photo. Good composition and you even got a bug in there.
Hi Gary. Nice composition and well taken and presented. Lovely detail and clarity. Well done.
Gary, great picture. Nice colours. Love it. Well done.
The colors really pop in this one….like the purple flower on the green background!
Really nice contrast and bokeh. Well done.
My favourite thing about this image is how the purple pops against the soft green background. Great detail captured in the flowers.
Love the colour contrasts here Gary.
Really like your blurred green and the crisp buds. Well done
My last image for this challenge. I was watering some herb pots next to this daisy bush, and noticed some spray on the flowers. Thought I’d try to capture it side on, rather than straight into the flower. Shot in late afternoon sun.
1/100 sec f5.6 ISO 400 at 85mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/df53c5efb2f68e5f2b7733d6996a12c2374d54a1624572e76acbfb50e6c1ecd6.jpg
Nice composition and great job capturing the water droplets! Those purple pedals really pop against the dark background.
Thanks so much, Brenda. There was a lot of shade in the background.
I love those colors Kerrie. The minimalist in me wants to see that blossom by it’s self, with the stem coming out of the lower right corner. With that dark background it would be awesome framed on the wall. 🙂
Thanks Rachel, I ummed and ahh’d over the crop before posting the first one. How’s this? I like it, though I am not quite sure how to deal with the dark banding around petals on right. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28b099abccf58974e4cf03920e1c7f3dddba81abea9765ce6edd06f7f56e93bb.jpg
Wow, I like this one more. No distractions just the POI. Great crop.
Thanks Romy, I prefer this crop as well. I was going to post this originally, then changed my mind 🙂
Oh wow Kerrie, this is awesome! Love the details and textures. Not sure what you’re reffering to re: “the dark banding around petals on right”. Looks all good.
Thanks Rachel. Glad it looks ok.
Hi Kerrie. This is my choice here. Lovely detail and clarity. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
Kerrie, nice picture with lovely colours. Great contrast between the flower and the background. Nice to see the waterdrops on the petals. Well done.
Thank you, Christian.
Love this Kerrie. The water droplets are beautifully sharp.
Thanks Tessa 🙂
Love this! I really like the water droplets. Well done.
Thanks, Sarah 🙂
Hi Kerrie. I like the crop and I just love droplets. So pretty on the pastel purple.
Thanks Keri 🙂
Kerrie, This is a great shot … much better without the other blossoms on the right. Your decision to shoot from the side was excellent and you have captured the drops of moisture perfectly. Nice work.
Thanks so much, Richard 🙂
Lovely, this is better!
Thanks Sheree 🙂
Great shot Kerrie. Love the water droplets. Well done.
Thanks Romy.
Love the second crop Kerrie. Weter droplets make such a difference. Well spotted and well done.
Thanks Hilary!
Wow. The detail and play of light vs shadow in the water droplets is terrific. Combine it with the darker background, and the whole thing works so well. That being said, I just saw the tighter crop, and think I prefer it.
What a nice shot ! I totally agree with Judy, All is perfect only the green daisy on the right side diverts the attention from the beautifull main one. But for me, instead to crop it out, I’d like to try just to stamp it out because I really like the contrast with the crisp daisy in the front and the blured one in the back. Great shot !
Very pretty shot, Kerrie! I may have cropped out from the right side a bit more…..love the water on the petals
Wow, that in my opinion, is a perfect image Kerrie! Beautiful.
I’m way behind on this month’s posts… now that I see all the fantastic bee images, I’m a little reticent about posting my bee image. I think it’s time for a new lens… perhaps a macro! Anyway, we have a pot of blooming chives that have been covered with bees lately. Nikon D200, 1/400, f5.6, 200mm, ISO 250. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/95b504a25c6b6c1fd4bab43689da564cc8705f9d69e693c8d34dee9fd2476ad2.jpg
Brenda, this is a good shot. The bee is really well focused and the colors are good. To make it better I would suggest playing with the ‘black’ level to make the bee pop and it will add to the overall contrast of the image. Not sure about the blurred objects in the foreground. I’m finding them distracting.
You didn’t need to be reticent about posting this, it’s a great image, Brenda. Your focus on the bee is spot on, and there is some lovely detail in those tiny flowers. I might be tempted to play with different crops eliminating a fair bit of the left 1/3 of the frame. Well done.
This is a great capture, Brenda. The bee is sharply focused and I love the background blur. Well done.
P.S. I suggest to crop some more from the right and bottom. That will remove some of the blurred foreground and put the bee squarely in the intersection of the grid lines. See if you like it.
Hi Brenda. Great shot of the bee. I wonder if you cropped tighter in, It might bring the bee more to the fore. Well done.
Brenda, nice picture. Personally I would (other than Romy, but that’s why the challenge is for) crop only from the left to accentuate the attention on that bee. Well done.
We can never have enough bees Brenda – and your shot is great! Love the angle you have chosen with the blurred foreground and sharp subject. The smooth green background work too. I like how you’ve composed your image with the bee off-centre too. Well done. Brent
Wonderful composition and colors.
Bees are beautiful Brenda. I love seeing them photographed. Really nice shot. Composed well.
This one is a winner, Brenda. Great detail in the bee and the flowers, and I like the composition and the light you have captured here.
Thanks to all for the encouragement and suggestions. Here is a different crop… and I boosted the shadows/blacks a bit. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0abeeafcf90317ccdc03a8ed7c570e35eb91f5148049ffc11510f33de1f835e.jpg
Great image Brenda – sharp both bee and flower, good composition and an interesting light. Love it
I love this cropped version. Nicely composed…..
Nice work, Brenda 🙂
Beautiful, love the detail!
This is my second post for this challenge. Let me first issue this disclaimer. Macro photography is neither my passion nor my strong suit. I do not even own a macro lens. This image was shot hand held with my 70-300mm Tamron lens at a minimum focal distance for my lens of about 6′. Settings were ISO 100, 120mm, F4.5 & 1/640 sec. Every September here in Ohio, our Yellow Garden spiders show up in our 1 acre Christmas tree plot and spin these magnificent spider webs amongst the trees. To even see them you have to go out in the early morning with harsh backlighting. If the morning conditions are right, the webs will be covered with water droplets from the morning or overnight dew and you can capture an image such as this. They only seem to be around for a few days and then they are gone. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/333f2c4abeb97a383a40d8104689fad0e1d0ddb5fd85c7cb3e7c6689ddbc7a79.jpg
Hi Jim, this is nice capture of spider web with water droplets as added elements. Well done. Maybe you can find some webs with spider in it to photograph. I think that would be awesome. Just a suggestion.
Thanks Romy. I do have some shots with the spider in them and I debated which to post. I’ll post one of them before this challenge ends.
Thanks Romy
Neat shot Jim. Maybe playing around with WB and colors would help define the web. Image seems a bit heavy on the ‘green’.
Thanks Rachel. I re-posted with a few suggested tweaks.
Thanks Rachel
Hi Jim. Very good effort here. Like you I do not have a Macro Lens. Very hard to get a shot like this without it. Well done.
Thanks Dennis.
Thanks Denis
Jim, nice picture. Personally I would have cropped away some of the twigs. Lovely to see the waterdrops on that web. Perhaps lowering the intens green spot behind would accentuate the web and the drops on it. Well done.
Thanks Christion. I reposted with a few tweaks.
Thanks Christian
I like the crisp pine needles but agree that a little cropping on the right side might help. Leave the left side as is though. It does look like your focus was a bit in front of the web so it wasn’t as clear, but I think toning down the green background and maybe seeing if more highlights might catch the web would be worth a try.
Thanks for the suggestion Leila. I cropped a bit, took the greens down a bit and tweaked the WB. Like you I am a little disappointed in the focus on the web & droplets. I could have managed my DOF better. One thing I did lear https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/430453799addc42ad1c8a1e5396658aac55dce2165e8de2fb31cc407cb27c5a6.jpg n is that it is really hard to focus on spider webs both manually and auto. Thanks fro the comments & suggestions
Thanks Leila
Well done Jim! I struggle with webs, you did a great job with this one.
Thanks Sara
Lovely capture of fleeting beauty, Jim.
Thanks Judy
Cool shot, Jim. You could always take a spray bottle with you to keep adding drops!
Thanks Sheree
cymbidium orchid
I’ve been waiting for the buds to burst into their glory (I was worried it might happen after the closure of this months postathon)
1/200s, f4.5, iso 200 and 100mm macro
This is a stacked focus
image (14 images) and taken with a black cloth behind the plant. I tried
the peg trick and even then had to wait for the breeze to die down for each
exposure. The only editing was to remove a bud from the bottom right of the image
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f2848d907807aba8d108e3e67a4bfddfc8c2e2dcc71772d152bbf8e00bac4670.jpg
Wow Nick, that’s an awesome photo. Just my taste here, but thinking maybe a bit more brightness!?
Wow, this is a fabulous photo and the dark background brings out the lovely flower. Focus is spot on, nicely composed. Beautiful image, Nick.
Hi Nick. Very good. Nice composition. Good clarity and sharpness. Like the background. Well done.
Nick, very nice picture. Great contrast between the light coloured flower and the dark background. Well done.
Crisp. Clean. Pure. This photo captures my imagination. I really like the stark separation from the orchid from the black background AND the stem behind it.
Nick…you have nailed it! Excellent shot….and your perseverance and persistence have paid off in heaps! Well done mate!
Beautiful, Nick! Well worth the wait. Love it.
Great picture of my favorite flower
Great job! Beautiful capture!
Nick this is just beautiful. So soft. Such beautiful colour and the time you have taken to get this result is worth it.
Nick, I think you have nailed that focus stacking technique. The detail here is glorious, and I really like that black background to isolate the orchid. So glad it made it onto your garden stage to be included in this challenge.
Well done, Nick. Hard to believe you got 14 shots and it was breezy, and you managed to retain the crispness of the edges. Well done.
Beautiful Nick! I don’t know if I am more jealous of this perfect photo or the fact that I can’t grow an orchid to save my life! Well done.
My last photo for this challenge. Found this guy munching on one of my flower plants. If it’s still there tomorrow, it’s dead!
Minimal PP. WB, exposure and a healthy crop.
57mm f/1.4 macro lens set at f/4, ISO 100, 1/160 plus flash.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9bb247eec69d7bb385b84bdf1b9f97fe4318645507b9a35c68860dadcdb4377f.jpg
Hi Rachel. Great image and nice composition. I have been waiting for colorful caterpillars in my garden. Caterpillars can really do great damage to your plants overnight. But they are very nice subjects for macro shots because they do not fly away when you approach. Well done.
P.S. Maybe just transfer them to some weeds. Someday when they become butterflies you will have beautiful subjects to photograph.
Thanks, Romy. No weeds in my back yard, so it’s fate is sealed. 🙂
Rachel, in that case hunt all of them down. Haha
Thanks Romy. Problem with this type of caterpillar is that it turns into a moth and feeds primarily on my clivias. Not something you want to relocate. but something you want to eradicate. It’s gone. 🙂
Love it Rachel – the photo, not the guy. I know exactly how you feel. At least he has his photo taken before his demise and he is a handsome creature!!!!
Thanks Hilary. I find them rather yucky, but it was the only bug I could find, other than ants.
Thanks, Hilary!
Hi Rachel. Nice composition and capture. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
Thank you, Denis!
Rachel, nice picture. Very great colourful composition. Well done.
Thanks, Christian.
Haha! I understand Rachel. The problem is, if he is gone tomorrow, so will half your plant! Nice focus on his head. I continually am amazed at God’s incredible creativity and attention to detail in His creation! Thanks for capturing this.
Thanks Derryl.
Fantastic POV and rich colors… the DOF is really nice!
Thanks, Brenda.
Well done. I love the colors.
Thanks, Sara.
Thanks Sara.
Glorious shot Rachel.
Thanks, Keri!
The caterpillar is stunning with its stripes of bright colours. I like your choice to get the head in focus with that wide aperture. The head is not perfectly sharp, however. Was this handheld or on a tripod? Windy day?
Thanks Judy! Handheld, bent over, trying not to step on plants, shooting down between plant fronds. You get the picture! LOL!
Interesting angle, Rachel! I love the colors. I would have got rid of him right after the photo op!!!
Thanks, Sheree. I went back the next morning and it was still around. Big mistake! It’s a Clivia Lily caterpillar and they can wipe out a flower bed overnight if you get a bad infestation.
Great shot, love the colors. I don’t know where you are but it’s fall here and this screams fall to me.
Thanks Chris! I’m down under. Spring here and loving it. If only the darn wind would let up. Not as warm as South Florida,(my last home) but so much more picturesque.
This tree is a paulownia, about 15m tall, and one of the first things to bloom in spring. It is a lovely shade tree but the flowers come before the leaves. Unfortunately I can’t get far enough away to photo the tree – too many other trees, the house etc in the way. Had the ides to go underneath and photo upwards to get one group of blossoms with a background of the rest of the blooms. Taken at 1/2000, f2.8, ISO 125 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b6f5fa36ea3f2d4d07ba897c6f0b338d3fc58d23b6400859a28fe03b991cfaf.jpg
Hi Hilary. I like what your concept was here. Just wondering if you concentrated on a batch of the blooms would you get the desired result. Well Done.
Thanks Denis. See my reply to Tessa above.
I like the combination of soft colours in this shot Hilary and the angle of the shot from underneath the tree. I agree with Denis that a tighter crop on the group of blossoms might give a clearer POI and bring out more detail on the blossom.
Thanks Tessa. Is this better? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e877f8d7a2d512a69873d87e342e2ae217c6b5000df69f7c9ca8d4c38e9d689.jpg
Yes, I think this crop makes a much stronger picture. You’ve captured the flowers really well and this shows them off better.
Hilary, I like this one better. Nice job!
I also think this is better, Hilary. What was your focal distance on this image? If you had a long lens, say 100mm or 200mm, then that lens may have helped blur the back ground a little more. The branches are very dense, so minimising them in your background would help.
Thanks Judy. It was a short lens so I have been back outside today and tried again with a longer lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5eb688b72eeb1473670528a620d8ab8d0f685857dae63b68fa39eab547e3824a.jpg 106mm at 1/320, f7.1, ISO 100 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c7bbde56e6018a3df3fd75eed09f10fc1f0b3f7cb9e10998aefa4e249e765e49.jpg 206mm at 1/320, f6.3, ISO 100. You were right. Thank you.
This is the better shot of the three.. But as the sun appeared to be a bit harsher, the color has washed out a bit. I would try to up the saturation….or play with your color balance a bit in post….. well done. This is nicely composed and focused.
Another night effort. I think my creative spirit gave me a jolt here. What came to mind was UFOs. I know it is far from perfect and would love to hear from you all. Shot Details: ISO 200, FL 50mm Prime Lens again, F1.8, SS 1/200 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f8e4f97223006e0a965d2d66f2c0b07a276b7f0f99a350affad07ebf1e3b537d.jpg
Denis, it certainly gives a dreamy effect. Creative picture.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great job moving out of a comfort zone. I see the UFO’s and lanterns.
That’s a bit arty Denis. Leaving our comfort zones is a good thing.
Oooh – this is so different for you, Denis. Good job leaving your comfort zone. Makes me think of UFO’s, too.
Definitely makes me think UFO Denis.
Not sure UFOs come to mind, but balloons with the candles in them. I might have got rid of some of the black——globe lights…..floating.
This is a cyclamen that valiantly appears out of a bunch of stones at the corner of our garage each year and bursts into flower. This was a flat down on the patio shot to get on a level with the flowers. I went for a soft focus look, with just the very front of the flower in focus. As it was a dull day, I upped the temperature a little in Lightroom. 1/200 sec f/2.8 ISO 200 Tamron 90mm prime lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba9a1b026416091df4f2f654b33fc391a64d549f92adfaa1e01cb6d2b7ddd035.jpg
Beautiful shot Tessa ,Soft pastel pink colors , great Bokeh & good composition ,I like it .
Thank you Peter
Hi Tessa. Lovely soft shot. You certainly achieved your goal here. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Absolutely gorgeous…..love the softness, and sensuality of this image!
Thanks very much Rerro!
Beautiful shot, Tessa. I love the diagonal line of soft petals fading into the background, and the contrast between light and dark in opposite corners. Well done.
Thank you Kerrie
Nice DoF and beautifully composed, Tessa. Great image.
Thanks Romy
Beautiful… love the color and the softness.
Thanks Brenda
Really Nice picture love the Colour and the sharpness in the front
Thanks Lone
Beautiful! Lovely job!
Thank you Sara
This is beautiful and soft and dreamy Tessa. Well done.
Thanks Keri. That’s the effect I was after.
Another beautiful shot, Tessa. I like your use of the wide aperture here to get the very front in focus while the back fades away in the same direction as the petals.
Thanks Judy – much appreciated.
Lovely tones, softness and composition. Great shot !
Thanks Jackie
Beautiful shot Tessa and a good use of the DOF. Realy love this
Thank you Erez.
Soft, lovely colors and like the composition. Well done!
Thanks Sheree!
Very pretty. Lovey the crop too.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/32d0d62791cff458226a996cae90c9e8383f2c8c0a82a2302d90dacb13284a7e.jpg
Grasshopper: Last entry for this challenge. Found this guy while roaming around the yard. It was a willing subject. f/11 1/80 ISO 250 90mm
Hi fiat76. Great shot. Good composition and well taken. Tack sharp with definition and clarity. Well done.
Well, at least it wasn’t a praying mantis. Hate those! Great detail and balance with the background.
Hi Fiat. This is a sharp photo of the grasshopper. Nice composition and tack sharp. Well done.
Wow, great close-up! Great composition, too.
Great detail very well done.
Well caught!
nice clean shot ,well done Fiat76
Thanks, All, for the positive comments! I have a new respect for macro photographers. Macro photography has opened up a whole new world…”seeing” the previously unseen. Bonnie
Great picture of the little guy
Bonnie, I am not a fan of grasshoppers at all but…….you have shown that there is more to these guys in their colour and “armour” than you can see when running away from them LOL. I just wonder if the face could have been more sharp. Well done.
Yes….the face is a little soft. I am new to macro photography…my excuse! Thanks for your comments. Bonnie
Great capture Bonnie and a nice setting. Lovely image
Good shot, Bonnie. Not sure how close you were, but good that he cooperated with you!
Great shot Bonnie Very sharp and I like the moss on the branch. Really great detail.
The classic shot “I love you but I hate you!” A little combo of last months B&W challenge and this month’s Back Yard challenge. My 4-year-old grand daughter and I were playing Frisbee in the back yard. Her new puppy was elated! She we not. As they struggled against wills, I simply had to dash inside to grab my camera. This was too good to miss! I just love the look of vexation on her face. “Theo, let go!!!!” ISO 800, 24mm, F4.0 & 1/1000 sec. (Image used with permission from parents).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9c5db52f17bb53b2656cfabc3607ffc5d1146dbedac023dc1e272aa0d1d215a5.jpg
Hi Darryl. Great capture. Well worth the run for the camera. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I am curious about your thoughts about this B&W vs. colour in this case of this subject childhood funny flair and furry friends. Here is the colour version. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f53545a24ea13c339ed8e12ca57c55901af6dac658bb47cf1a4559911a155a36.jpg .
Hi Derryl, in this case I actually like the colour better – the yellow frisbee and to a lesser extent the girls orange top really stand out and make a great point of interest – especially the frisbee, as that’s what they’re arguing about!
Hi Derryl, personally I prefer the color version. The yellow frisbee pops as the main subject. Great capture.
Yes, I agree with Romy and Alex. The colour shows it better. Well done.
The colored version look good to me ,perhaps a smidge lighter would bring out the puppy better ,good capture .
I think the colour version is my favourite, but I would take the saturation down just a bit because the flouro t-shirt overwhelms the child, in my opinion. However, I like the way you recovered details in the dog’s furry coat in the B&W version.
I think the B&W is my fav! 🙂
I think I like the B&W one best. The expression on your little lady’s face is great. Puppies are a good deal as long as they don’t take over the game.
A great capture of the moment Derryl. I like the choice of B&W – it increases the focus on the emotion. Good work!
Nice capture and great emotion. I prefer the black and white as it seems to relay the feeling.
Priceless, candid shots with children are the best and her expression couldn’t be clearer. Like the B&W best.
Well done, Derryl. You’ve captured a classic moment that I’m sure most of us have experienced. I like the quirky angle as I think it reflects the chaos of the moment.
Great shot Derryl, a classic moment to keep for life. Great in B&W. Love it
Great story this tells! Lovely shot…..
Haha, great image and story Derryl.
Here is my Halloween post on my back deck. I can’t buy real pumpkins any more as these darn squirrels finish them off overnight and make a giant mess (have photos of that, too…). I was surprised that they didn’t scamper when they saw my camera but the pumpkin must have been too tasty to give up. Nikon D5300; 1/80; f/16; 300mm; ISO400. Slightly cropped only. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6073b7a67077ab044bca399cf96c1f67cc17f16db1c69b56aa57098497661145.jpg
Haha. Caught in the act! Fall colours are so great to shoot. Funny. On this forum some are shooting “FALL” and some are shooting “SPRING!”
Fabulous shot! 🙂 Love it!
Gave me a good laugh. Thank you. 🙂
The squirrel almost looks like it is wondering when you are going to bring some more. :p
Very good shot.
Gotcha! Beautiful shot Leila. Love it. I suggest to crop out the other pumpkin from the right.
Love the expression on his face, as well as the lovely fall colors! Nicely done.
Love it. Super cute subject. Nicely done.
Great capture of the moment Leila. They say that every picture tells a story and this certainly does!
Hi Leila. This is very good. Love the eye contact. Well done.
Leila, you got him very good. Great composition. Very nice colours. Personally I would crop the right pumpkin awy as it distracts a bit. Well done.
Tack sharp! I agree about the pumpkin on the right. Well done!
Oh Leila. How beautiful. He looks like he’s asking if it will be alright to have some to me. The rest of the team have commented on cropping a little and I agree. That is just so cute.
They are cute, pesky little fellows, indeed. The focus on the face is bang on, and I like that you have captured a catchlight in its eye.
Beautiful crisp focus on the little thief Leila – well captured.
Well done! The lighting is great and it is perfectly focused. It is great that you can even see all his whiskers. I love that you can see him holding his hands together as if to say, oh my, oh my such a treat, but I am I in trouble?
Such a great image Leila. Great focus on the little fellow and the pumpkins. He looks as if trying to communicate.
Lovely, Leila. So cute, but so naughty!!! Great job
This is great! Look at the excess pumpkin on the squirrels face. Really a great image.
Libby like to critique my photography skills on this Challenge.
f16, ISO200, 1/5sec, 18-135mm lens at 67mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7fdcd62d610e5932b00bde4e5cd8ebe6a9117234d299c7912b8e8d18f9475ced.jpg
Literally using the rule of thirds! I like your pups intent expression and the light falling in through the widow on her face. The reflection in the upper right corner is a bit of a distraction. In post edit could you tone that light spot down? Very nice capture of “Why can’t I be with you?!”
Beautiful portrait shot of Libby. I like the soft lighting on Libby’s face. Nice image Kathleen
Well done portrait of LIbby. At 1/5 sec she was holding really still. Love the isolation of your subject and perfectly placed in the window.
Hi Kathleen. This is the one I prefer. Good capture. Well done.
Kathleen, this one is my favorite. Perqsonally I would try in poost process to get the upper right corner as dark as the rest. You framed the dog very good in the middle window. Good composition. Well done.
who doesn’t love a photo of your best friend ,great shot Kathleen .
Hi Kathleen, after so many praises for your excellent composed photograph I will try a little bit critique on your camera work: the picture is not sharp. Probably it happened through the low shutter speed. And as Christian wrote, removing the light reflection (?) in the right upper corner. But, I’d like to be in your situation with such beauty.
As a beginner photographer, this is why I joined and am enjoying Boot Camp — for positive feedback and imparting knowledge. Libby is out of focus. The shot was not planned and I did not check my settings. As Brent has said, faster shutter speed when not on tripod. Agree also with eliminating light reflection. Was wondering if it was a distraction and you all directed me to the “picture perfect” finale. Thanks.
is this better? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/922a2dca7ff8ddd2447221511c82fe1c89c225bee87872f7a3194fddb840128a.jpg
This photo just makes me go……… Naw what a beautiful shot. The subject and the tones are spot on. There is a little bit of noise though but in saying that the effect is really good.
Nice use of framing in this image.
Two lovely shots here Kathleen. I really like this amended version.
Good composition and a lovely image Kathleen. Great pose of the dog.
I prefer this version
Great edit. I really love this, it reminds me of a painting, but don’t remember what one…..Norman rockwell?
Just precious. Love the composition!
Great composition and I love his forlorn expression. I would crop or clone out the light spots in the upper right. Your focus is also a little of on this one unlike the other one. Probably due to shutter speed and camera movement. Still a nice shot though!
I really love this shot!!!! Well done!
Delphi, on the other hand, does not care.
f4.5, ISO100, 1/20sec, 100mm lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd68bfc1cc94da7a3151702d36a9734bd5d0e83a64929c1fef780ef1f18d01b2.jpg
Like them both! Great capture of their very different expressions.
Got to love dogs and their expressive ways. Delphi probably just wants you to get on with it so she can go for a walk, or enjoy a treat. I like this one, too, Kathleen. Focus on the face is very good, and I like the depth provided by the greenery in front.
Kathleen:
Really nice shot. We also have a Yellow Lab and we love the breed. I love how you used the window mullions to frame his face. Very effective & creative framing peeking through the leaves. I like that one eye is hidden and that you have catch light in his eye. Tack sharp focus. However, the image looks a little cool. You might want to play with the white balance and also brighten up the exposure a bit. Just some ideas to consider. I love his expression. Not sure why you chose such a slow shutter speed. Don’t be afraid to raise your ISO when you need to.
Delphi cares about naps and walks and such, I am sure! Lovely image.
Typo: Libby likes
Just made it before the challenge closes… I confess this one is not in my backyard, but it is in my neighbours backyard, which is much more interesting than mine. So I’d like to think it almost qualifies… I’d been thinking about taking a photo of this fountain for a while so this challenge was a good enough reason to finally do it. I used an ND filter to slow it down to 1/6 of a second, to get a nice soft look for the water. ISO 400, f4, 35 mm. It was a cloudy day so no harsh sunlight. I tried different crops and I also took landscape orientated shots but liked this best, with all the ferns behind it, and even the submerged slab it’s sitting on looks ok. The moss growing on it looks the part too. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01a3145c6b7caff34fa587055f21e1eb36b1ac7e9644293c69ebd12758e8a080.jpg
Hi Alex. Beautiful long exposure shot. Love the soft blurred image of the water. The shadows are nice and provide mood to the calm image. Well done.
Hi Alex. Great shot well captured. Nice soft water and lighting. Well done.
Nice picture with sort Water
Well done. Great doc and I like the soft water.
Alex, mission accomplished. The fountain of water is nice and soft, without losing all definition. For me, the icing on the cake is the brighter tips of the palm fronds. They are sublte arrows of light pointing to the fountain and waters. Excellent composition.
Really nice shot Alex. You nailed it.
Lovely shot Alex. I love the light and shade and the water movement.
Beautiful image Alex. Love the lighting and the soft motion blurred water. Great work
Lovely Alex. What kind of ND…..3? I have not tried to slow water down yet, but want to!
Thanks Sheree, it’s a ND 400, which I think is 9 stops, maybe 8. As it happens it slowed it down too much to get a 1/6 second exposure, which is a good speed to capture soft, moving water – so I upped the ISO to 400 from 100 and increased the aperture, and maybe went a bit too far with it, could have had either a lower ISO or a narrower aperture but in the end it all worked out. Daytime long exposure is a great area of photography, and not just with water – go for it!
Wow, very lovely. I especially like the yellow/green or the leaves in the background. And the water is like silk.
Hobbits and Women Folk
Fujinon XF16-55 @ 29mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO 200
Picture taken in my front yard. Four of my daughters were going to a costume ball.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/73386df3133ca9a96f05df3dd0a40448f80e623f8a17c7d6454c4793116e555b.jpg
Hi Point. Beautiful shot if your lovely daughters. Perfect for framing. Well done.
I’m new to this group so I hope you’ll be kind. This was the backyard of a cabin we stayed in. Early morning fog after a weekend of rains and a small herd of deer came by. 1/60 sec ISO 500 70mm f/4.5. Taken through the window, sun coming from the right illuminating the deer. Hope you enjoy it.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a9766d306f3a403664ec45bc64f50bd4a718ba5b98f69177a8317ae2df31221c.jpg
Kathleen, a lovely peaceful shot. Love the mist. Maybe it would be inproved if you cropped the post on the left and the tree trnumk on the right. They distract somewhat from the dreamy quality of the rest of the shot. Well done though, and welcome to the group.
Thanks Hilary and thanks for the suggestion. I made the additional crop, let me know what you think.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b1b345cbc23deeb54b82ec03defef12c3835609a94ac6d470436e861ff944875.jpg
Now Kathleen what a difference. You still have the dreamy effect with the mist but the Deer comes more into play. Very good work. Well done.
Thanks so much Denis 🙂
Kahleen, nice picture. Good composition. You got your dreramy effect. Well done.
Thanks, love foggy photos, don’t always get them in Texas.
Yes, it has made a big difference. Hope you like it too.
I do like it! Thanks
Hi Katleen. Welcome to Bootcamp. I like this photo and the dreamy effect provided by the mist in the background. This crop is much better. Try to crop out some more the remaining branches from the hidden tree at the right. Once done you will notice a stronger composition with the deer at or near the intersection of the rule of thirds grid lines. Just a suggestion. Nice capture.
Hi Romy, Thanks for the suggestion, this photo is already highly cropped so cropping more really degrades the image. I was in the house using a 24-70mm at 70mm. Cropping in also put the tree right up front and takes away from the deer. The contrast of the deer with the background and framing her with the plants and tree is the best I can do. Thanks again for your suggestion.
Much better scene Cropped ,nice clean foreground against the foggy backdrop ,well done Kathleen .
Thanks you Peter
Thanks Peter
Much better version, less distracting. Well done, I like the mist.
Hi Kathleen very nice first post. I like this crop much better as it draws you into the photo. Nicely done.
Thanks Valerie
Hi Kathleen. The cropped image is much better. This shot is dreamy. Well done.
Thanks Keri
Lovely shot, Kathleen. It looks like a scene out of a beautifully illustrated book. I like this crop, and the way my eye flows from the bottom left corner through to the deer and the fog in the trees in the background.
Thanks so much, it just has a luminance to it.
Welcome Kathleen. I definitely like this one better. The crop helped as there was too much going on in the original and it distracted from your subject. You might even want to try cloning out or cropping out the pot as it’s orange color draws your eye away from your subject. Love the mist. You might try using the local adjustment brush to make your subject stand out more.
Thanks, Jim I uploaded a new photo with the pot removed. Let me know what you think. Thanks again for your comments. Kathy
Wow ! Now it’s perfect
Thanks Jackie
Hi Kathleen and welcome. This cropped version is great – well captured. I agree with Jim about the terracotta pot – I too find it a bit distracting. Could try cloning it out or cropping further to use the tree as a frame on the left hand side.
That was my next step! Not very adept with PhotoShop so we’ll see how well I do. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/77e1995db0c90cd6eeb8a5df6f42a8a775f1a7303dc242fde882e723f35589f4.jpg
Lovely Kathleen! Now the deer is really the POI.
I have added a new photo with the pot cloned out – let me know what you think, Thanks KM
This is better, but could you preserve the fence post on the left?
This is beautiful! Looks like a paining!!
Hi Kathleen. Welcome to Bootcamp. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. This is a very nice first post. Nice dreamy effect with the mis shrouding the trees in the distance. I would agree with Hilary’s suggestion. Very well done.
Thanks for the welcome and comment Denis, it looks like a very interactive group and a great way to get photos critiqued so looking forward to future challenges.
Agree with Romy…more crop would make this image even better! Like the mist. I have never known this group to be unkind!
Welcome Kathleen, I’m also new here. Very nice ! looks nearly like a painting. Really love the atmosphere. I agree with others, need to be croped. Do not be afraid to lose a little of your image. It can only enhance the magic of this landscape.
Love the mood Kathleen and it is a beautiful image, especially the cropped version. Wonderful image and welcome!
Have you deliberately used the shallow depth of field? I think that maybe in this case a higher aperature could bring the deer to focus without sucrifising the dreamy mood, but it is wonderful as is.
I had the lens open fairly wide to lower the ISO. Using a single focus point that was on the deer. This is cropped very tight as I was photographing from inside the cabin. Some of the softness is due to the fog too. Thanks for your comments
Everyone here is kind, Kathleen! :). what a lovely dreamy photo……. I would have tried a smaller setting, perhaps f16? … but I love the fog and the deer. I would have also tried to crop out the trunk on the side, even though I know you said it was cropped tight already…… but just lovely!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e7adae0ca45bdfee6409455cb2959ac1bd1c4240d0b71492c005d4c6919ba258.jpg
Not too much going on in my back yard – still, my first attempt at a macro! 🙂
Very clever!
Super cute, I like how you have composed.
Hi Valerie,
Thanks – the bug is quite cute. I wanted to capture the eyes and smile as items of interest. Obscuring it in the vegetation was to add some interest and I guess some authenticity that it was caught, in the back yard.
I love this Michael.
Hi Michael – love the happy bug. What settings did you use? With a very large aperture, you may have been able to blur the purple flowers in the front even more.
Hi Judy,
My set up is a micro 4/3 camera. ISO 200, 1/125 sec, f2.8 using a 12 – 40 mm zoom, which was at the max. Additionally I was quite close to the subject, so I am not sure I could achieve much more blurring of the fore-ground, without resorting to a different lens.
Great suggestion though, always worth considering.
I agree – you got the most out of it using that setup.
Tack sharp subject. You could improve this image if you cleaned the site by removing the green plant blades slashing through your subject before you took the shot.
Hi Jim,
My bug, is obviously a prop, so the idea was to partially obscure it, to imply the image was more difficult to catch – my attempt at a cheeky interpretation of the challenge.
Cheers
Got it
Nice and creative way to use a plastic/ wooden bug as a prop in this image. It’s a happy day! Well done Michael.
Hide and seek!
Last one for this challenge. Shot details: ISO 200, FL18mm, F4, SS 1/800. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7d70bb611b1694a7b37e40c0bad4d3fa2d8bfad24346e18f3a2dc0b91c9d5493.jpg
I feel the motion in this one. Well done.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback.
Nice motion capture Denis!
Hi Valerie. Many thanks for your feedback.
Nice one Denis. Love the movement.
Hi Keri. Many thanks for your feedback.
You have captured beautiful detail in this seed head, Denis, and the lighting really helps bring that out. My suggesting is to leave a little more space at the top to see the whole seed head. You might have to perform some contortions then, too, to get a background where the roofline doesn’t compete with your subject.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for the feedback. Good comments with which I agree. I was on my way home taking this. Will just have to go back next year,
Nice Dennis.
Hi Jim. Many thanks for the feedback.
Beautiful plume Denis. One can really sense a windy scene. Did you crop this? If so maybe you can readjust and leave some space at the top.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for the feedback. The top is not a crop, rather a mistake in shooting.
Denis, you nicely captured a beautiful subject under a great light. It is a lovely image.
I agree with others that it could be better with some more space above.
Hi Erez. Many thanks for the feedback.
I can almost feel the breeze, Denis. I guess you were also laying in the grass! Nicely done.
Hi Sheree. Many thanks for the feedback.
Last photo for this challenge is the best thing in my back yard & my Best Buddy “BJ” ,A Red Doberman / Rottweiler cross ,shot @ 16mm , f4 , iso100 , 1/50 , with fill flash . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/344e35be03a2dc18db701ff15bb5ecc7d4b4c3b9edb87be4ec261acd156bbc9a.jpg
Such a handsome fellow too. Its a good photo of BJ and maybe cropping along the tile line would bring the emphasis his face and simplify the background.
I did notice the tiles & matt running slightly off square but not a competition photo just wanted to show off my Boy ,thanks Kathleen .
He’s a great looking dog. Since he’s such a good subject hope to see more of him.
Great job.
Thanks Sara .
Love that look on his face. Good capture.
thank you Valerie .
BJ looks like he can hardly wait for you to take him for a walk or play a game. Would a red-eye fix help make his eyes look less green? 🙂 I understand that was probably caused by the flash, which you may have needed to bring out the detail in his coat and face.
thanks Judy,he does love a game ,The red eye removal doesn’t work on animal eyes but i do remember seeing a program for animal eyes some time ago .
Fixed up a little ,I cloned a dark spot on to his eyes & a little bit more cropped at the top. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/27db2de14cbceb3a73cc2ec0d869441ee060740187aecb8e5e2606f67882059a.jpg
Hi Peter. Good job fixing the green eyes. This version is a lot better and the dog is more natural and friendly looking. Really a beautiful photo of your buddy. Well done.
Thanks so much Romy .
Peter, nice portrait of your dog. Good job with the removal of the “red” eyes. Well done.
thanks a lot Christian .
The small changes make for bit improvements here. A lovely portrait.
thank you Tessa .
Nice post work, Peter.
Great pet portrait Peter. I like what you did with the eyes. Very creative.
thank you Jim .
Hi Peter. Mans best friend. Good shot. Well done.
Thanks so much Denis .
Nice portrait! I would perhaps crop in on him a bit more. Beautiful!
Thanks Sheree .
Just last week my wife was out feeding her horses and she called me outside and said you have got to get a picture of this cloud. I always do what my wife tells me. Life is better that way! It was during the evening golden hour and we had some isolated thunderstorms moving into an otherwise pretty clear sky. This was our view from our yard looking southwest. I shot this hand held at ISO 100, 70mm, F/11 & 1/200sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4913bfdf9744fd198f3fe90246e39f3e9e17af9171dd8b4a0c515232d0f2eea5.jpg
Well done! Hope the storms were not too bad. Wonderful capture.
Thanks Sara. The storms missed us altogether.
Really pretty! I like the sidelight from the sun and the dark colors in the clouds.
Thanks Valerie.
Thanks Valerie
And well done Jim. I love clouds and this one has such beautiful colours.
Thanks Keri.
Thanks Keri
Jim, I love cloud photos like this with great side lighting in the golden hour. I wonder if you would have an even better photo with the lower foreground removed. Oh … happy wife, happy life !!!
Thanks Richard.
Thanks Richard
Love the way the light picks up the edge of the storm cloud – so beautiful.
Top shot jim & framed nicely as well with the light on the clouds .
Thanks Peter! Go Bucks!
Thanks Peter
I like this scene, Jim. Love the cloud formation and the way the cloud is lit with the orange and yellow sunset hues complemented by the blue color of the sky. Well composed.
By the way, I agree with you about the wife. It’s better that way. Haha.
Thanks Romy.
Thanks Romy
Thanks Romy
Jim, nice picture with the enlightend clouds. Good composition. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Thanks Christian
Hi Jim. Nice shot and well framed. I particularly like the light on the right with the dark on the left. Good balance. Well done.
Thanks Dennis.
Thanks Denis
Lovely light and textures on the clouds here Jim. You did right to do as you were told!
Thanks Tessa.
Thanks Tessa
Beautiful light Jim that creates a dramatic sky. Lovely image
Thanks Erez.
Thanks Erez
Very cool sky, Jim. I was half expecting a photo of the horse! 🙂
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c7635fc9175ed8087924310deccbb968f2d065e01218f5b1313c8f9b84dd0227.jpg
There are so many flowers in this assignment; I’ll put my roses into it.
So lovely! It’s like a painting. Beautiful job!
What beautiful roses. What settings did you use? There are some areas that are well focused, and some that are quite soft, so I would look for a way to highlight the well focused areas, but I also think the image is lovely as is, and tells the story of how dense the blooms were on this bush. As the image is quite busy, cropping is an option. You could crop the image to the lower right hand group of 2 flowers + bud and add a little highlighting to the full bloom facing down towards the left as the edges of those petals are nice and sharp. There is also a vertical band of sharpness down the left hand edge of the big cluster. It looks like you may have already brought out those sharp edges in post processing, or perhaps that s a natural effect of the light. Crop away the right half then the viewers eye could settle on the big cluster. These are just suggestions and ideas for alternate ways to view the image.
Very pretty. The white flower against the dark green background is a really nice contrast.
Really nice shot Hans. I wish I could grow roses like that. Such abundance and captured beautifully.
Beautiful roses and shot!
Gorgeous roses Hans. Such lovely flowers.
Nice capture.
Hans-Joachim, very nice picture. Personally I would crop those 2 middle flowers out to get more a POI. Lovely texture and colours. Great detail on the petals. Well done.
Hi Hans. Very nice shot. Really shows off the clump very well. Nice light and balance to this shot. Well done.
Lovely shot Hans – you can practically smell them! I like the contrasts in focus and tones across the picture. I don’t mind the wide crop here, as it gives an impression of lots more blooms just out of shot and looks a bit like a Victorian still life painting. It would make a good birthday card.
Lovely image Hans and beautiful roses. Good lighting (or processing) to emphasize your subject. Love it
Nicely done. I may have tried to crop a bit more on the left….but they look like a painting I would like to hang! Well done.
Lovely image, looks like a painting to me!
One last picture for this challenge. This one is of a barbary bush. ISO 200 125mm f/6 1/00. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/111830cab54222086afb43c85b75ef797735eda65d914df052d4cd73f3676035.jpg
Hi Sara – the variegated leaves are really pretty. Two things I would explore with this image is either increasing the contrast, or brightening &/or adding saturation to the pink tones to bring them out.
Sara very pretty. I agree with Judy that a little lighting would really enhance the shot. Nice job.
Hi Sara. Lovely subject. A little more light could bring the colours out more. The dusky pink tone is really pretty.
Hi Sara. Lovely image. The dark background enhances the variegated leaves. Really nice.
Nice, nice, nice ! Really like the composition and the dark background. But agree with Valerie, kery and Judy. A little bit more punchy in the pretty dusky pink tone. I would maybe also stamp out the leave on the botom left as for me it distracts my eyes in this beautiful composition.
Hi Sara. Lovely shot. I might try to bring up the pink tones a bit and show off the leave detail a bit more. Well done.
Nice image and great colors Sara, well composed too.
I agree with Judy that it can get even better in post.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cc71db15510ffdbe3a39a950217c60ac2c470df93be56b6179d85f0f4fbba412.jpg
Here is an adjusted version to try to bring up the pinks a bit. I used curves to adjust in Affinity Photo.
Lovely, Sara! Good composition—-may have tried to make a bit brighter, but good job.
This photo is from my front court yard … “Wisteria Floribunda” showing its fall color. Shot with 24-70 mm lens @ 70 mm, 1/80 sec @ f/16, ISO 640. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/85df11514168e7059d7a100ab4ae8d75c66380874b2ae3a9c867950163f3f4e2.jpg
Hi Richard. Love the contrast between your subject and the background.
Very nice photo of Wisteria. I love the yellow-orange hue against the dark background. Great image Richard.
Richard, good contrast. Nice colours. Great contrast between the leaves and the background. I suppose you got it by post process?!
Hi Richard. Nice shot of Autumn colour. Nice detail to the leaves. well done.
Thanks to all for the very nice comments.
Well done Richard. Love the yellow leaves.
Lovely yellows. I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s fall photos! Great lighting on this.
Here’s my last photo for this challenge … “Charlotte in Web” She is out on our balcony dodging the spray of water applied for effect. Shot with 28 mm prime lens, 1/1600 sec, @ f / 1.7, ISO100. The shinny background is the stainless steel chimney coming up from our garden room two floors below. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9b1c1ca5c7a0a4b18191f3fb2285ac72773e0b0fcf88e96c1263fd814e20ece9.jpg
Really nice Richard.
Wow ! really love this shot. The clear balcony bar put this little spider in contrast. The thousands of drops and the black and the white really strengthens impacts of this image. Very nice !
Lovely Richard. I like the way the chimney provides the light background behind the spider. Also, I really like that you have managed to get full circumference of the web.
I love this photo, Richard. Good decision to post in black and white. Composition is excellent and those water droplets rock. Well done.
This is such a strong photo, love the B&W rendering and all the bright drops around the spider. Really well done! Congrats on capturing and processing this one. Excellent job!
Richard, great to see the whole web with those waterdrops on it. The stainless background gives the sider great contrast. Without this it would be lost in the background. Well done.
Hi Richard. Great shot. Good detail and clarity. Well done.
Lovely shot Richard and great in B&W.
Cool image Richard. I like your choise in B&W. The droplets make all the web visible and interesting. Great capture
Thanks to all for the nice comments.
Well done!
Really like this shot, Richard, and that it is in B&W. Good capture…. especially applying the water to the web!
It’s the light that makes this image Richard – well done. Hi like the way you have placed the spider against the background lights to make it stand out even more. Good idea to spray water on the web. Brent
Stunning image Richard! Works perfect in Black and White!
One last photo from my yard. Dandelion post processed in HDR with a slight vignette. Settings: 1/500sec, F3.2, ISO 180, 90mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b13526fc6d74e4fe46d44c5b8db3c44a0f95354cbb697fd91e51d149fa0bfd86.jpg
Such amazing detail!
Really nice Valerie. You nailed it. I know how tough it is to photograph these guys and be focused tack sharp from the outer edges to the central core.
Jim thank you for the very nice comments.
Great capture Valerie. Love the details of the dandelion against the blurred background. Well done
Thank you Romy. Appreciate the feedback.
Nice composition, like the crisp details in the center and the softness of the edges. Bokeh is nice too.
Thanks Jackie.
Valerie, nice picture with all those details. Great blurried background. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Valerie, You’ve captured such an awesome image! Great composition, detail and background. I’m being picky, but I’d clone out the little insect, I don’t feel that he adds to your photo, but I love it as it is. Really well done!
Thanks Kerrie I didn’t pay any attention to it until after I posted the photo. Funny how you are blind to something until you look at it through someone else’s eyes. I think you are totally correct. Thanks again for the feedback.
Hi Valerie. Lovely shot. Great clarity to the seed head. The blurred background gives a sense of soft movement which adds to the shot. Well done.
Appreciate your comments Denis. Thanks.
Nice job, Valerie. You’ve made something that we take for granted in our yards very interesting with sharp focus and the muted dark background providing a nice contrast for the subject of your shot.
Thanks Phil. This challenge has been good for me as it has opened my mind to a whole new perspective of what might make a good photo.
Lovely shot Valerie. Beautiful sharpness right across the seed head and well framed. Dandelion heads are always good value!
Thank you Tessa.
Lovely shot Valerie. Good composition and details. Great separation from background. Wonderful image
Thanks Erez I appreciate your comments.
Great shot! I am glad it is not in my yard, though. 😉
Thanks Sara. I wish they weren’t in my yard too but this year I seem to stay behind in keeping them at bay.
I feel as though I could almost just blow it all away! A lovely shot. I might have tried to bring up the highlights a bit more, but I love that you can see thorugh to the purple head and the stalk…with the blurred background. Well done.
Thanks Sheree I appreciate your suggestions. I will give it a try.
Stunning shot Valerie – very good! Your image is super sharp, and I like the way you have composed this with the stalk coming from the left-hand bottom corner. My only suggestion is to lighten up the whites a little more. Brent
Thanks Brent I appreciate your feedback.
I think this is a perfect image Valerie! I love the pink cast on the white parts, like the sun was setting and it turned that color. Very beautiful.
Hi Everyone. I have been very quiet this month as I have been travelling around outback Queensland. I didnt have a yard although I hope some topics come up where I can share some of the photos I captured. Your shots have been so good. I have gone back to a recent photo for my final submission. I was lying on the footpath amongst the clover trying for bees but this tiny little butterfly made an appearance. It was quite windy so I lay there for a while waiting but also needing to capture quickly as we know they never stay grounded for very long. F5.6, 1/2000, ISO640 @ 222mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a28262181427b9be246f9f0b9e8f8e44a6c17a0cfae909fcb807bb2f4e7c2c9.jpg
Nice tack sharp image of the butterfly. You might want to try cropping in tighter on the butterfly to eliminate the distraction of the two white flowers.
Hi Keri. Nice sharp photo of the butterfly. Maybe you can crop out the right flower or lower the brightness of the background and the flowers to bring out the colors of the butterfly some more, just a suggestion.
Keri, I must agree with Jim and Romy: cropping tighter will give more POI to the butterfly. Now my eyes are “searching” in the picture even with the blurried flowers. Well done.
Thanks Everyone. I’m not actually sure how much I should crop as it is a cropped picture already. Should I leave a flower in? I feel the shot has no substance if it’s just the butterfly which is starting to lose it’s clearness (if that’s a word LOL) Help 🙂
Hi Keri. Great shot as is. That said I would crop from the bottom and right side, leaving enough space for the butterfly to fly into. Well done.
Lovely colors. Maybe just crop a bit off the bottom, personal preference.
Love it Kerri…..I hope it was comfortable where you were lying! Good capture of difficult subject/situation!
Such vivid colours in your image Keri – Love the velvet/blue on the back of the butterfly. Great capture. My suggestion to polish this image a little more is to reduce the highlights in the background, especially those white petals. Well done. Brent
What a great capture Keri. I love the colors of the butterfly, like iridescent. Very nice. Love the greens, they really make the main subject pop.
My Backyard – Exposure 1/160 sec.; ISO-80; F-stop https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0ea326b18b7e07e71d4c148fcc1d42654a447ab1386cfad6bfe02429cce62a2f.jpg f/3.5; Max aperture 3.3
Nice shot Ingrid.
This shot showcases the light coming from the right. Really nice, Ingrid.
Nice capture Ingrid. DoF is good and the bokeh is nice. Well done.
Ingrid, nice picture. Great colours. Good contrasting colours. Well done.
Hi Ingrid. Nice shot. It will be 6 months before I see these in my garden. Well done.
Pretty colors! Nice job.
Lovely background Ingrid. I love the purples, but might have tried to bring them up a bit more… Nice composition and good job!
I also like all the purples and greens in this image Ingrid, plus your frame edging is cool too. You have a great looking back yard.
I have a couple suggestions for you when you go out next and photograph this again.
1. Tried to get even light on your entire subject – all in the shade or all in sun.
2. Decide on a main point of interest. Example: Choose one of these purple flowers as your main point of interest and then decide how you can make it standout from the rest.
3. Feather you’re vignette a little more, so that it looks like natural lens light fall-off.
Hope these help. Brent
I found these little Cacti hidden in the back of a garden bed.
1/60sec F/5.6 ISO 500
33mm https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6d7ac347458ab7fd1c0dc87d5cf589eb0311f6ede2e9d74e6e4262c88cc097e1.jpg
nice clean shot Andrew ,maybe a little dark overall but the light on the subject looks good .
Really cool shot Andrew. Tack sharp & great contrast & color.
Such different textures! I especially like the pop of the white & orange against the dark green base/background.
Love this shot Andrew. Such beautifully colored succulents. Great shot.
Beautiful Andrew, The think that stands our to me are the colours and the huge variety of texture context . . . sharp, soft, light, dark. Well done!
Hi Andrew. Lovely shot. Nice light balance throughout. Well done.
Great photo, Andrew. I love the composition and the contrasting colors. Nice capture.
Beautiful image Andrew. Such an interesting Cactus and beautiful colors
Love the contrasts in textures and colours here Andrew.
Great job! Wonderful textures.
Like the light on this and your composition, shallow DoF. I may have tried to bring up the shadows a bit for more detail on the cacti….but really nice shot!
Super sharp image! I like the hairy one on the right. I might be inclined to lighten it a little and up the green slider.
Canon 5D Mark III, Sigma 15-600 at 600mm, Iso1000, F7,1. I have the chance to have a lots of mynah birds in my garden https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f21f3a6f6a22888796eac5e5a7f8ca5d543bc665fa6db6d6994658f8d7e36f8b.jpg . These birds delight all my days by their songs. Those two twittered in my pine tree at the end of my garden.It was taken from a distance at about 40m. I had to crop a lot.
Wow, Jackie!! The detail here is fabulous. I really like how the pine branches circle around the birds.
Thank you Judy 🙂
Magnificent birds. I love it that one bird faces the camera while the other at the back is looking the other way. Beautiful composition. Good decision to do a tighter crop. Well done Jackie !
Thank you Romy 🙂
Excellent photo and cropping frames them really well. Fantastic job!
Thank you very much 🙂
Now THIS I like! Excellent framing and context. I love the expression on the front guy. “Move along Ma’am! There is nothing to look at here!”
Thank you very much :))
This is a really cool capture! Nice!!!
Thank you very much Daby 🙂
Jackie, great picture. Good framing and composition. Beatiful colours. Well done.
Thank you very much Christian 🙂
Hi Jackie. Lovely shot. I like the detail and clarity. Well done.
Thank you very much Denis 🙂
Really good composition and detail, Jackie.
Thank you very much Rachel 🙂
Love the branches framing this pair of beautiful birds. Such great colors and good detail.
Thank you very much Quinn 🙂
Jackie, Great image … composition and focus ! Did you use a tripod or can you hold 600 mm still enough to get this results ? Nice work !
Thank you very much Rihard 🙂 Impossible to get sharp and hold my 150-600mm without a sturdy tripod. Specially in a very windy day. This shot was tacken from my patio so I was a little protected bud still had to hang a sand bag on the tripod.
Jackie, Lovely image. Personal preference, I’d like to see more on the right side vs the left side as the back bird is facing that way. Wonderful colors and focus.
Thank you very much Sara 🙂 And you are totally right. More space on right would be much better. But voilà, it was very hard to frame and focus from this big distance as it was also a very windy day :)))
Such a cool photo, nicely framed. REalising you were quite a distance away, the focus is pretty good! Love that you have the pine branch they were perched on and the rest seemingly surrounding them!
Thank you very much Sheree 🙂 It was very far for so little birds. It’s why even using a 600mm on a tripod, I was lucky to get in focus as it was also very windy that day.
I have just jumped on my desktop and they are very clear and crisp now I can see them properly. Well done…..where are you located? I have never seen one of these!
Love the way the green foliage frames and the fluffy mynah birds. I’m interested in what you think of that Sigma 600 mm lens for bird/wildlife photography? Brent
Thank you Brent for your nice comment. I’m not a pro but very happy with the Sigma 150-600mm lens. Here is a shot of a Red-Crowned Crane in flight. It was my first try with this lens. Distance about 100m 534mm 1/1000 f6,3 Iso 320, cropping about 50%. :)) https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/84c4d7b21185d8cf180208e6c75a0a88ae3754e78b2b76267ae483fd91b17cc0.jpg
HI @brentmail:disqus, though you didn’t ask me, I will say I have that same lens but for Nikon. I am generally very happy with it but it’s a little heavy. It helps if I have a monopod at least with me. I also use it for birds in flight and water.
I am now also delighted just seeing this picture. What a great image, it should be a greeting card. I really love the colors and the sharpness. And those faces!
Here’s my 3rd and last submission for this month. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d7b314589a21fb457b68d597219a1b17fb37e1fa8487f04dcf5b01b8c6c49919.jpg Time to celebrate the much too brief splendour of fall colours. Within a couple of weeks, these branches will be mostly bare and I will be looking at twigs for the next six months. Very wide aperture used to blur the layers of colours happening all around the berry. Taken hand held with settings: 1/500 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 using 35mm prime lens.
It’s autumn where I live and the colours are bright in my cotoneaster hedge. Within two weeks most of these leaves will fall and I will be looking at twigs for the next six months. Wide aperture used to blur the layers of leaves surrounding the berry. Taken hand held, 1/500 sec, f/1.4, ISO 100 using 35mm prime lens.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/02ae973cd7f928719e139e811b5b79ea3739e2c51e432078d02a3df4643dee44.jpg
This is lovely image Judy. Good DoF and nice composition. Love the colors. Well done.
Thanks so much for your comments, Romy.
Very very nice ! Love the dark backround, the softness of the beautiful falls colors in the leaves and perfect focus on the black berry. Love this !
Thank you so much Jackie. I did deepen the shadows in that lower corner & was happy with the result; helped set off the bright colours.
Beautiful and delicate. I love the blur of the colors around the edges. Nice.
Thanks Deby 🙂
Judy, very nice picture. I love those autumn colours: beauty of the impermanence. Great POI with that contrasting fruit. Well done.
Thank you Christian. I do love the brief brilliance of autumn.
Love the melting colours of the background Judy….and the sharpness of the berry against the yellow leaf…so soft and pleasing on the eye!
Thanks so much, Christine 🙂
Judy, I really love this image. soft and dreamy, yet sharp where you want it. For some time now, I have been able to recognise your personal artistic flair in your images, I know it is yours without looking at the name. GO girl!
Gee, thanks Kerrie 🙂 I do feel like I’m more confident with my artistic direction & having a ton of fun along the way.
Hi Judy. Lovely capture of Autumn colours. What makes for me is the berry. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I had to wiggle around a bit to get the berry with the right yellow leaves behind it.
Love the autumn colors Judy. Hate the price you have to pay to get them. Good composition.
🙂 Thanks Rachel.
This image screams fall. Simple yet smart one. Just a great image – love it
Thanks so much Erez 🙂
Love the contrast between the super-soft background and the sharp berry. Really autumnal.
Thank you Tessa. I was happy with the way the leaf colours blurred together.
Lovely colors. Great job focusing on the berry.
Thanks Sara!
Brilliant colours and love the soft framing around the berry.
Thank you, Lynne. I do love the brief glory of autumn.
Love the autumn colors….the crisp berry surrounded by yellow,orange,red. Nice.
Thanks Sheree 🙂
This is probably the only thing I miss from not being in the northern hemisphere – The Autumn colours. We don’t really get them here on the east coast of Australia. To me, this is one of your best images to date Judy – I think this deserves some wall space (surrounded by a frame). True art! Brent
Thanks so much Brent! I was really happy with the mix of soft vs sharper sections in this image. I was born in Canada, but spent about 15 years in Australia before returning to Canada. I really missed the definite changing of the seasons while living in Oz, but felt right at home in Armidale, NSW where I went to university when autumn arrived.
You’re right – I can travel a bit and find colours (lazy). Brent
Beautiful image Judy! It screams fall to me. I love how sharp the berry is and the soft blur. As it’s several days ago I’ll bet the colors have already changed. Great job!
OK guys, last entry for Backyard Challenge. Off to South America for a six-country, three-week speaking tour on Friday. Gotta get my presentations together! But had to include this handsome guy proudly sunning himself in the early morning light. I love clarity of his feet, scales and his muscular little legs against the lush green of the rain forest. I had too shoot a wide background to capture his amazingly long tail arc! ISO 200, 300mm, F9.0 & 1/160 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/506ad1628465d849e3812180120074943d22040441b17b43b41447b22764150b.jpg
Hi Derryl. Awesome timing. You took the shot while the tail is up in the air. Beautiful composition worthy of inclusion in National Geographic magazine. Well done.
Have a nice trip to South America.
Thank you Romy!
Fantastic shot! Wonderful composition, focus and colors.
Thank you Derby. It is a joy to capture and share God’s amazing creation!
Very very nice shot! Subject crisp and clear, like the composition and bokeh is perfect.
Thanks Jackie. I did a little post edit with the background to tone down some of the lights and black areas. I love shooting with my 100- 400 Canon.
Derryl, nice picture. Great composition. Very nice colours. Well done.
Thank you Christine. Shooting in rainy season in Thailand gives such vibrant greens! And the lizard? Well, he just stood there motionless displaying the glory of his colour. I did not have to chase him so could use a nice low ISO.
Just WOW! I really really love your capture of this little guy, Derryl. Beautiful subject, detail, composition and background. It all just works for me.
Thank you Kerrie. It is a joy!
Hi Darryl. Great shot. Love the way you captured the tail action. Well done. Enjoy your trip and safe travels.
Thanks Denis. I am so amazed that his tail is like twice as long as his body!
Wow Darryl, what a tail! Lovely shot too!!
Thanks Hilary. His tail is so long it blurs into the background together with the jungle!
Awesome shot Derryl!
Thank you Rachel. It helps to have a Canon 5D Mark IV given to me as a gift!
Oooh you lucky person @DerrylF:disqus ! I’m saving up for one of them.
Wow – love the contrast with the orange and green leading lines and subject isolation. Wonderful portrait of this little guy in you back yard.
“Portrait”. I like that! Thank you.
Cool capture Derryl. Great pose and colors.
Thank you Erez. I had plenty of time. He sat like that for probably five minutes!
I love this Derryl. The pose of the lizard gives a serenity to the picture and it’s a really well-balanced composition. The green of the background even complements the orange of the lizard. Great work!
Thanks Tessa. The crazy thing is, I did not even notice him. It was my friend who pointed him out. “Derryl, bring your camera over here!”
Very nice shot Derryl.
Thanks Juan. I appreciate your input.
Nice capture Derryl!
Well done! Great shot.
Amazing….. really well done and nicely composed. Love this shot! Safe travels, hopefully you will have time to share some great photos too!
Thanks Sheree. I am at speaking engagements almost non-stop but I hopefully I will be able to sneak away for a few minutes here and there with my camera. It would be a shame to return with nothing.
I understand! What is your topic? Make sure you take the camera with you everywhere! Good luck…..or break a leg!
Wow! This is spectacular, Derryl. My daughter thinks this little guy is very cute. Great focus. Love that arching long tail!
Hey Judy. One of the reasons I love to shoot wildlife is we can share things with many people who don’t have the opportunity we have to see the “hidden” things of creation. Funny thing is, there is ALWAYS something amazing around us. We are often just too busy to see the fingerprints of our Creator. I find having a camera forces me to stop and take the time to pause, look . . . and praise in awestruck wonder. And then to share that wonder . . . is really special.
STUNNING!!! I see what you mean with that long tail. Question – why did you shoot at f/9 here? Brent
Thanks Brent. The reason I shot at f/9 was because I was shooting with my 100-400 lens with a 1.5x magnifier. The lowest I can shoot with that set is f/7.1. I read someplace, for clarity sake, to avoid shooting at the very lowest F-stop, but bump it up one or two stops. From your experience, what do you think about that?
What would be your recommendation for F stop?
Makes sense – thanks
Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor)
Wow, I love him! Great image, super sharp and nice blur to the background. Look at that tail, i sense attitude!
Canon 5D Mark III @100mm f4 Iso640. Here is another nice inhabitant of my garden. Caterpillar Daphnis Nerii or Army Green Moth https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d3f059b121a7f66fb2ac5b240acec49e558214d060e0fc424811b269842b049c.jpg
Hello caterpillar . . . goodbye plant! Amazing detail of his head and mouth and bite marks! Great effort.
Thank you very much Derryl 🙂
Hi Jackie. Nice detail and clarity here. Well done.
Thank you very much Danis 🙂
Lovely shot Jackie. There are some fascinating caterpillars out there – even if I don’t appreciate them eating my plants!
Thank you very much Hilary 🙂
Great colors and detail, Jackie!
Thank you very much Rachel 🙂
spooky or creepy, not sure which
great detail and focus on the head – those luminous looking ‘eyes’ are amazing
nicely composed
great photo
Thank you very much Nick 🙂
Hi Jackie. Looks like a very hungry caterpillar. Nice detail and sharp focus on the head. Good composition.
Thank you very much Romy 🙂
Great image Jackie. Sharp and interesting in an especially large magnification. Wonderful work
Thank you very much Erez 🙂
Well done, good detail and lighting. Excellent
Thank you very much Kathleen 🙂
Great shot Jackie! Super detail on the head and mouthparts.
Thank you very much Tessa:) Like you, I joined last month and like it.
Welcome to both of you @jackieschefer:disqus @tessablewchamp:disqus
very nice shot Jackie
Thank you very much Juan 🙂
Wow what a great shot!! Look at that face!
Thank you very much Chris 🙂
Love the composition, colours and detail in this. Great shot, Jackie!
Thank you very much Kerrie 🙂
Jackie, Well done! What great coloring.
Thank you very much Sara 🙂
Oh, wow. I really love this shot, Jackie. The horrible caterpillar, but so pretty! Nicely done!
Thank you Sheree 🙂
Wow! I love this image! I love how clear he is. The colors are fantastic too!
Thank you very much Amber 🙂
What a terrific image, Jackie. The detail around the head/mouth is incredible. love the soft green and the paler warm tones in the background. I think the whole image works really well. Well done!!
Tahnk you very much Judy 🙂
Wow, what a great image Jackie! LOVE, Love that shallow depth of field with the caterpillars mouth and “eyes” super sharp. I’m guessing this is the 100mm macro lens you used here? What makes this image so great is those “eyes” which are a different colour to all the other shades of green – makes them stand out more. Excellent. Brent
Thank you very much Brent for your nice comment. Yes this is a 100mm Macro lens from Canon. In fact, I’m not so familiar with macro and this is one of my first shot with this lens. I did not use a tripod :))
One last one for this month. Ganesh in the Spring. At last I am starting to get some colour into the garden. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/208f1682d801c9a438e7e2dd083677e7f7c409d55c14976fe12340b43c604915.jpg 1/100, f5.6, ISO 100. Ganesh watches over us and brings us luck!
This is a beautiful image of Ganesh. Composition is nice and the statue is well focused. Well done Hilary.
Thanks Romy.
Hi Hilary. Nicely framed shot. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Nice composition and colors – well done
I think that it can be improved by blurring the background fence at post.
Spot on Erez – Yes @disqus_OyF49F8pfw:disqus a shallower depth of field would really help this image. How?
1. Use a longer lens – walk backwards and zoom in more.
2. Shaped with a wide open aperture – like f/4.
Give these a try. Brent
Thanks Brent. Ironically I had a 200mm zoom on the camera as I had been doing just what you suggest to improve my shots of the Paulownia tree above Ganesh that I posted about a week ago. I seem to be a slow learner!! For some reason I always want to get in close when further away would do better.
Thanks Erez. Totally agree. Should have stayed further back with a longer lens!
Hilary, I agree with Erez about a softer focus on the background. Otherwise well done.
Thanks Sara. I agree. I’m learning!!!
I really like the framing around the Ganesh….. but then, he/it/she is the focal point nd I may have just cropped it in…or blurred the background so it stands out more.
Thanks Sheree. I didn’t want to lose the flowers around him – spring! – so I should have stayed further back/longer lens.
Hilary, I love how Ganesh is perched up high overlooking the garden. I also think a little more blurring in the background will help the statue stand out.
Thanks Judy. Seems I don’t learn. Every shot this month should have been taken further away with a longer lens. I took this straight after the revisited paulownia blooms with the same zoom lens, only zoomed in, not out!! I will have to try again!!!
Hilary, I’m sure you are learning all the time, so please don’t be hard on yourself 🙂
There are many variables to get a handle on when practicing photography, and I agree it is easy to forget to apply all the settings in the passion of getting the shot when the light is just right – I do that often myself. One exercise I did years ago was to pick a subject e.g. a tree, or statue, and take of lots of images, working through one lens at a time, gradually changing the aperture, and where necessary backing up if the lens had a longer focal distance. Play around with points of view you wouldn’t normally try, too. You WILL get to know the effects achieved from certain combinations of aperture/lens/distance to subject/shutter speed.
Thank you so much Judy. I think I was trying to do new things, out of my comfort zone if you like. But that is what this Bootcamp is all about and it is so good to get such constructive and caring criticism. Close ups with blurred backgrounds, fine, landscapes, even wild animals and street scenes, but longer shots with blurred backgrounds I have never tried before and that is what all my three shots this month needed. Hopefully I will now remember for next time. Again, thanks.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fee9b07cfefdf568973acab3b265d49a658b0bdf80df6bbd49988289652dc8d8.jpg
One of my wife’s plants – ISO 200, 12-40mm zoom (at 22mm), 1/125 sec @ f2.8
I was trying to capture the variations in lighting falling across the cluster of flowers and buds.
Lichael, very nice picture. Good composition. Great colours against a nice blurried background. Nice to see the details as stamens and the texture of the petals.Well done.
Hi Michael. Nice shot. Well framed. A little dark for my taste. Well done.
Hi Michael. Nice shot and well framed. A little dark for my taste. Well done.
Beautiful image and flower. Love the light and the contrasting colors. Great work
Lovely tones and light Michael.
Really nice Michael!
Nice job! I believe you captured the lighting very well.
Good capture Michael.
Lovely shot Michael. Well done.
Michael, I do like the effects for the light through the lilies and on the leaves. The image is very soft and peaceful. I like the darker greenery against the orange flowers.
Hi agree Judy, It’s the light which is caught in the centre of the flower that really attracts my eye. I have two suggestions for you @disqus_Wgr8IOHUDq:disqus here:
1. Lighten up the shadows in your image is a little more in post (or maybe up the whites more?)
2. Remove the highlights in the bottom right leaf which is competing for the flowers attention.
Great shot. Brent
While scouting locations, took a quick shot of neighbor’s backyard. It was completely out of focus so tried to turn into Impressionist painting. Not sure it worked. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c0bfe3b4a602ed7f87cf424726f01b24eeda5971c6aeb11173795cb1da2fe2a8.jpg
H Kathleen. I can see where you are coming from. I am no expert on this kind of work. That said it has an appeal to it. Well done.
Kathleen, I am not sure I understand you very well: did you has this as result only by shooting out of focus? Or did you some post process? I see some regular texture all over the picture. What were your settings?
Was just taking random shots for research on planned shots. My camera was set up for close ups: 100mm, f/2.8, 0.5sec, ISO 100, so photo was quite blurred. Thought it looked artistic so edited in Photoshop with oil painting filter for fun. It’s been raining here non- stop last 2 days so thought I would practice my editing. Probably would have worked better if pic had been in focus.
I like the impressionist filter on this photo… I think it works really well with the subject captured!
Sometimes our mistakes end being some of our most creative work. Well done. Brent
Interesting shot! I like it.
I think it worked!….. very pretty and I would hang on the wall!
I also think it worked! The blending colours are very nice. I’m filing this idea away to try on a future photo that is less than perfectly focused :).
I think it worked too, Kathleen. My first thought as I scrolled through was “ooh, an impressionist picture” and it caught my attention for that reason. Well saved!
ISO 200 1/80 f/5.6
One of few that is still blooming now.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2efd30f7bcbe542d1a162cc5d02897b6501a603e99dc30ff91e4d549e67480b4.jpg
I love how the vivid purple stands out against the black background Erez.
Thanks Tessa!
Erez, great picture with very bright colours. The flower has a beautiful contrast with the background. Well done.
Thank you Christian
Nice shot, Erez! The luminance in the pedals and the leaf in the lower right is beautiful. I’d try cropping out the bright green leaf at the top and make this a widescreen aspect ratio.
Thanks for your suggestion Brenda and here it is. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2d626d8088667b28df04b5f147579a6335f8f5f3b8ffffe4ddaf1fa84eaf8d15.jpg
I like this one better. Beautiful color.
Much appreciated Sara
This version is also beautiful Erez. But I miss the color of the yellowing leaf. It complements the purple color of the flower very well. But that is just a personal preference. Good composition. Well done.
Thank you Romy.
Really nice capture Erez! I love the lighting effect and the colors.
Thanks Jim!
Lovely, Erez..Beautiful light and textures are really highlighted by the dark background. I do like the cropped version.
Thank you Kerrie
I really like your use of light in this, Erez. May have trimmed a bit off the right, but lovely!
Thanks for your feedback Sheree
Beautiful Erez. Great combination of light, shadow and color. Try another version, I suggest a portrait crop, cropping off from the right. See if you like it. Lovely image. Well done.
Thank you Rmoy, I realy appreciate your suggestion. I tried that and prefered the original – it is better balanced to my taste
The colour really pops here, Erez. I like the dramatic use of the light. I like this version where the yellow/green in the leaf complement the purple flower. My only suggestion would be leave little more blank/dark space at the left of the bright leaf. That said, I do like it just as it is.
Thanks for the feedback Judy. I’ll usually agree about the crop on left, but since the leaf is croped anyway (I removed the branch that was there) it seems to me a little artificial in this case. If it was more uniform I might try to reconstruct the leaf, but this one is too complicated for me
Hi Erez. This is a lovely shot. Good light which gives off a dramatic effect. Well done.
Thank you Denis!
Love the contrast and the rich colors, Erez. Well done.
Much appreciated Phill
Erez beautiful colors. For me I like the original post best. Very good photo.
Thank you Valerie, I prefer this one too.
I’m just catching up with this month’s challenge after being away. I took this photo of a broad-tailed hummingbird about to take a drink from the nectar feeder at my house. These guys move very quickly, so it’s tricking getting them in focus. Tamron SP 150-600mm at 400mm handheld, 1/3200 sec., f/5.6, Auto ISO at 6400. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/15aab075f37436944c1514ab62cd034a2e78d320d7d6047ac78d6ec7d8890471.jpg
Great shot Phill. You’ve captured a lot of detail, despite the super-fast movement. Beautifully framed too. Well done!
Thanks Tessa
I’m trying to get this shot with the hummingbirds in my backyard. This is great!
Thanks. Good luck with your hummers. I had to wait a long time to get the right opportunity to capture this one.
Great shot, they are so hard to photograph!!!
Thanks Chris
Nice capture Phill!
Thanks Jim
I really, reallly love this! Great capture. Even the wings are frozen!
Thanks Sheree
Fantastic! They are so difficult to capture! Well done!
Great capture Phill. Beautiful hummingbird. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Well done, Phill. You have captured lovely detail in the feathers. Hand held too! Great effort. That high ISO was need to help capture the image with sufficient light, but It has left some noise in the dark background. If you haven’t already done so, you could try to reduce the noise in post processing.
Thanks for your recommendation, Judy. I’m a novice at post processing but will give the noise reduction a shot as soon as I can.
Beautiful Phill, that is a nice freezing of a very fast wings motion. Nice, balanced composition. Well done
I agree with Judy that some noise reduction will improve the image
Excellent capture Phill – yes hummingbirds are one of the most difficult things to shoot. I think you use the correct settings here with a very fast shutter speed and relatively high ISO. Is there any way to lighten this image the little bit more in post? Great shot. Brent
Thanks Brent. I’ll work on post processing and repost soon.
Hi Phil. Great shot. Love the detail and clarity in this shot. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
I took this picture with my iPhone X in Raw, I di not know I had a huge pumpkin patch https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b823c6a9690ebd793daf153d904c3148c8e63363333b9c8c682f08b661c4cea.jpg
Juan, nice picture. Great colour. I am not sure what is in focus.
The flower should be I tried sharpening the flower, did I over do it? LOL, this is the original https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/162b279f8b5a506f24e634ab037aaa23e3b88553019f10ca9025c360a19d322d.jpg
Hi Juan – I’ve been flipping between the two photos and I think my personal preference is leaning toward this one. I think that in bringing out the yellows – which I would also have explored – a bit of texture was lost in the bloom. I also think this is a tricky subject because pumpkin flowers are usually large, and that makes it trickier to get great focus throughout the whole depth of the flower. Have you tried using your phone on a tripod? I’ve done it a few times and I was amazed at how good the picture turned out. Nice job adding a bit of blur to the background leaves, BTW. I think that was very effective.
It’s a beautiful image both versions Juan. I like the blurred background in your original post, but I think that the flower is little over done – personal preference only.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80a83b2190529c82399e471f4750a0cbef911fe6c8bac9922dbd8ed3f30835e2.jpg
how is this Erez?
thanks for your comments
Love it Juan. Great work
Nice IPhone capture Juan!
Thanks Jim. I am taking an I phone online course. It is really good
Lovely contrast, Juan. My favorite color is yellow!
Thanks Sheree
Lovely image Juan. The yellow-orange color of the flower is complemented by the green leaves. Nice capture and composition.
One last effort for this challenge. I went out in the garden this afternoon to try and get a shot that captured something of the oncoming autumn here and was experimenting with leaves backlit against the sky. I got sidetracked photographing a caterpillar, but didn’t manage to get a shot with all of it in focus, so tried with the leaves again. Although there were leaves with more colour on them, this was my favourite shot as I was pleased with getting the whole leaf in focus. I cropped to get maximum emphasis on the leaf. I’m posting two versions, one as shot and one with a Lightroom preset that I thought created a pleasing effect – probably more autumnal, but not reality! 1/160 sec f/9 ISO 200 Canon 18-55mm lens at 44mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7a09d607956bcece68235fdd450dfe68e491a56eaf067fee7c7c54da57ac41ee.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/698c55ec33b14e5e572f7a0a32451bd94ea2da434e09f10c169496c078fe40fa.jpg
I like this sepia version… it forces you to really see the patterns instead of the colors. Great idea!
So, I was thinking the story was a fading leaf with new buds….but I am guessing it is the patterns on the leaf!
Lovely patterns and I do like the sepia and DoF
Thanks Sheree. I must admit that I didn’t spot the buds until I saw the shot on screen, but when I saw them I thought they provided a nice counterpoint to the fading leaf. I guess the story can be whatever you want it to be.
Hi Tessa. Nice shot and composition. Personally I like the sepia more probably because I am used to seeing leaves with green color. Well done.
I think this one really does rock – There’s something about the toning of this image that makes it stand out even more. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent! Since posting this I experimented in Photoshop (my first proper attempt at using it) and managed to remove that distracting leaf on the right hand side.
Hi Tessa. This is the pick for me. Well done.
Hi Tessa. I like this one better. The rustic tones and the textures of the leaf’s skeleton are very eye catching. There is a nice bokeh in the background blur. Nice work.
Tessa, I like this one better, because of the overall colors. I do like the more sepia one as well.
I am a big fan of back lighting. I really like the detail it brought out in this leaf, and the slight curl at the edge of the leaf gives a band of light along the right edge. Great use of the light. I like both versions. It would only be a few weeks until it naturally looks like the sepia version if this was in my garden.
Tessa, nice effect with the light falling on the right of the leaf and the twigs. Well done.
Love both versions Tessa. I love the yellow on green of the original while the sapia version has its own magic. Nice work
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2632d755baa1add68e1301e8372b76629531efc2b3ebe58768c88adace49dc8a.jpg
I will be honest, I didn’t take this, this year. There is nothing in my backyard right now worthy of photographing (really- not a thing!) and I had just decided to skip this one and then I saw this one on my website. I decided to share, but I have none of my camera settings to go with it. I do remember darkening the image slightly, I don’t mess to the extremes with enhancing colors. I find most photos end up looking baked and I like them real.
Great shot, Quinn! You might try cropping some off the right and bottom to align the ladybug with the thirds grid. Great colors and DOF.
Love the very crisp lady bug.
Beautiful;.so sharp!
Really nice shot Quinn! Tack sharp. I love the contrasting softness of the petals.
Well done.
Hi Quinn. Beautiful photo and the bug is sharp. Since the bug is the main subject may I suggest to crop from the sides and maybe bottom to fill the frame with the plant and align the bug with the rule of thirds grids. Cropping a little will also make the bug larger. Just a suggestion. Nice capture
Ladybugs are always fantastic subjects for photo. This one is beautiful and it’s a very good shot. Focus is perfect and love the contrasst with soft leaves. But I agree with Romy. Cropping and rule of thirds will really help. Nice!
Quinn, I like this image. Others suggest to crop, but for me this image gives an impression of the environment of the bug. Personally I would reframe next time to have the bug on a point of the rule of thirds.
Stunning capture Quinn. What I liked about the shot is the colours of the ladybug really do make it stand out compared to the greens of the foliage. Pity you don’t have your settings available I’d love to know how you took this. Brent
Beautiful image Quinn. I will not crop it – rule of third is a good recommendation, but shouldn’t be followed religously. In this image the bug, beeing red on green, attracts the eye immediately and the current crop tells a better story IMO
Hi Quinn. truly a great shot. The ladybird stands apart and the details are very good. Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e27bc8c7089fd63f6cc0b7fb124ab4237fb87de5b0efc4a6341633e7388b8707.jpg Many felt a crop would be better, I love the sage plant and too much cropped loses that, but I put the lady bug into the third as much as I could. So am curious if most agree that this is better than original? I don’t have a macro lens and this was shot with my Canon 6D with a 24-70mm lens; ISO 400; f5,6 1/400 sec
Great shot, Quinn. The ladybird is so bright compared with the muted sage leaves. Very pleasing.
Lovely shot Quinn. I like the contrasts in the colours and textures that really make the ladybird stand out.
One more post before the deadline… we had a good rain squall last week and this is a puddle in my gravel driveway. Nikon D200, 1/200, f8, 50mm, ISO 250
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/07ee87edb0cfbd69a3b44c7344b5f6dd71f2fe381e04d856cf022d2c354cad18.jpg
Really cool shot Brenda! Love the rain drop ripples!
Love the reflections and ripples.
Great job on the ripples! I like the reflections as well.
LIke you water ripples, Brenda. I may lighten it up a bit….but good eye!
Hi Brenda. Love the ripples and reflections too. Good capture.
Very imaginative – amazing that this is just a puddle in your driveway! It looks more like a pond in a woodland setting.
i like your use of a reflection to show us your backyard.
Hi Brenda. Great creativity here. You have kept it simple and have got s great result. Well done.
Thanks everyone for the comments! At most, this puddle was 2″ deep… you can see the gravel in the upper left and lower right corners. I did lighten it a bit in post, but the lighter it got the less interesting it became.
Settings: Canon Powershot 1X Mark II, 1/160sec at f/3.9, ISO 500 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e5412027627e68968eb391900c5fab34e365673bd008378714af2a83061a4e52.jpg . Thought the color of the sun rays coming through the tree was pretty.
Really nice image. I love the soft pastel colors and the sun’s rays. Well done!
Very lovely sunrays. Nice capture.
Beautiful shot with lovely soft tones.
Well done. You have captured the sun beautifully.
Lovely shot! I have never seen this….very nice!
I agree! The sun rays are the first things I noticed! Beautiful.
Nice picture with those sun rays. It surely has an added value. I like the enlighed edge of the foliage.
Yes, those rays of light are really stunning! Congratulations on your very first post, well done. Have you thought about getting down a little lower so that the darker background shows the golden light-rays even more (having less grass and more dark foliage)? Brent
Beautiful image mmyers1. Great light
Hi mmyers. Great shot. Lovely capture of the Rays of light. Well done.
Very pretty indeed. For me, this picture is all about showcasing the light. When I zoom in, the detail in the willow (?) leaves is really nice; sharp edges to the leaves nearest the light.
Just playing around with my macro lens and cropping. F3.5, 1/500, ISO 500, 90mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3c1f8d7f5dffc4e040c3fac41f852e27915275ea3379684051a190c9e2aa2cbe.jpg
Very nice Chris!
Thank you @disqus_sy7k92j4W1:disqus
Beautiful shot Chris. Nicely focused. You filled the frame with the flower. Simple, no distractions. Well done.
Thank you @romy_villanueva:disqus
Lovely Chris! Focus is spot on.
Thank you @tessablewchamp:disqus , appreciate the feedback!
Chris, Well done! Love the softness of the colors.
Thank you @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus
Stunning shot Chris….you have nailed it!
Thank you very much @rerrorocher:disqus
This is a wonderful shot, illustrating the delicacy of the flower both in view and colors. Well done.
Thank you @disqus_fGWrfrmXu3:disqus
I love this image! Well done with the macro. I do like how soft it is.
Thank you, I do too @amberpallasbrunt:disqus
This is just gorgeous!
Thank you so much @sigrannem:disqus
Lots of detail, sharp, good exposure. Excellent shot!
Thank you @kathleenmuhle:disqus
Wow! So beautiful and well shot. Love it!
Thank you very much @kerrie_clarke:disqus
Chris, great picture with soft shades. You got a great composition with the petals filling up the whole picture. Nice to see the closed petals in the middle and the open ones at the edge. This picture gives a dreamy effect. Well done.
Thank you @christianpiron:disqus , I was happy with the outcome.
So many great macro shots this month – and this one is a stunner! Love all those repeating shapes which leads my eye right into the centre of this flower. Love the soft pinks contrasted with the green background. Great work Chris. Brent
Thank you @brentmail:disqus. I do love my macro lens and always find myself reaching for it.
Great image Chris. Love how the soft petals on the edges obtain both depth and vignette for the image. Love it
Thank you so much @erezshilat:disqus, I love my macro lens,
Hi Chris. Great close up. It has a real soft feel to it and yet shows good clarity and sharpness. Well done.
Thank you @denisobyrne:disqus
Chris, I like the lines and patterns of the petals drawing my eye into the photo. Well done.
Thank you @disqus_QehLPdlEcl:disqus
This is just stunning. It is a perfect shot of a perfect flower. I love variety of colors. It may be time for me to purchase a macro lens!
Thank you @disqus_0q5gtMkZhk:disqus, I have to say, I love my macro lens and use it all the time.
Oohh.. so pretty, Chris. I really like the cooler tones around the edges, while the centre is quite warm.
Thank you so much @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus , I think the light was just perfect at that moment. I didn’t have to do much in lightroom. Appreciate your feedback!
This is my fourth & final submission. A week after I took the third post, hurricane Florance, then tropical depression Florance, blessed us with these amazing clouds just as the sun was setting here in Ohio USA. My settings were ISO 200, 70mm, F/4 & 1/320sec. I must confess I did not use my sunset cards from Brent as this was a spur of the moment opportunity with the light changing rapidly. If I had used them, I might have made this a better shot.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80f315b0418a796341cd569f1687dc4c1042fbba976af6a2208f04a4db2de498.jpg
Stunning colors!
Thanks Brenda
Wow. Really amazing, Jim. Great capture.
Thanks Romy
Amazing colours Jim.
Thanks Tessa
Love the colors and the variation from top to bottom, or bottom to top depending on your point of view.
Thanks Sara
Incredible beauty within the turmoil….amazing capture Jim!
Thanks Chrsitine
Lovely colors, Jim. Also like the textures in the clouds.
Amazing colors in the sky. Wow!
Thanks Deby
Wow – beautiful capture.
Thanks Kathleen
Jim, very nice picture with those great shades of oranje in the sky. Good composition with the scenery as a silhouette contrasting with the sky. Very nice structure with the clouds. Well done.
Thanks Christian
I think you nailed it (even without my sunset cards) well done! When the sky does this, you gotta drop everything and grab that camera and shoot. I like are you under expose this image by one or two stops to make sure the sky didn’t “blow out”. Also I like how you’ve got the horizon right at the bottom to give us some scale and perspective. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent! Your comments mean a lot!
Nice capture of the dramatic sky
Thanks Erez
Thanks Erez
Hi Jim. Lovely sky line and colours. Well done, great shot.
Thanks Denis
Thanks Dennis.
Love those lines in the clouds showing the upper level wind. Beautiful capture, Jim.
Thanks Kerrie
Thanks Kerrie
Beautiful colors. Aren’t sunsets amazing? I was driving home recently and we had a sunset just like this. It was killing me that by the time I went home and grabbed my camera the sun would have set. I suppose sometimes it is just okay to enjoy the view.
Thanks Kathy
Thanks Kathy
Wow. Amazing shot Jim. Way to take advantage of the moment to capture such an beautiful sky. I like the softness of the clouds.
Thanks Jim
Beautiful sunset! Love the colors.
Thanks Valerie
What a beautiful sunset. The colours are simply stunning, and I like that you have the silhouette of the trees and silo as part of the composition.
Thanks Judy
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a21f346ffb575acb3975a5524e1aa3580c12d7cb398b85f6d426b513ce1d7cb1.jpg
For my final shot I was intrigued by the flies and bee’s buzzing around our recycling. I really didn’t know what I’d end up with but was pleasantly surprised with some of my results. I love all the colors of the fly. Again, I was playing with my new macro attachment.
F3.5, 1/400, ISO 100, 24mm
I love the colors on this. It’s amazing how interesting looking flies are when seen up close like this. I didn’t realize they were so colorful.
Thank You Debby! I really didn’t either. I was actually trying to capture a bee and found the fly more interesting.
Really good composition and detail. Love the colors.
Thank You Rachel!
Love this fly!!! and hate flies! I had a hard time figuring out what he was on initially, love the composition!
lol…So do I Sheree! And thank you!
Awesome detail, Amber. Great composition, and the fly just pops on the metal and black. Love that you’ve captured the shadow of the wing!
Thank You Kerrie! Wish I could say I knew the shadow was there when I captured it. I was surrounded by flies and bees so I was really just continuously shooting so I could get out of there…lol.
Great capture and composition. The transperent shadow of the wing is a nice touch. Well done
Thank You Erez!
Hi Amber. Very good. I love the clay and sharpness of the fly along with the colours. Well done.
Thank You Denis! It took several shots to get there.
Great macro shot although personally I hate flies. Tack sharp and good composition. Well done Amber.
lol… I am not a fan either! Who knew they make a good subject. Thank You Romy!
Hi Amber, it’s me again. I inadvertently turned my tablet upside down and I happened to look at this photo with the fly on the left side and looking up. Somehow I liked it more. I don’t know why.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/23c1df11f098ff27d9ab7191290789bb520ea1968cb7b0b2e8f9154426104963.jpg
Hey Romy! It’s not the left side but I did rotate it so the fly is looking up. Thank you for the suggestion!
i do prefer this angle! Well done!
Thank You Sheree!
I like this angle better as well! I am amazed at the colors of the insects when taken as a macro. The colors of the bug as well as the soda can are amazing.
Thank You Kathy! I was pretty surprised by the colors in the fly as well.
Yes! It does not matter whether left or right. I like this much more although I can’t explain why. Maybe because of the feeling that the fly is not coming for me, haha. Great job Amber.
lol… Thank You Romy!
Great shot Amber! I have tried so many times to catch a fly and they are so fleeting. Very good details.
Thank You Valerie! I took several bad shots before I arrived at this one. Patience is key…lol.
Beautiful shot Amber! Well spotted that there could be beauty in the rubbish. You’ve caught great detail in the fly. I love the way the brown and green tones of the background (is it a can?) are also on the fly. I prefer this version too.
Thank You Tessa! I was trying to think outside of the box. As we are heading into fall everything is just kind of drab right now. And yes, the fly is sitting on a can.
Amber, brilliant colours of the fly. Good photo.
Thank You Rodney!
Thank You Rodney!
Who know something so ordinary could look so amazing 🙂 I love what you have done here, Amber. The colours in the fly are great, and I also like the texture and shadows created by the pop can. The angle of light really works for this image.
Thank You Judy! I honestly was going for the bees and was surprised by the image of the fly.
Wow Amber, I am going to think twice the next time I kill a fly. Probably not really. but this is a great image. I love the lines of the can and what a colorful fly. Who knew they looked like that up close? I didn’t. Great detail and so sharp.
Thank You Chris! I was pleasantly surprised by the colors of the fly as well. I will still swat at them…lol.
Photographed this in my “front yard” last week while in Tonga. I walked around the tiny island looking for something interesting, and then decided to shoot a closeup of this hibiscus flower using my lens extension tube and zoom lens which allowed me to shoot macro (budget macro I call it). Shot at shutter priority mode: 1/200sec f/4.5 at 800ISO both aperture and ISO in auto at 58mm on 24-105mm zoom lens with lens extension tube attached. I wanted to focus on the stigma with the stamen and petals as the backdrop. Manual focus, hand-held in the shade. So many great images this month from all BootCamp members – you guys rock! Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd17d0f4e375ee5970f59e8ff8440449debb5553dc7519e4a22d4c9b90b18244.jpg
Nice shot Brent. However, I’m struggling with this one. Only one of the “stigma” is in focus. Maybe a bit more DoF would help. Maybe it’s my monitor, but I find that your PoI, gets lost in the background.
Yeah that’s the restriction with macro and no tripod – very, very shallow depth of field. I don’t mind that the pollen is soft. Brent
the softness of the pollen contrasts with the crisp hairs on the stamens.
Hi Brent. Great use of the extension tube. Beautiful close up shot with the flower filling up the frame and providing the blurred background for the stamen and stigma. Lovely image.
WOW!
Brent, surely taking macro opens a whole new interesting world. At first it gave me an extraterrestrial look. Great colours. The whole picture gave me a dreamy effect. Well done.
Very cool shot, Brent. It reminds me of coral…. I really like that I can see down into the base of the flower, with the radiating light defining the petals. I must try an extension tube.
I like it that familiar objects become almost abstract. beautiful image and a dreamy feel
Hi Brent. Like this one. gives a nice soft dreamy effect.
Wow Brent. Pretty amazing you were able to get it that sharp hand held and in the shade. There must not have been any breeze. Beautiful shot.
Well Brent, you’ve got know that I would love this one!! That pink is so intense and gold behind your area of focus adds lovely depth.
I like the abstract effect of this, with the layers of different colours drawing the eye into the picture.
Such beautiful colors on this macro shot. Thank you for the details on how it was shot. It’s crystal clear and such a lovely shallow depth of field. Really nice.
Very cool image Brent, love the detail.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e54403e949cf335b24d3714372b45ef895e8ae191998084894601205766a86e.jpg
Since I have such a challenging tiny backyard with hardly any plants I again did something different from the norm. My husband and I are fans of the tv show The Walking Dead so I thought it would be fun to grab our 4″ ish Michone model and photograph her in front of one of my husband’s swords. I shot this hand held, with a translucent (?) reflector above with hubby holding a really small reflector in front to bring some light to Michone’s face. The small tree behind by our fence is the same tree that I photographed my German GI Joe photo a week ago.
Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art lens, ISO 100, f 2.2, Shutter 1/800.
Great shot Deby. Really good creativity.
Thank you Rachel.
Really good shot Deby. Very crisp. May have given her a bit more space to swing that monster sword!
Thank you Sheree. Yes, I agree that I should have give her more space. My plan was to set her up with a bit of distance from the actual sword. However, she did not cooperate by falling over so I had to lean her up against something. 😉
Wow ! Thats a very very good shot. The idea is excellent and the staging is perfect. Lighting is also very good. Great job!
Thank you Jackie.
Hi Deby. You nailed it. You have managed to find something and composed an interesting image. Excellent shot. Very well done
Thank you very much Romy.
Hi Derby. This is excellent work. Very real like. Lovely balance of light throughout the shot. Well done.
Hi Denis! Thank you very much for the comment. Just for the record on the spelling of my name it’s Deby. For some reason spell check has a mind of it’s own to use “Derby” instead! Can be quite humorous at times. You aren’t the only one to do this but I thought I would let you know. Ha! Take care..
Creative and interesting composition, great shot
Thank you Erez.
Another fun shot, Deby. 🙂
I really like that you worked to get light on Michone’s face. It looks very natural; the shadows on the face are in the right place. There’s a really nice balance to all the elements in this set-up.
Thank you Judy. I thought I replied to your post but looks like my posts are missing? (I’m still trying to figure out this Disqus format out!)
When I walked out the door this morning I saw this spider web suspended between the radio antenna and the roof of my car. Shot with 24-240 mm lens at 240mm, f6.3, ss 1/100 and ISO 640. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/945def5611b10f5e22ffc4f6b2b0722fb296a77a907dbea0460fad7af2ca638c.jpg
This is really a good shot of a web. I have had ever such a hard time doing this!
Hi Sig. The is a very beautiful capture of a spider’s web. The threads are well defined against the blurred background. Composition is nice and my eyes are drawn to the web’s center. Really lovely image. Great job.
Thanks very much Romy!
Like how my eye is attracted to the middle of that spiderweb. I think the only distraction in this image is that black wire in the background. Love the greens. Brent
Thank you Brent! And yes, I fully agree that the black wire (radio antenna) is a distraction. I was actually debating whether I should even post this image for that reason.
Hi Sig. Very good shot. Well composed. Background is great with the one exception the wire. Still a great shot. Well done.
Thanks Denis! And yes, I fully agree that this image would have been far better without the wire (actually radio antenna). However, without the antenna there would have been no spider web.
Amazing how those tiny dewdrops completely define the web against the soft green background. So beautiful.
Thank you Judy!
Really good composition Sig.
Great shot, love the detail and lines.
So many wonderful images, I had a hard time choosing one to post! I have been travelling and super busy, so was stocking up when I could.
Meet Milo—our 7 month old Dutch Shepherd/Malinois. He does not sit for very long, but was able to command his attention to capture this.
D750 24-70mm ISO900 f3.2 1/4000sec https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/740fefd0c48d98202de7ae5ec2c16447a15e7852b4cdeac48563aff592971096.jpg
Hi Sheree. You have captured a very nice portrait shot of your handsome dog and he seemed to take pride in posing for you. The pose is priceless. Great capture.
Thanks, Romy. He is a beautiful dog…. not sure about posing, he is still a pup, and very energetic!
That is one happy looking dog. Milo’s eyes are tack-sharp which is great at such a shallow depth of field. What focal length lens did you use for this image – I’m guessing its 70 mm? The one suggestion for you is to try to keep the background and more even tone – The lighter part is a little distracting. Well done. Brent
Sorry, forgot to include, it was 38mm if I remember. He was actually almost right in my face, I had to keep scootching back…was sitting on the dock and very nearly in the water! :). I did not see the house as a distraction, but now you say, I can see it is. Thanks!
Hi Sheree. Very nice shot. Good composition, nice and sharp.Good eye contact. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Great portrait of a cute dog and I love the pose
Thanks!
Great shot Sheree. It shows he’s a happy dog and I feel like he’s smiling at me. I see what Brent means about the background. The flowers in the hedge are a little distracting.
classic shot
He looks so happy. I like this straight on view. Focus on the eyes is very good. I like that you have captured catchlights in his eyes.
This is a lovely shot Sheree – full of character, with a lovely catchlight in the eye.
Great shot Sheree. Beautiful dog. Re: the background, it’s so easy to not notice distracting elements when you’re trying to get a difficult shot, especially one of a young , energetic dog.
So the challenge said I could post one from my hotel back yard if I was on vacation. This one I was lucky enough to capture in Kauai, most of these little guys skitter off before you can get a shot. This one chose to stick it out and pose for a bit. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b6a7d111987f9356b826940a970118629ddd479d9d69dee47f319f7da3ab4f75.jpg
Tony, this guy is a bit lost in the foliage. Zooming in more or cropping with an off center position would give more punch to the picture.
Hi Tony, I agree with Christian. This is a beautiful photo of the lizard but it is lost in the foliage. I suggest a tight crop, maybe a portrait crop with the head of the lizard in the left thirds line. Try it, you may like it. Just a suggestion.
Hi Tony. You have a good shot here.As said already if you crop tighter it will be even better. Well done.
Nice shot, Tony. I would have cropped closer….and darken the highlights without darkening the little fella. Well done.
Thanks all for the suggestions. Here is another version cropped tighter and a bit off center. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0cac80c11500cc9dc26b5c1ad1dfa3efc17c69fccfe87d6a1d39bb48346c689b.jpg
Much better, Tony! Amazing how they sit just in the leaf with no effort!
i like this one better too–a little less for the eye to take process.
Tony I like both photos as they each tell a different story. This one really highlights the gecko. Nice job.
Tony, this version is a cool image. The lizard has a great expression. Nice shot
I too like both. But possibly this one best. Great capture.
I actually like this version better as it shows the size of the gecko. I like the second version but not the square image size. They really hard to capture. He seems to be telling you hurry up as I am bugging out .
i like the center positioning, because, although the creature is camouflaged, the eye goes right to him.
Awww, cute little guy. Nice detail.
@brentmail:disqus Regarding the portrait framed male deer (I’ve been searching these threads to try to find it again to comment in line, and haven’t found it yet). Thank you for the suggestions, I tried to reduce the highlights in the bushes/background while bringing up the highlights a touch in the deer. I couldn’t figure out how to do both without the effect overlapping. Hopefully this is close to what you are suggesting. I will post the original as well. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6e23277a47f938f024a6ef6ee62ea265faa8fd2b8a6b08000e173fa022786ff1.jpg
Here is the original.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9783f1662b44f9b07a4a9af40f663a334b45c903dd7e210522693cc2f739012f.jpg
Hi Tony, the original is much better. Beautiful capture and composition.
To reduce the highlights in the foliage here’s one way to do it. I would use an adjustment brush in Lightroom (reducing exposure and highlights a bit) and paint over the foliage. Hope this helps.
Hi Tony. I think I prefer the original.
I do as well… I find the colors in the original to be truer. What a great shot!
Hi Tony. I agree with Denis and Romy. The first one is better. In the second it almost looks like there is an overall greenish hue as though the white balance is off. It is a great composition.
Definitely the the first photo is the better in terms of tone and colour. Nice capture….
This is a high contrast, black and white rendition of a photo of dieffenbachia leaf. Unfortunately, the left side of tip of the leaf is blurry because it’s out of the focal plane. I would appreciate your comments, fellow Bootcampers. ISO 100, 80mm, f5.6, 1/100 s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b1e4d6255106e34e17a0fc847b350fdd8233b0c1b12eb5b6ee7de8c3dab2ac74.jpg
By the way, this is not an entry. I just want anyone to comment.
A more abstract version is below. I increased the contrast some more and reduced the exposure to make the blade or edge of the leaf disappear thereby leaving the veins and leaf patterns to define the shape of the leaf. Same settings.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/da8d747b462263ff1aca2a4846a49bcb50dfa280902278c8ed2d70a9fa93763e.jpg
I like this one. Romy. The way it just blends out more gently to the right, then fades out. Love it.
Thanks much Kerrie. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Hi Romy. This is the pick for me. There is a nice softness to it and it fades away all over very nicely. Well done.
Hi Denis. Thank you so much. I will use this in another composite and I have debated on which one to choose.
I love this Romy! It so stunning. Well done!
Thank you so much, Amber.
Wow this is beautiful. I like this version the best. Nicely done.
Thanks a lot Valerie. Your feedback is much appreciated.
This is my favourite, too. Delightfully abstract. I thought it was a feather at first. Love the simplicity of the back background and how the edges have melted away.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.
Thanks so much for the feedback Judy. Much appreciated.
Love this Romy. I think I prefer this more abstract version, but both are great.
Thanks a lot Tessa. Much appreciated.
Like this version. Could see something like this on my white living room wall.
Thank you so much Rachel. Honestly, I got the idea from your photo of the feather in the BW challenge. I had the photo of this leaf in color for some time. I got fascinated by the leaf pattern and wondered how I could use the pattern in a composite that I was working on. When I saw your photo of a feather an idea occurred to me. So my thanks to you too.
It’s beautiful Romy. You should frame this.
Thanks so much Chris. I appreciate your feedback.
This is beautiful, Romy! Very nice…..
Thank you so much, Sheree.
Both versions are beautiful Romy. It took me some time to understand what I see, even so it is not important – it is a nice abstract anyway. The diagonal pose makes it even more interesting. Great work.
I suggest to darken a little the blurred region on the top right (in both versions). Currently it is the brightest area in the image and it is on the leaf’s point, so the eye is lead to this area first. Maybe also brighten a little the bottom left to make it the main POI of the leaf
Great suggestion Erez. I have been wondering what to do with the blurry area to make it less conspicuous. Thank you.
This is amazing. The lines just draw me into the photo. I need to play with black and white more.
Thanks much Kathy.
This leaf looks fantastic in B/W! You really focus in on the patterns. Beautiful.
Thanks so much Brenda.
Love this B&W image. Great contrasting detail.
Thank you so much Rachel. Honestly, I got the idea from your photo of the feather in the BW challenge. I had the photo of this leaf in color for some time. I got fascinated by the leaf pattern and wondered how I could use the pattern in a composite that I was working on. When I saw your photo of a feather an idea occurred to me. So my thanks to you too.
Beautiful! Love it in B&W, great lines.
Thank you Sara.
One last effort for this challenge. I have done the flowers, plants and other things that don’t move. I found this fellow collecting a load of food before flying off to feed its young. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a7d14b62e64ea11ef0c6e42300a85ada12806de6b5c432860263fb8290ac2076.jpg
After posting the previous image I thought it looked a little dark. I use 2 monitors and colours display differently on each. In this second picture I have adjusted the exposure slightly. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/208eaeac867114c0b7f55ebbe68abe8cf530c0d53dff85cbd2eccaf67d88ef67.jpg
Hi Andrew. Good capture here. I still feel its dark. Have you vignette on this shot. If so I would lighten this further.
I prefer this one, but think you could lighten some more as I think the eyes could pop up some more. Good capture though, they move so fast!
Beautiful capture Andrew and a great pose. I think that you can brighten the head, and especially the eye, significantly more. It is a sharp image, but the details get lost in darkness.
Really good capture of the bird. Nice sharp eye and he appears to be watching you so he doesn’t lose what he has in his mouth. Nice job.
Hi Andrew, this second version is better but the eyes can hardly be seen and I know you took a sharp photo of the bird. May I suggest you lighten the shadows some more. Erez put it accurately, the eyes were lost in the shadows. The composition is excellent. Nice capture
Great capture. So sharp. Such an indignant face.
Thank you Chris. I did actually take everyones advice and lightened the image and brought ot more of the red in the eye. Unfortunately i missed the cut off to upload the new version.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/da3a16e88f947cc0d2d2eb95e7c3e46bf0d15e9c5e544af0ee531993539083f8.jpg
Beautiful capture, Andrew. I feel that perhaps you could brighten up/highlight around the eye / or drop a radial filter over the bird, lightening the bird just to pull it out a bit more .
Great capture Andrew. Really sharp focus on the eye. Agree with Kerrie re: lightening the bird a bit more.
While shooting my previous photo of the knot in the fence I noticed a spot in the corner of the viewfinder. On closer inspection I found this little insect (approx. 5-10mm long), so changed to my macro lens and kept shooting. Settings: 1/250 sec @f/5, ISO-800, lens MZ.60mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/20aa044aaa43e62b5bde46aee83193a7a551dc27b02a34e1b8b394ebfd3bf709.jpg
Rodney, very nice picture. You got him sharp with a nice DoF. It’s great to see the insect to follow the line on the fence. Well done.
Good capture, Rodney! I find the edges a bit distracting…and would have probably cropped in closer to focus more on him. He is crisp! Nicely done, especially since you had to change over to your macro!
A nice one Rodney – good sharpness on the insect and the crack in the fence is a great leading line. Well done
I agree with Sheree that some cropping left and right will improve the image
Hi Rodney. I love the sharp focus on the bug. The striations on the sides of the photo are a little distracting so I’d agree with others that some cropping would make the image really pop.
Nice job Rodney. I really like the color contrast between the bug and the fence. I also like the texture of the fence boards. Very nice composition. I think the DOF and the color contrast really takes my eye to the bug. I might crop some off the top and a little from the right, but not too much (if at all) because I think you want to keep the bug on the left 1/3 of the image.
Nice contrast between the bug and fence. Very good detail as well.
Nice depth of field Rodney. Focus on the bug. Well done.
Well caught Rodney.
Oh, a queen ant looking for a new home! Really good macro shot. Focus is spot on.
So sharp and the wings are reflecting something so they appear a light pink.
On reflection.
This is my final post. It was such a beautiful morning and wanted to capture the roots on this red mangrove. The orange sun really highlighted them. I did a bit in post by bringing up the shadows…as the PoV is primarily the reflection in the centre. I think if the ripple was not there the reflection and the roots would have merged to one. This is hand held as I had to crawl on the back of the boat to get the right angle.
D750 18-200 ISO 1000 170mm f/5.6 1/500sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5f630f6dd9340d111bf6298be83c6ece559243eae8f55f9b42e740b0d0eb48ae.jpg
Love this image Sheree, great symmetry in both axes. It is even better because the symmetry is almost perfect, but not absolutely perfect – it makes the image more interesting. Great work.
Not so important, but I think that a little more space above and bellow could be better
Thanks, Erez. This one I actually shot like this, not cropped. I have others and will see if I can play around with them later today. I did find the green to be a bit distracting over the red roots—-
Fantastic reflections, almost like a mirror image. Your efforts paid off. You nailed it. Great capture. Well done Sheree.
Thanks, Romy!
Great reflection. Love it.
Thank you!
Great reflection – the ripples make the shot!
Thanks, TEssa!
Awesome job! Love the reflection and the ripples.
Thanks, Sara!
Wonderful photo! Really love the reflections. The ripples are great too. Good job!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5df0dc2a73eb37e44e8c6aa472a33506a8d426cbd3fad42203e4d0d076bf7314.jpg
As I was taking a shot of a beautiful flower, this little guy caught my eye. Even though it started out as a weed, I thought the end of the flowering cycle made for a perfect photo. And it truly was the end, my dog ran in front of it seconds later and “poof”…it was gone.
f6.3; 1/180 ss; ISO200 at 400 mm
Great shot Kathy. Nice background blur. Simple, no distractions. Excellent composition. Well done.
I like dandelions – or “wish makers” and this one looks perfect. You’ve managed to give it a soft and dreamy feel. Nice!
I love the dandilions! This is really nice and soft… I think there is a little too much space on the right side, so may have taken off an additional sliver. Well done!
I was trying to follow the rule of thirds. All these rules 🙂
Kathy, you got a very nice picture. Great composition with room left at the right side of the flower. The background is very well blurred and gives a great contrast with the white flower. Well done.
Great shot Kathy. I love the choice of soft focus – it makes you feel the softness of the dandelion head. The open space to the right makes you feel as if the seeds are just going to blow away in that direction. To be really picky, a slightly tighter crop on the right hand edge would take out the distraction in the lower right corner and I might be inclined to clone out the other bit of plant just under the head as this is also a bit distracting. Then the beautiful dandelion head would be the sole focus of the picture.
Love it Kathy, great subject and details using a “classic” composition and a good separation from the background. Well done
Neat shot Kathy. Great DoF. Makes me think of a fuzzy caterpillar. Agree with “a slightly tighter crop on the right hand edge”.
Settings: 50mm, 1/500 sec, f/3.5, ISO 320
Given that it is a drizzly autumn afternoon, I underexposed one stop to bring out the dreary mood. the apply just happened to be there in the old broken birdbath. reminds me maybe https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8a6a18105016a3a835296975c4195fead9dcb65ff7e62da4e50475040b39fc88.jpg of eden after the fall.
Great texture in the concrete and love the burst of yellow… nice contrast to the dreary mood!
thanks so much, brenda
Your texture in the concrete comes up nicely…and there is a great contrast with the burst of yellow….
i thank you for the comment and my canon 50mm prime lens for the texture.
Love that pop of yellow,in this image John.
thank you, rachel. it caught my eye too when i was looking for an interesting image on a very dull day.
Well done. Love the texture and the pop of color.
thank you, sara
Sea Urchin Cactus Flowers. This is a quite ugly cactus that produces beautiful, but very short-lived blossoms. This is sometimes called an “Easter Lily Cactus” because of the shape of the blossoms. The blossoms only last for one day.
Got on my back to shoot upwards against the morning light. f/7.1, 1/800 sec, 35 mm, ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fff4c676792957c2df211bc5e64b904dfd0dade33c757b38d54bc28dc31d0386.jpg
Beautiful capture Bill. I love the light behind the flowers and you shooting straight up. Well done!
Bill, nice picture with good contrast of the flowers against the sky. I would have liked to see more of the flowers, but I don’t known the total height. Perhaps this was not possible. Well done.
Nice image Bill. Love the backlight and composition
Lovely colors and contrast against the sky, Bill. Maybe a bit more space to the left and top!?
very interesting plant–lucky you caught it on that one day. i’d have played with the aperture, possibly preferring a shallower dof.
Great job. I like the angle.
This shot is so beautiful! I really love the angle. Very nice.
That is such a great image Bill! Love the perspective and the sun that beats down and illuminates the flowers.
I don’t know much about flowers but I do like taking pictures of them. I took this with my 40mm macro @ f/9, ISO 1000 and 1/100 sec on a tripod and didn’t notice the larvae and translucent green bug in the middle of the flower until I got it into LR and started working on it. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0163023a45d7db4b19bd6c6cf4b5413632daea0256e33a0d22ce600c41b6dc66.jpg
Jim, I like your picture. Great colours and detail on the petals. I find that little oranje thing at the upper side a bit distracting.
Thanks Christian. What do you think of the newer version?
Much better Jim. Well done.
Lovely colors, Jim—I do find the light area on the left a bit distracting, perhaps you could do a closer crop. Would also clone out the other stamen on the top left for a better focal point on the bigger one. I can see the little bug inside! Well done.
Hi Sheree. Thanks for your feedback and suggestion. I’ve posted an a version as you suggested. What do yo think?
Lovely image Jim. Beautiful colors and details, good DOF. Well done
Thanks very much Erez.
Real nice capture Jim. Beautiful colors and detail. I believe the bug is an aphid. The PoI is certainly the center of the flower with the bug, so I would agree with a tighter crop, to emphasize that more.
Thanks Rachel and thanks for your feedback. Here’s a tighter crop as you and a couple others suggested. Is this one better?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/069f959d08c76b675e145f4a962306686f155a574953edddd928e634c89bcaa4.jpg
I do think this is better, Jim—-but I may have tried to preserve the upper left petals and just tried to clone out the other centre….. But I do find this one to be better overall!
Beautiful Image.
Thank you Sara.
Very pretty. The flowers is very sharp and well focused. I love the composition and the blurred background. Great job!
Beautiful image Jim. It looks like a tiny flower within a flower. I wonder what it would look like tightly cropped with the flower filling the entire frame? OK never mind! I see you already did that down below.
This challenge in now closed, soon (before the 10th of next month) we’ll have the magazine published. Well done everyone. Brent
I have a question for the group! I have a big holiday/business trip coming up and plan to take a lot of photos. My big tripod is too heavy to carry.
Anyone have a recommendation on a nice travel pod? I have a Slik U9000 (I think), but the crank has broken off and I cannot find anything to replace it. Any suggestions how I could fix/. What else could I use? We don’t have any pro camera stores here, so have to order!
Thanks all!
Hi Sheree. I have a very light Hama Tripod. Only cost a few Euro. The downside is the trade off re stability. You can get Table Tripods that have a wide base and use a sturdy platform when putting it to use. For light weight travel I have to compromise and that is no bad thing. It forces me to look at the composition, is there a better way to take the shot. It also brings into focus the simplicity of no choice and work with what you have to hand. Hope this is of some inspiration and help. Enjoy your trip, safe travel and whatever happens take loads of photos to flood the airwaves.
Thanks Denis. Will look into it.
Sheree, i use Corey from three legged thing. Very versatile, in that it folds up small enough to fit into a case and also has the ability to transform into a monopod! i am very happy with it.
https://www.3leggedthing.com/corey
Thanks! Sounds good.
Hi Sheree look at the MeFoto tri-pods. They are light weight, fold up, very sturdy, can hold heavy equipment and you can convert to a monopod. Really very nice.
Thanks! Will look into it!
Thanks, I have three suggestions to take on!!! Will go to our local photo store and see if they have any, otherwise it is shipping in!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bb8c60a820d846bc10b65137b86096feba06d2950f01f9a74568666269cc08d5.jpg
This is not my photo.. Who is hijacking my account?? Please take this off under my name..
well, it’s very pretty anyway! 🙂
Hi everyone. Thank you for your prayers. My mom is doing better. She had to go to Seattle hospital for awhile cause they thought she would need surgery. Instead they will continue a course of treatment they already have done before, but just do it more often. It has been a rough week, especially with me out on a photography workshop over the past weekend, and falling into a bunch of water causing my phone to not charge. All while mom was in the hospital. Fortunately,, I was able to get my wireless charger and all was good again for charging the phone. I will be on another photography tour in October and so may or may not be able to post anything till the middle of Oct. Thanks again.
Thats good news, Barbara. Have fun on your photog tour……take in the beauty!
Thanks, I will
Continued blessing for you and your mom.
Very nice! I bet they were going to a Renaissance Faire. Great capture, I hope your wife posted it.