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View Full Version : Hummingbird moth: first macro post



Wendy Kates
08-14-2014, 06:48 PM
I'm trying to learn macro, and have started photographing a variety of very small subjects. This image was cropped by about 20%, and I applied a lot of noise reduction to the background and flower (but not the moth). Comments / critiques are welcome.
Canon 7D
300mm f/4 lens
f/4, 1/1000s, ISO 1600
tripod

Dave Johnson
08-15-2014, 07:51 AM
Wendy, welcome to macro :) Let me congratulate you on getting a sharp image of one of these moths. I've tried and tried and found them very tricky to capture in flight, so well done there. I love the action you've captured and love how it's steadying itself with the right middle leg! The background is super. Ideally the stamens and petals wouldn't be crossing the antenna, but the main thing which bothers me is the blown reds/pinks. I would try and tame them back some in post if possible. Great effort though. TFS,

DJ.

Jonathan Ashton
08-15-2014, 12:08 PM
Wow these are tricky - I know because I have failed miserably to get good shots of these little critters. All I can say is keep trying I think you have the correct approach idea etc, ideally the shot would have been taken say a fraction sooner just as the moth approached the flower to avoid "confusion". I think the reds are perhaps a little OTT??

Wendy Kates
08-15-2014, 09:36 PM
Jonathan and Dave...thanks for your critiques, they were very helpful.

Diane Miller
08-16-2014, 11:05 AM
Very nice! You got the focus point right where you needed it -- not easy. Hope to see more of your macro work -- it's a wonderful world to explore. The exposure is just right with good highlights and shadows.

On my monitor, with Firefox and Safari, the pinks are a bit strong but not over the top, to me. Some browsers will show colors, especially reds, with too much saturation. The image is correctly tagged with the sRGB color space, so color management wouldn't be an issue here -- just browser and monitor variations.

Steve Maxson
08-17-2014, 12:27 PM
Welcome to the Macro forum, Wendy! This is a very strong first post and, as noted above, a very difficult shot to get. You nailed the focus right on the eye, the background is pleasing with the washes of pink and green, and the comp looks just right. I hope to see more of your work here in Macro!