Sucking

[MiroslavMaric]

5D3, lens Sigma 180mm f/2.8, handheld, native light and BG, f/8, 1/500, ISO800,
PP: NR and tone adjustment,
Crop size: 2992 x 2028 pixels.
Date: June 2015, Velebit mountain.

I like the detail of sucking the stamen. The insect is Hoverfly (Xanthogramma flavipes).

153187

Thanks for viewing and comments,

Cheers,
Miro

[Norm Dulak]

This insect is most interesting, Miroslav. But I find the blurred material on the left of the image so distracting, that I would crop to eliminate it. Consider a more vertical crop highlighting that most interesting fly.

[Steve Maxson]

Wow, Miroslav - I've never seen a fly image captured from this perspective! Great behavior, nice sharpness within your DOF, soft light, good comp and a clean background. Excellent work!

[MiroslavMaric]

But I find the blurred material on the left of the image so distracting, that I would crop to eliminate it. Consider a more vertical crop highlighting that most interesting fly.

Hi Norm,

Thanks, I agree that LS (flower) could distract the photo. I did experiment with some other crops but in any case I was back to this frame. Would like to see what others will say too.

Cheers,
Miro

[Jonathan Ashton]

The flower isn't ideal but at this magnification I think there would always be something in the way to some extent. I agree the trumpet like mouthpart is excellent. When I saw the image initially I thought you must have used extension tubes as it is so close, I guess you must have been 1:1 or thereabouts.
On looking again is there a slight blue cast - probably light reflected off the flower??

[Warren Spreng]

To my eye the flower adds some depth perspective and makes the fly take on an even stronger 3D look to it. Details on the fly are terrific!

[Diane Miller]

Wonderful sharpness and detail, and even more so for handheld!

The flower is what it is and I can accept it, although just a little more DOF would have been nice but it is so beautifully sharp where it needs to be. If the fly was still for a second this might have been one to try an impromptu focus stack. Often possible by rocking gently back and forth while in burst mode.

I like the crop as is. Not really possible to completely eliminate the flower and this shows what it is rather than leaving a mysterious piece of it. I might think about adding a little more canvas top and right.

[MiroslavMaric]

Thanks to everyone for valuable comments!

[Jerry van Dijk]

Wonderful capture Miroslav. I think the image could have benefitted from more DOF. It would (at least partially) solve the problem with the distracting flower and would add more interesting details to the fly. Given your current settings, however, I guess that stopping down wasn't really possible. A slight adjustment in the angle could have worked then (slightly rotating to the right). You also would have gained a little more distance between the fly and the flower and would have had more of the abdomen in the plane of focus.
I too am a bit puzzled by the magnification you reached with the 180, seems more than 1:1, unless this is quite a big crop from the original. In that case, the amount of detail captured is even more impressive! I bet you can clearly see the individual facets on the eye in the original.

[MiroslavMaric]

I too am a bit puzzled by the magnification you reached with the 180, seems more than 1:1, unless this is quite a big crop from the original. In that case, the amount of detail captured is even more impressive! I bet you can clearly see the individual facets on the eye in the original.

Thanks for valuable notes. As I mentioned this is approx 50% crop. It's hard to follow the subject and keep AF, so 180mm is a reasonable solution but in this case 1:1 is not possible. Below is 1:1 crop without sharpening:

153282

Cheers,
Miro

[David Cowling]

Nice shot Miro. Good to capture the insect in the act of taking the pollen. I think that if you had moved a bit to the right and used f 16 you may have got more of the insect in focus.