Fly on Grass

[Christopher Miller]

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m244/CAMiller290/BPN/P6260047ResizeWeb.jpg

Found this fly recently on a grass head. Any C&C are welcome!

Olympus SP-550 UZ
f3.5 @ 1/250, ISO 100, -0.7 EV
Aperture priority mode, pattern metering, auto WB
Processed in PS CS2; cropped, curves adjustment, shadow/highlight, slight saturation increase, and noise reduction on BG

[Aidan Briggs]

I like the perch and the detail in the head. The iridescence on the back is wonderful. I do wish for more DOF for the wings, and I would run NR on the BG.

[Thomas Herou]

Nice DOF and pose on the Greenbottle.
I find the contrasts a little harsh,but the comp is very good.
I think NR isn't necessary.If you print the image on paper it'll not show.

[Steve Maxson]

Very nice sharpness on the head and back and I really like the colors you captured on the fly. I think the image would be even stronger if the light was a little brighter on the fly's left side. Well done.

[Dave Leroy]

Very nice head on shot. I might prefer a tiny slice off the bottom and right side. Well done. Dave

[Ed Vatza]

A little more dof would have been nice but I must say that I really like this as presented. The eyes are spot one and the blues beautiful. And the background works very well. Very nicely done.

[Julie Kenward]

This is very nice, Christopher! I don't mind your choice of DOF at all as the two wings are clearly visible and they give a sense of the depth to the image. I do agree that if the light had been a little stronger on the left side it would have given the image even more depth and interest as it would likely have further increased the shine on the body and wings.

Comp-wise I, too, would take a bit off the bottom and maybe a sliver off the right side, putting the fly more into the ROT's position. As for the greens, try doing a screen blend mode and then mask off everything but the darkest areas of the BG. Or, if you photographed this in RAW format, go into ACR and increase the luminosity by 5-10 points and see what you think of that.

Overall, excellent image! I think this is well done and would make a very nice print.

[Christopher Miller]

Thanks for the comments!

I agree that stronger light would have been nice, but it was overcast when I took this so nothing I could do about that. I'll try the suggested changes when I get a chance.