Matching Outfit

[Julie Kenward]

I was out at a friend's garden and saw this beautiful vegetable growing. When I bent down to photograph it I noticed a color-coordinated lady bug beetle hanging out on the leaf. :)

Canon 40D, EF 100mm f/2.8 macro
f4 @ 1/640, ISO 200
Manual mode, pattern metering, no flash, handheld
Processed in ACR & CS4. Minimal crop, slight exposure adjustment to take down the shine of the leaf a bit.

[Thomas Herou]

Very alert of you,Julie.
Beautiful colors and nice placing of the bug.

[Stephen Stephen]

Julie lovely capture of the beetle on what I believe is possibly Swiss Chard.

[Julie Kenward]

Stephen, I think you're right. I kept thinking it was kale but knew better as that is darker green.

[BillTyler]

The bug adds just the right contrast to this composition. You mention toning down shine on the leaf. I wonder if a polarizer might have been effective for that, also?

Bill

[Keith Carver]

Jules, we regularly have Swiss Chard in our salads, but your beautiful post gives a whole new perspective, especially to be on the lookout for lady bugs. ;o) Wonderful comp, the bug just makes it! A little less leaf shine might be nice but I also like it as is.

[Don Lacy]

Hi Jules, Very strong colors and lines here add the delicate Lady Bug as a contrast and you have a very engaging image, well done.

[Steve Maxson]

I like the colors, textures, and all the diagonals, Jules. The lady bug adds a really nice touch. I would wish for just a bit more room at the bottom so the one diagonal leaf vein wasn't clipped by the frame edge where it intersects the main stem of the leaf. Well done.

[Morkel Erasmus]

I almost missed the ladybug! lovely shot with great detail and colours Julie! simplicity at its best...

[Julie Kenward]

Bill, I'm sure a polarizer would have worked in this case but I don't own any. They are on my Amazon wish list if anyone wants to buy them for me! ;) Yeah, I didn't think so!

[Alfred Forns]

This brought a big smile to my face Jules !!! Just looks good !!! Big Congrats !!!

[Anita Bower]

I like the position of the lady bug, the angle of the leaf, and especially, the details of the leaf--the undulations, veins, colors. Don't know how you would improve on this.