Teenager?

[Michael Lloyd]

EOS1DsMk3 manual
180mm macro hand held
Ring flash

ISO 200
1/100s @f8

[Julie Kenward]

Michael, I really love the caterpillar - very nice details and exposure. I do think all the other stuff is a bit distracting (the partial leaf at the top of the stem, the partial spiderweb in the URC, and the stems in the BG). Did you try moving to other angles to get a cleaner BG or did you take any with a wider open aperture?

[Michael Lloyd]

I can solve most of that with cropping or Photoshop. You're looking at a full frame image so cropping would be the first thing that I would try. I actually like the location of the spider web but I can see that it might be distracting. The background stems would have to be photoshopped. I tried a lot of angles and that was as good as it gets. I couldn't move the caterpillar... If I opened up I wouldn't have had nice details. Macro is usually about compromise.

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Nice subject with good details. Lots of things to consider with this kind of images and sometimes, whatever we try, it's not possible to get them all as we wanted. I think a crop from the top will improve this image. Also might try to clone the small bright area near the stem. I find the bright line on the spider web a bit distracting. TFS.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Michael, you're so right about compromise, so times you do the best with whats offered. I kinda like the web in the corner, but don't care from the bright areas, bottom left of the stem and side left of the stem. Easy fixes. Good details on the cat.

[Ken Childs]

Michael, I like the bug but as others have already pointed out, there are some problems with the BG. You said you tried other angles and that you couldn't move the caterpillar but did you try moving the stem the caterpillar was on? A small piece of wire can sure come in handy sometimes. :)