Shadow

[Mike Fuhr]

There's a few tree frogs living on top of the outdoor speakers on our covered porch. They've been living there for the past few months, probably living off of the bugs that fly toward the large windows each evening. Anyway, one of them cooperated for a photo session the other day. Although the sun was quite bright, I like how it turned out. This is a shot I've thought about for some time, and had a short opportunity to get something like this with an anole on a palm leaf, but wind interfered with the sharpness I wanted.

Minor crop and sharpening. Removed several small specs.

Nikon D300
210 mm
100-300 F/4
F/7.1 (-3.0)
1/1000
ISO 200

[Ian Cassell]

Mike, I like it a lot. It's to bad Mr. Froggie was sitting on the vein of the leaf like that -- I think it would have been stronger if he had the good sense to move down to the R lower area, but it still works well like this.

[Mike Fuhr]

Mike, I like it a lot. It's to bad Mr. Froggie was sitting on the vein of the leaf like that -- I think it would have been stronger if he had the good sense to move down to the R lower area, but it still works well like this.

He didn't listen, Ian. I also asked him s spread out his toes on his right foot, but that didn't happen either! In his defense, I don't think the leaf was quite wide enough to support his weight near the edge.:)

[Jim Bridges]

I've made a few photos like this and it looks sharp enough for me and I like the position and <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]-->silhouette. These little guys are a favorite subject when I can find them

[Julie Kenward]

I agree that putting the frog off the leaf vein and into a corner would have made this even stronger but I still like the image. I'd probably increase the black even more and crisp up the sharpening around the frog's outline to really make him stand out even more - but that's just my opinion. You do what feels right, Mike!

I really like that you "pre-visualized" this and then made it come true. That's when you know you're thinking like a photographer...when you start "seeing" the images before they happen.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Mike,
Great comments above on the vein and your own assesment on the toes. Those two elements would have put this over the top if he cooperated! I like jules suggestion of more black to darken the silhouette too.

[Mike Fuhr]

Hey Mike,
Great comments above on the vein and your own assesment on the toes. Those two elements would have put this over the top if he cooperated! I like jules suggestion of more black to darken the silhouette too.

Interesting thoughts about the darkening of the silhouette -- I had the same conversation with my friend Danny. I have another where the silhouette is much more translucent, giving it an element of 3D that I like. I will try to darken it a bit more to take a look. Any thoughts on doing so without making it look too contrasty (if that is a word...)??

[Mike Fuhr]

I've made a few photos like this and it looks sharp enough for me and I like the position and <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]-->silhouette. These little guys are a favorite subject when I can find them

They are a fav of mine also, Jim. Any tricks to finding your subjects?

[Daniel Cadieux]

Interesting thoughts about the darkening of the silhouette -- I had the same conversation with my friend Danny. I have another where the silhouette is much more translucent, giving it an element of 3D that I like. I will try to darken it a bit more to take a look. Any thoughts on doing so without making it look too contrasty (if that is a word...)??

Best way would be to work on the frog only, and best if done with a quick mask. You could also just paint with the burn tool over the frog only. This way you are not affecting contrast on the leaf at all. For me though, I like it like this...I love the front toes being darker and visible overlapped against the head.

Very well thought out, and well executed.

[Jim Bridges]

They are a fav of mine also, Jim. Any tricks to finding your subjects?
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I have a few areas in the state park where I do all of my shooting that I've found them the same summer months each year. It's in a little grassland prairie area with the vegetation about waist high. I hunt for them as the sun is coming up until about 9:30 or so then it seems they are harder to find and I'll go to a shaded forest area around one of the small lakes to look and have some luck at times. Usually when I find one there will be several, sometimes five or more in the same area in about a 30 foot circumference. Most of the ones I find down here are fairly small about 1/2" or smaller, but at times I'll find one that is over an inch but they are still hard to see and blend into the environment very well. I work "very" slow and may look at two plants for ten minutes before moving to the next couple of plants. Sometimes they will be under the leaves of plants too. I hope this helps you find some of them up there.

[Mike Fuhr]

I agree that putting the frog off the leaf vein and into a corner would have made this even stronger but I still like the image. I'd probably increase the black even more and crisp up the sharpening around the frog's outline to really make him stand out even more - but that's just my opinion. You do what feels right, Mike!

I really like that you "pre-visualized" this and then made it come true. That's when you know you're thinking like a photographer...when you start "seeing" the images before they happen.

Thanks Jules. I keep going back and forth on the darkening of the shadow, but I think I like the lighter, more translucent version that gives it a bit of a different look.

I am going to make another version of this photo on a sycamore leaf if I can get the frog to cooperate. I'll be talking to his agent... :)

[Mike Fuhr]

I agree that putting the frog off the leaf vein and into a corner would have made this even stronger but I still like the image. I'd probably increase the black even more and crisp up the sharpening around the frog's outline to really make him stand out even more - but that's just my opinion. You do what feels right, Mike!

I really like that you "pre-visualized" this and then made it come true. That's when you know you're thinking like a photographer...when you start "seeing" the images before they happen.

Thanks Jules. I keep going back and forth on the darkening of the shadow, but I think I like the lighter, more translucent version that gives it a bit of a different look.

I am going to make another version of this photo on a sycamore leaf. :)