Grasshoppers

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Sony A850~ Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro~Sony HVL-F58AM~ISO 500~1/100 sec~F/18~HH~aperture priority~10-23-2010~Brazos Bend State Park, Texas~CS5
Although I have had a number of insect subjects lately, grasshoppers seem to be the most cooperative. No flash compensation, and full frame with little crop, so cropping suggestions would be useful. I know antenna are clipped, and it is a bit tight in the frame, Comments and critique welcomed. regards~Bill

And what is the deal with this website resizing images? This was 900 px wide when I uploaded it!! It is now 800px.
my website (http://avianimagesource.com)

[Dawn Currie]

It is a shame the antenna were clipped - I really like this. Have you tried adding some black canvas to the top and cloning some more of the leaf and completing the antennae with additional head room?

[Ken Childs]

Hey Bill, there are times when grasshoppers are very cooperative and when you find a pair like this, they are obviously distracted and will usually let you get quite close. ;)

Your self-critique is spot on. I think if you'd taken a step back and angled the camera so the bugs were facing towards the UR, you would have had a great comp that wouldn't have clipped the antennae of the male. I think the best crop for this would be to take it in much tighter, maybe something like this. There are a few flash highlights on the bugs that should be toned down and the plant behind their heads is somewhat distracting so you might try removing that or at least blurring it a bit more.

I saw your reply in the Resource Forum so you already know the resizing problem has been fixed. :)

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks Dawn and Ken. Ken; appreciate your assistance.I tried a tighter crop as you suggested, and since I am cropping an image from a full size sensor, detail holds up very well. I toned highlights down a bit and removed a branch on the right. regards~Bill

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Bill. I like images illustrating behavior and this fits the bill. Good sharpness on your hoppers. The clipped antennae in the OP bother me a little in terms of the comp so I think Ken is on the right track suggesting a tighter crop. I like the position of the hoppers in your repost, but I notice that you have used a different original image for the tighter crop - I find the background plants to be more distracting in the repost than they were in the OP, plus the background is blacker (I think you already know that black isn't my favorite color for backgrounds. :)) In looking at the way the plants are oriented, I'm wondering if the original image was vertical rather than horizontal? If so, wouldn't the image look just as nice in vertical format? (I suppose it's a matter of taste. :))

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Hi Steve; woops, wrong image indeed! I did the repost on my laptop, and not on the usual 26" monitor I use. Actually the critters were so occupied that I was able to grab the end of the plant and bend it over to the horizontal with one hand, and shoot with the other, and the green stuff in the background, which was connected on a lower part of the plant, bent differently. Manipulating the end of the plant made it much easier than moving the camera in getting the entire subjects in focus. Of course it made it difficult to back up from the subjects, and clipped antenna resulted. I have no problem with a vertical format though. Again, appreciate your observations. regards~Bill

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Steve; woops, wrong image indeed! I did the repost on my laptop, and not on the usual 26" monitor I use. Actually the critters were so occupied that I was able to grab the end of the plant and bend it over to the horizontal with one hand, and shoot with the other, and the green stuff in the background, which was connected on a lower part of the plant, bent differently. Manipulating the end of the plant made it much easier than moving the camera in getting the entire subjects in focus. Of course it made it difficult to back up from the subjects, and clipped antenna resulted. I have no problem with a vertical format though. Again, appreciate your observations. regards~Bill
Sounds like a good way to focus if the subjects cooperate. :)

[pat lillich]

gorgeous detail on the grasshoppers - i like your second crop a lot - beautiful!