Centruroides hentzi (Florida Striped Scorpion)

[Maureen Allen]

These are everywhere in this part of Florida. They have a nasty sting, which I've experienced a few times.

Nikon D3s, 105mm, ISO 400, f/22, 1/200, three flash units, light box

Comments/critique most welcome

[Roman Kurywczak]

Another nice angle here Maureen and like I said before.....I happen to like the white BG....so no complaints from me. I even like the tail falling OOF! Rare....but it really works well in this comp. Very nicely done!

[Jerry van Dijk]

You are getting some really nice results with your lightbox setup, Maureen! I would consider a slight CCW rotation. Although I like the DOF as presented, you may consider experimenting with focus stacks for these images, to get the whole creature sharp.

[Jonathan Ashton]

I think the light box is a good idea. I think you would have some great results if for example you have a few pebbles or short grass as a base - what do you think?

[Maureen Allen]

You are getting some really nice results with your lightbox setup, Maureen! I would consider a slight CCW rotation. Although I like the DOF as presented, you may consider experimenting with focus stacks for these images, to get the whole creature sharp.

I'm going to try focus stacking the next time I get a relatively cooperative subject. Thanks Jerry!

[Maureen Allen]

I think the light box is a good idea. I think you would have some great results if for example you have a few pebbles or short grass as a base - what do you think?

Thanks for your suggestion, Jonathan.

I realize that the light box images aren't "natural" and don't appeal to everyone. Trying to naturalize the light box with bits of grass or pebbles might ease the sterile look of the image. It would also be quite simple to add a background layer and use a little fancy photoshop blending to give the impression that the scorpion was outside (although in the real world, natural for a scorpion is just as likely to be in the bathtub, on a porch wall or in my shoes.) But that's not the effect I'm looking for. In the end, I'm not certain just what I'll do with these images. My immediate goal is to improve my skills in creating them in the controlled setting of the light box.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Maureen. I think it's largely a matter of personal taste whether one likes the studio look of light box images or not - I happen to like them. :S3: Having said that, you can easily change the look, as Jonathan suggested, by putting your subject on a natural-looking substrate (such as a leaf) - in which case you would likely need to adjust the power of your flashes. I like what you did with the scorpion - excellent lighting, nicely posed, and good sharpness within your DOF. I think the image would be even stronger if the tips of the claws were sharp. At f/22 you don't have any wiggle room to increase DOF - there are several options you might try. 1) Focus stacking, as Jerry suggests, 2) Backing farther away from your subject, and 3) Shooting from a higher angle to change the plane of focus to achieve more front-to-back sharpness. If my subject is cooperative, I usually try shooting from a variety of distances and angles - and do the sorting on my computer screen. Another thing you might try with this image, for example, is to carefully clone the fuzzy edges of OOF areas such as the tail. This will not make the tail any sharper, but it will "appear" to be less OOF. Keep them coming!

[Maureen Allen]

Thanks so much for the helpful suggestions, Steve. I will definitely try them. :S3:

[Ken Childs]

Maureen, I like this one a lot! It's nice as is but you might make a few small changes and see how you like it. As Jerry said, a small CCW rotation is needed. I would also crop some from the top so there is more empty space in front of than behind the scorpion. The area from the mouth to the eyes looks a little soft to me so I think another round of sharpening is needed.

I'm really enjoying your light box images! :S3:

[Maureen Allen]

Thanks, Ken. Your help is very much appreciated.