My First Bug

[Blake Shadle]

Well... I'm not sure what kind it is, but I do know it's my first real attempt with a subject of the bug variety. I made this about a week ago while out with my dad and Robert O' Toole. I was bad and took a couple hours off from forum work :D Let me know what you think.

Shooting Solution
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron 180mm + 25mm Kenko ext
Manual exposure, 1/80th @ f3.5, natural light
ISO 400, Handheld

[Robert O'Toole]

Not bad for handholding and natural light. I like it, especially the composition and the colors. If you hit it with an S- curve it will pop more and look sharper. I like this type of smooth, soft light image over the normal everyday F16 flash on Auto black background images that are the norm. They might be sharper but they dont look realistic to me.

It looks almost like it has something in its mouth doesnt it, or is that a proboscis?

Robert

[Maxis Gamez]

Amazing what you can do with macro lenses. Like the composition very much Blake.

[Blake Shadle]

Not bad for handholding and natural light. I like it, especially the composition and the colors. If you hit it with an S- curve it will pop more and look sharper. I like this type of smooth, soft light image over the normal everyday F16 flash on Auto black background images that are the norm. They might be sharper but they dont look realistic to me.

It looks almost like it has something in its mouth doesnt it, or is that a proboscis?

Robert

Thanks, Robert. I'll punch it up a bit and see how it looks :D

[D. Robert Franz]

Really starting to love natural light shallow DOF macro work. This is great..

[Alfred Forns]

Sweet composition !!!! They are about feel and you got it !!!!

[Fabs Forns]

Sweet, Blake. It's refreshing to go to bugs once in a while :)
You did good, it's beautiful!

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Wow this is a beauty Blake and if this is your first attempt I can't wait to see what comes next. Wonderful composition and angle and the sharpness of the head is awesome. Great work !!

[Jim Caldwell]

Blake - I think you deserved a break!

I really like the soft even yellow contrasted by the insect - the image really sets of the insect well and the shallow depth of field really adds nice contrast to the subject. Great capture!

[Keith Kennedy]

Blake,

Great color and overall compositon of the flower with the shallow DOF. I do wonder if the image would have even more impact if the you had moved slightly left so that the head of the fly would be angled more into the camera. Regardless, a nice shot.

By the way, that is the probosis that has been extended.

Keith