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Beetle and Sunflower
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Beetle and Sunflower

by Peter Cross

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted July 14, 201249 views2 comments
I've been looking at a few volunteer sunflowers every day as I walk the dogs and every day these beetles are still there. I think they are eating the reproductive parts of the flower which may mean no seeds. I found these guys kind of interesting as they have this rather light colored body except for black antennae and lower legs. Not a great shot as I'm still learning macro but that's how one improves. It was mid-day so the light was pretty harsh. I used the shade from the petals to give a softer light. Cloned out a few light spots that were a distraction. Comments and critiques welcomed and encouraged.

Tech info

Canon 60D with EF-S 60mm, f/2.8
1/60th @ f/11 and ISO 800
tripod
cable release
Plamp

Comments

2 comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on July 14, 2012 at 8:57 PM
Well, Peter, you already critiqued your own image quite well. I like the comp, and you certainly obtained good magnification of the beetle. The strong backlighting is dramatic but not optimal for shooting the beetle. Overall, the image looks a little soft. Given that you shot this at 1/60 with a tripod, I am guessing it may be due to subject movement, possibly due to wind (?), although I see you used a plamp, so maybe it was camera shake. Anyway, keep practicing and you'll be posting top notch macro images in no time.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Jones on July 16, 2012 at 12:29 AM
Very nice subject and composition, Peter! As Scott mentioned, there is some motion evident in the large version. Looks like that light was so strong it blew the details out of some of the yellows, even in the shade. I think macro seems to accentuate all kinds of probems, but overcoming those challenges can be a rewarding. The slightest motion is magnified a lot, so I sometimes use a portable wind shelter, and when when that's not practical, shooting in bursts when the wind dies down can sometimes catch a few of those brief moments of stillness.
Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments