green on green, PP suggestions, and dust?

[oredith]

here's a simple shot of a grasshopper i found in the front yard:

http://www.ikonique.com/Images/hopper2.jpg

questions:

1. how do you guys deal with similar foreground/background color? i had a really difficult time adjusting colors on this image because everything seems to be from the same color pallet.

2. what ARE those tiny black dots all over the picture?!.. i wiped off the lens pretty well before shooting, and i *think* my sensors are clean? this is an uncropped picture. I figured if it was dust in the actual sensor, i'd get the same from all other pictures? here's a picture taken within 30 seconds after the first pic (i removed the tubes, in theory, there could potentially be MORE dust during the transition) again, uncropped, and zero PP on this one.

http://www.ikonique.com/Images/hop.jpg

thoughts?

[astigmatist]

Nice catch!

1. I'm not an advanced photoshopper and it's not something I typically (ever) photograph, but would probably try channel mixer - convert to monochrome and adjust, then, maybe, apply some colored filter.
2. I have no idea.

[Ook]

Quite odd about the black dots. I'd have pegged it as sensor dust had you not posted the second picture.

Actually, wait! It is sensor dust. They are in fact in the second picture, but they are fainter. I predict that you used a wider aperture in the second. (I can't extract EXIF for those files, but I'd wager that the first is around f/16 or similar, which is why the dots are *so* well defined. The joys of macro! sigh.)

Time to bust out the rocket blower :)

[oredith]

first picture
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/125Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F13
Metering Modes
Centerweighted average metering
Exposure Compensation
0
ISO Speed
100
Lens
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Focal Length
100.0 mm
Image size
3888 x 2592
Image Quality
RAW

second picture:
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/125Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F13
Metering Modes
Centerweighted average metering
Exposure Compensation
0
ISO Speed
100
Lens
EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Focal Length
100.0 mm
Image size
3888 x 2592
Image Quality
RAW

edit:

the only difference between the 1st and 2nd one (in terms of equipment) was the removal of the full splatter of Kenko tubes (12+20+36).

[Ook]

*exif data*

the only difference between the 1st and 2nd one (in terms of equipment) was the removal of the full splatter of Kenko tubes (12+20+36).

Interesting. I'm at a loss as to why the tubes might accentuate the dust spots - I do maintain that it is indeed dust though, so failing a better answer, I'd go ahead and give your sensor a cleaning?

The problem intrigues me. I'd try and replicate this procedure, but my sensor is quite clean at the moment.

[LordV]

Good captures.
About the only thing I play with in PS apart from dust cloning/de-noise and sharpening is levels.
Think that is dust on the sensor- with ext tubes you will have a smaller apparent aperture plus the difference in BG tone makes them show up more in the first pic.
Brian V.