Post your BUG shots!

P. S. Nothing more fun than breaking the so-called "Rule" of Thirds.

DLeeT wrote in post #18877512
P. S. Nothing more fun than breaking the so-called "Rule" of Thirds.

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Nice longhorn beetle and defiance of the rule of thirds.

Hardly anyone follows the rule of thirds, but many will cite it. It is weird. They will show a purported example, but the subject is just a bit off center, not at the thirds.

I saw a presentation by a pro who was a committed rule of thirder. All his pics were really at the thirds. He was a pro and his pics were all very well done, really excellent. But there was a contrived aspect to them, and it got a bit tiring after a while. Anyway, it was his thing, and that is fine.

Nature photography is a lot like portrait photography. You usually want to make good use of the frame and give some space in front of the subject.

The pic by photosbytw that Dalantech referred to was different, of course, and it is certainly worth experimenting with different compositions.

pcs wrote in post #18877464

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Nice hoverflies enjoying some flowers.

Archibald wrote in post #18877589
Nice longhorn beetle and defiance of the rule of thirds.

Hardly anyone follows the rule of thirds, but many will cite it. It is weird. They will show a purported example, but the subject is just a bit off center, not at the thirds.

I saw a presentation by a pro who was a committed rule of thirder. All his pics were really at the thirds. He was a pro and his pics were all very well done, really excellent. But there was a contrived aspect to them, and it got a bit tiring after a while. Anyway, it was his thing, and that is fine.

Nature photography is a lot like portrait photography. You usually want to make good use of the frame and give some space in front of the subject.

The pic by photosbytw that Dalantech referred to was different, of course, and it is certainly worth experimenting with different compositions.

I bet if you did a survey among non-photographers, showing a picture of -whatever- centered and one obeying the rule of thirds, they would prefer the centered shots. You're right though - the RULE is don't be a slave to the rule/3 and experiment with different compositions. The rule does have its place of course, such as BIF, giving the bird some space to fly into, but even then, they often look great, or better centered:

Archibald wrote in post #18877261
Very nice, pcs, I like both.

Archibald wrote in post #18877590
Nice hoverflies enjoying some flowers.

Thank you, I had a good weekend in the garden (well, a couple of half hour photo opportunities).

DLeeT wrote in post #18877650
I bet if you did a survey among non-photographers, showing a picture of -whatever- centered and one obeying the rule of thirds, they would prefer the centered shots. You're right though - the RULE is don't be a slave to the rule/3 and experiment with different compositions. The rule does have its place of course, such as BIF, giving the bird some space to fly into, but even then, they often look great, or better centered:

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Nope. Centered shots are pretty boring. Even when the subject fills the frame I avoid centering. In the bird photo you linked there's nothing above or below it, so it only works cause there's nothing in the frame to give it some perspective. But although it works I'd delete it cause there's nothing in the fame to give it a sense of perspective, and overall it looks pretty dull -in short it's boring.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/zZrt​2D

Dalantech wrote in post #18877686
Nope. Centered shots are pretty boring. Even when the subject fills the frame I avoid centering. In the bird photo you linked there's nothing above or below it, so it only works cause there's nothing in the frame to give it some perspective. But although it works I'd delete it cause there's nothing in the fame to give it a sense of perspective, and overall it looks pretty dull -in short it's boring.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/zZrt​2D Mantis Maintenance by John Kimbler, on Flickr

Even though it's filling the frame I didn't center this preying mantis -it's in the left side of the frame looking toward the right . Why? Because it's a classic portrait composition technique that just works.

For everyone: I swear I'd give real money if the macro community just shot with the rule of thirds in mind. As it stands right now most of you are producing some of the most amazing razor sharp snapshots. Yup, snapshots cause the primary concern is with getting every little pixel as sharp as possible. Lighting, composition, story telling, all of the things that separate a photograph from a snapshot?! Why bother. Can't see the photo cause the pixels are in the way...

Joe public is looking for images that look good edge to edge, something that he can save to his PC (or phone) as wallpaper. Poorly composed, poorly exposed, razor sharp images are are at the end of the day poorly composed and exposed and they are the reason why very few people outside of the macro community take macro seriously. No matter how much time you spend in post stacking an image if the composition is off and the lighting sucks then congratulations you've just spent a lot of time and energy creating an image that no one outside of the focus stacking community will look at twice.

I know that all sounds harsh, and I know that being honest hasn't made me popular with the macro community. But it's the truth as I see it. The vast majority of macro photos absolutely stink. Take a look at any other photographic discipline and you'll see some amazing photos, and being in the top ten means that you're work is most likely being published. Get outside of these forums that seem to be controlled by people obsessed with getting every pixel razor sharp and you'll see some awesome macro photography.

I absolutely hate social media, and yet there are better macro photos on Facebook and Instagram than I've ever seen on any forum. Images that actually inspire me to be better. Either you all learn that there really is no "box", no hard fast rules that you have to follow, and you make a name for yourselves as photographers that happen to shoot macro or you continue to participate in the circle jerk that is the macro forum community where you continue to take the most uninspiring images on the planet and pat each other on the back for doing so. Yes, I know that last sentence isn't gonna go over well. If you really care about your work as a photographer, or how the general public views the small world, then you won't be pissed off. You'll see what I've written as a challenge...

If you only want to cater to the general consensus on most macro forums , or if you only want to go for a nature walk and record what you see, then I get it. But just don't expect anyone outside of that tight little niche to take you seriously...

I'm keen to improve my macro shots! Specific comments are always appreciated on my pics. I will take everything into consideration. However, not everyone has the same style or approach, and we have to follow our own ideas.

I admire your super closeups. I was out today for the first time in a while, with the 100L and a 25mm extender. That gets to around 1.3X. And at that modest magnification I was having serious problems framing and focusing on my bugs. I don't know how you do it.

Quietus........sense 2

Archibald wrote in post #18877819
I'm keen to improve my macro shots! Specific comments are always appreciated on my pics. I will take everything into consideration. However, not everyone has the same style or approach, and we have to follow our own ideas.

I admire your super closeups. I was out today for the first time in a while, with the 100L and a 25mm extender. That gets to around 1.3X. And at that modest magnification I was having serious problems framing and focusing on my bugs. I don't know how you do it.

Lots and lots of deleted frames, so many that I'm surprised my delete key still has any text left on it.

I can give you advice but at the same time you have to learn how to pick your own work apart, as if you didn't take the shot. You also have to realize that although it's nice to get positive feedback you can't believe it. Can't let it go to your head.

While playing around with my lens reversed found this little guy as I trying to take pictures of the little pink/purple flowers in the background

Some Hymenopterans that are kind of rule of thirdsy


Coelioxys rufitarsis

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …_MG_0430_-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …475_-Edit-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …cro_-Edit-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

Caterpillars feed by extending their heads and then curling up as they chew. So the trick was to focus right at the edge of the leaf and wait for the critter to bring it's head up to start the next "row". I got seven frames before it figured out I was close and stopped feeding. Shot horizontally but framed for a vertical composition, and I turned the shot 90 degrees in post. Easier than trying to hold the camera in portrait orientation.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I'm holding on to the stem of the plant with my left hand, and resting the lens on that same hand to keep the scene steady.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2get​fY3

Lopezga wrote in post #18877888
While playing around with my lens reversed found this little guy as I trying to take pictures of the little pink/purple flowers in the background

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Cute, and looks tiny. Not sure what it is... maybe an assassin bug nymph.