Hoplia chlorophana

All CC are welcome!

1.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9147885​594/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9145661​587/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9145661​865/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9145661​335/

Looks like the areas of focus that you desired are crisp. Looks like the beetle knows the right color to hang out on.

I like #3 the best out of this set,however I would try to include the whole beetle in the shot,whitout cutting the legs out,and possibly move him to a better more pleasing BG.
just my 2 cents

I reckon you should practice what you preach, Paulo, have a think about it!

I held off commenting, I prefer to encourage rather than mainly to criticize.

The first thing that grabs me is there is no shot with the all of the legs showing.

As a matter of preference I am not keen on the composition on any of them. I can see you have tried to follow the 'rules' that there should be space in front of the bug, and it must not be central, but (and I don't know why) they just don't work for me. It is like the formula is wrong.


On the postive side, the focus is good and the angles you have shot the bug at are great. It is only the comp that does nothing for me.

Lovely series- esp like the first 2 shots. Think the background material detracts a bit in the last 2 shots.
Brian v.

billyendo wrote in post #16101771
Looks like the areas of focus that you desired are crisp. Looks like the beetle knows the right color to hang out on.

yeah those plants were a good camouflage for him, not easy to spot.

mandokid1 wrote in post #16102723
I like #3 the best out of this set,however I would try to include the whole beetle in the shot,whitout cutting the legs out,and possibly move him to a better more pleasing BG.
just my 2 cents

yes, I should have been more careful with the composition, many times I go more magnification to show details and doing that I cut parts of the bugs
Agree with the BG (more present on the last two).

Worcester Lad wrote in post #16103014
I reckon you should practice what you preach, Paulo, have a think about it!

Yes I should, I review myself in many of the comments I make, I hope that I remember them next time I go to the field and don't make those same mistakes over and over. but its easier said then done

BasAndrews wrote in post #16103745
I held off commenting, I prefer to encourage rather than mainly to criticize.

The first thing that grabs me is there is no shot with the all of the legs showing.

As a matter of preference I am not keen on the composition on any of them. I can see you have tried to follow the 'rules' that there should be space in front of the bug, and it must not be central, but (and I don't know why) they just don't work for me. It is like the formula is wrong.


On the postive side, the focus is good and the angles you have shot the bug at are great. It is only the comp that does nothing for me.

Personally I don't see how this community can improve and overcome problems in particular areas if everyone keeps telling them they are doing a great job. I do understand that photography is a hobby for most of us (specially in macro), but I think everyone wants to become better and giving them some heads up on things to improve is a good way to accelerate that process. To me copy pasting "great job" when there are clearly problems with the images is almost as bad as saying "they suck" without explaining why. I don't think its encouraging them, but more misdirecting them from the truth.
Thats why I try to provide some short feedback on what (to me) needs to be improved. What people do with that information its up to them. They can accept it or reject it, besides, there are better experts on the field here on the forum

Yes cutting the legs was a problem, on the first two I went high magnification so I have that justification, but on the last two I do not.

Regarding the composition, that are pictures that work great dead center, like headshots, but profile shots usually work better following rule of thirds.
At least when I see pictures from "the cream of the crop" the ones that I like most are like that...

LordV wrote in post #16103840
Lovely series- esp like the first 2 shots. Think the background material detracts a bit in the last 2 shots.
Brian v.

The dark background material is my backpack, I wasn't getting good shots holding the bug on my hand so I decided to rest it there. my rig has a balance problem, the weight from the flash is on the left side so I find it hard to hold the bug in one hand and the rig with the other (I find the grip of the 450D is too small to properly hold)

Thank you guys for the CC, I will try to apply them next time I go to the field.

Hi Paulo, overal is a great set; a difficult subject to photograph. I feel that in certain insects you can get away with cropping legs or antennas but it needs to be an obvious crop that seems intentional, the first two shots are good examples of that. As for the rule of thirds I always try to apply it to my photographs, but keeping in mind that a rule is not a law so I try to bend the rule when the composition can get away with been more centered.
I agree that being critical is important for helping people improve their photography thus feedback never bother me, but I do keep in mind as you said before that most people have macro as a hobby so I try giving them possitive feedback so that encourages them to keep posting and only give strong feed back or comments to the members that ask for it or that I know that are constantly trying to improve their skills

Nice images. really sharp in the area that you've focused on.

alquimista wrote in post #16104092
Hi Paulo, overal is a great set; a difficult subject to photograph. I feel that in certain insects you can get away with cropping legs or antennas but it needs to be an obvious crop that seems intentional, the first two shots are good examples of that. As for the rule of thirds I always try to apply it to my photographs, but keeping in mind that a rule is not a law so I try to bend the rule when the composition can get away with been more centered.
I agree that being critical is important for helping people improve their photography thus feedback never bother me, but I do keep in mind as you said before that most people have macro as a hobby so I try giving them positive feedback so that encourages them to keep posting and only give strong feed back or comments to the members that ask for it or that I know that are constantly trying to improve their skills

I agree, rules are made to be broken, but they should help us in the creative process, at least in the beginning. Sometimes centered is actually the best composition possible, and I've said "perfect" to many of them, I don't have a problem with centered whatsoever, when it works

I know its a hobby, but who doesn't want to become better if all is needed is following some free tips?
I do understand what you're saying about encouragement, if everyone tells their pictures suck they will probably quit, but I do fell that if people explain what could be done, they will use that information to improve.

If all they want is an acknowledgment that people like their pictures (without telling anything else), then any social network will be perfect for it, posting the images on Facebook, Google+ and measuring how good the photos are by the number of "likes" and "+1s"...

To me a forum is a place were people are supposed to share their thoughts, and help each other (that makes a community), simply posting "great set" to me is just the equivalent of hitting the "+1" or "Like" button. Its doesn't help anyone overcoming their problems and becoming better.

Of course you should say great set when the images are good, and you can complement that by pointing a few "issues" or adding nothing more when everything is just great (and some members here do have perfect sets).

Now I don't feel its right to give the exact same feedback to someone who is REALLY good and makes a post full of really good images and to someone who is just starting and still needs to learn a few things.

For now I'll try to keep giving some feedback the way I'm doing (at least while I have time for it), I'll see how people react. If they don't want it, I'll jump to the +1/Like aka "great set" wagon.

richardhurst wrote in post #16104175
Nice images. really sharp in the area that you've focused on.

thank you

Never saw one of those; interesting beetle; looks mighty huge. I gravitate toward the third shot the most.

I tend to use the rule, if I don't have something nice to say, then try not to say anything.

Your approach seems to be to find fault where possible, under the assumption that your opinion will help. At the end of the day it is only your opinion, not fact.

It is possible that your taste is not unversal, and you may damage to someones confidence with your approach. I have improved a lot with the help from the other uers of this forum, and none of them have had to concentrate on the faults in every picture. Gentle reminders and hints have worked, along with seeing and discussing the great images posted by others here.

Being positive about people''s efforts is not the same as cutting and pasting 'nice shot' in the same way as true critique should not be pasting about rotate this and crop that!

I like them. You seem to have addressed all the other criticisms but I have 1 more Personally I would have moved the bug to something with more of a color contrast. I find it very hard to make the bug stand out when it's the same color as its surroundings. Great light in all of the shots and your focus looks good.

Well, you've reached 666 posts Paulo, I just hope that's not a bad omen! LOL

I tend to think that folk gain more from a positive attitude than a negative one and critiqueing in a 'matter-of-fact' sort of way will put many macro newcomers off from posting, which I feel would be a shame. Just stating bluntly 'not enough light' won't really help at all without some sort of explanation of how they can achieve more light.

A macro newbie (which we were all once), needs some encouragement. Yes, the bugs eyes might not be perfectly pin sharp and the composition a wee bit dodgy but it's their best macro shot so far and they are proud of it and happy to share it with others. Being brutally honest with critique won't help at all, personally, I think it will have a negative effect.

I'm a newb when it comes to macro, so I can't say how to improve. So I will just say, nice set. I like #1 the most.