Katydid

1.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9145659​997/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/warl0rd/9147883​582/

#2 is the stronger of the two images.

#1 is obscured by the oof leg and light is exceptionally harsh on it.
#2 although the light is still rather harsh on this one I like the composition.

Pity I don't get (or don't see) any of these in my garden.

I hadn't noticed the "leg problem", but now that you mentioned it, its always the first place I look everytime I see the picture Oh well, the image was already "ruined" with that background (to make it worst its even of the same color of the bug), but I like the leg on the air over the DOF line

Thanks Ian!

I like number 2 as well. Good use of empty space.

#2 is definitely the better of the pair but, as you say, the light is too harsh with too many specular highlights.

WarlOrd, sometimes it is easy to understand the theoretical concept behind what one undertakes. Sometimes, putting those theoretical insights and knowledge into actual practice can be a hard & frustrating task to achieve. But, in the belief that where there's a will, there is a way, I sincerely feel that you will achieve whatever you desire with time, patience and above all, good mentoring. You already have a solid knowledge of the how to, just take time and put it into practice.

It seems to be the light is the main problem, with that tamed the pictures would be much better.

The poses are not my favourite, but bugs often seem to end up facing away from camera, and that is part of the game.

sknol wrote in post #16149994
I like number 2 as well. Good use of empty space.

thank you

Tibouchina wrote in post #16150608
#2 is definitely the better of the pair but, as you say, the light is too harsh with too many specular highlights.

yeah, I was using E-TTL and he overexposed by far. Already has a nice dose of PP, but it was impossible to tone down the highlights.

Ishrani wrote in post #16151122
WarlOrd, sometimes it is easy to understand the theoretical concept behind what one undertakes. Sometimes, putting those theoretical insights and knowledge into actual practice can be a hard & frustrating task to achieve. But, in the belief that where there's a will, there is a way, I sincerely feel that you will achieve whatever you desire with time, patience and above all, good mentoring. You already have a solid knowledge of the how to, just take time and put it into practice.

I will, eventually, or get old trying
I really need more practice, I do macro only half-dozen times/year, thats the problem of living deep in the city center, and not having much friends that are into macro photography.

BasAndrews wrote in post #16151867
It seems to be the light is the main problem, with that tamed the pictures would be much better.

The poses are not my favourite, but bugs often seem to end up facing away from camera, and that is part of the game.

Indeed, I should have stopped depending on E-TTL and get used to manual flash... Anyway, past week I acquired a used MT-24EX, so now I will stop using the old setup and start fresh. I'm already looking to diffuser solutions for the "new" flash. So hopefully I will be able to work out that light problem.

#2 is definitely more pleasing,but you need to work on the lighting,as we have discussed.
now that you have the mt-24,it should be easy to rig something up that will give you softer light.
we don't always " get the shot " but with a little patience we get rewarded eventually with a great posing insect.1/2 a dozen times a year is not nearly enough times for shooting macro.ish and I shoot 10 to 12 hours every week-end lately!LOL

paulo, the second one is the better of the 2 but your light and focus is not working. now that you got the equipment you need to learn about it. learn how to shoot the MT24 in manual, controlling the light with the aperture and start diffusing the light. you can use a simple set up like mine, is easy to do and works great I think. when not able to diffuse you can always up your ISO open the aperture and lower your flash output so that the flash is used as fill light. here is a sample of that

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/andresmoline/7​863584194/

mandokid1 wrote in post #16152503
#2 is definitely more pleasing,but you need to work on the lighting,as we have discussed.
now that you have the mt-24,it should be easy to rig something up that will give you softer light.
we don't always " get the shot " but with a little patience we get rewarded eventually with a great posing insect.1/2 a dozen times a year is not nearly enough times for shooting macro.ish and I shoot 10 to 12 hours every week-end lately!LOL

Yeah, I'm working on that. I wish I could spend all my weekends shooting

Thanks!

alquimista wrote in post #16153003
paulo, the second one is the better of the 2 but your light and focus is not working. now that you got the equipment you need to learn about it. learn how to shoot the MT24 in manual, controlling the light with the aperture and start diffusing the light. you can use a simple set up like mine, is easy to do and works great I think. when not able to diffuse you can always up your ISO open the aperture and lower your flash output so that the flash is used as fill light. here is a sample of that


check out the settings:
1/200 (sink speed) ƒ/6.3 ISO 200 flash output at 1:32 with out diffusion
not the best picture but it works
as for the focus I recommend you try the MP-E with an non moving object and find the best focal angles
cheers!

Andres, thanks for your feedback, it's appreciated

The focus was were I wanted it (now if it isn't were you think it should, thats a different story ), because I agree the composition could have been better (I wish he would stop turning he's back at me).

He was in a shadow area (bellow trees), I was shooting at 1/160 f/11 ISO400 (most of my macros are with that settings), so:
I can't go higher ISO with my old camera
Speed its about what I can handheld properly (at least with the unbalanced old rig)
I could open the aperture if I was able to find a better composition.
Also, flash light was too powerful for the amount of diffusion I had.

Now with the MT-24EX I'll try start using it in manual mode, denis already told me I should, and its the perfect time to start before I get used to E-TTL and become lazy to change.

I can honestly say the biggest change (for the better) was when I got the flash and diffuser sorted on the MT-24.

I could then concentrate on focus, and soon I may start looking at composition, and maybe even interest.