Macro DSLR Speed Challenge #20 "Open Macro"

Nice shot BA. Those were some goofy eyes for sure and a very well done macro!

Geno, that really is an impressive eye shot. Nicely done.

I also enjoyed the shots from everyone else, especially the new folks. Keep coming back for the challenges!

Brecklundin, thanks for the comment on the flower. I debated on lightening the shadow side, but I liked the contrast between the sun & shade. I'm curious on others' opinions. I'd like to know if my thoughts are in the minority. BTW, I almost put up a match shot, just for you! Sorry you missed the deadline this time.

I like the shadows/contrast myself - exposure looks dead on to me and I love the colors and detail, if anything I would like to see more of the yellow stringy things within the DOF.

Where's Pennypue's shot -- no excuse remember

BASmith Congratulations , is a great picture and title.

John_B , Next pictures will be named.

Edit: Can I get some feed back on my picture ? It was my first time out with my macro lens at the beach, was really bright clear sky that day. Plus I am not that great with PP as of yet.

LOL, monty, I love how you hold me to it.

I was threatened with life and limb to find my daughter a car. I wasn't allowed to shoot till I had bought her one. I've STILL failed. New, I can buy, used, I suck.

Thus, no workout in the basement for me, no shooting for me, just car shopping, used car shopping. It's been painful. I literally came home and cried.

Can I make it up to you with a dead bug from months ago? (From when I first got my 100macro and started playing...)

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lavanut wrote in post #7706663
Nice shot BA. Those were some goofy eyes for sure and a very well done macro!

Geno, that really is an impressive eye shot. Nicely done.

I also enjoyed the shots from everyone else, especially the new folks. Keep coming back for the challenges!

Brecklundin, thanks for the comment on the flower. I debated on lightening the shadow side, but I liked the contrast between the sun & shade. I'm curious on others' opinions. I'd like to know if my thoughts are in the minority. BTW, I almost put up a match shot, just for you! Sorry you missed the deadline this time.

Yeah, I like the shot but still have the sense if you used a bit of refected light to just slightly illuminate that section the contrast effect would be even better. Right now to me it seems as if there is a bit of detail lost to the shadow that would actually make the shot more interesting. As it is, that is one of the coolest flower macro shots I've seen...I just love that flower, whatever it is!! hahaha.....

EDIT: You know looking at it from another POV, maybe LESS light would be interesting too. You know put a black card next to that side to reduce light hitting the area. Either variation might be interesting. Or am I FOS? hehehehehe

Brecklundin -- that's a volcano!! Can't you see it!

Hey Pennypue!! -- Yeah dead bugs work (at least they stay still for you!), (PS I have a slightly used suziki aero for sale )

FireDragon -- lots of detail and an interesting subject - but whatever is in front of your subject really hurts this shot IMHO.

hahahaha...a volcano!! How could I have missed that...so yup more things that burn from our pal lavanut!! snickersnickersnicker!​!

LOL -- Exactly!

So...no one has mentioned my shot. Can I ask for some feedback? Nobody liked it at all?

pennypue wrote in post #7707354
LOL, monty, I love how you hold me to it.

I was threatened with life and limb to find my daughter a car. I wasn't allowed to shoot till I had bought her one. I've STILL failed. New, I can buy, used, I suck.

Thus, no workout in the basement for me, no shooting for me, just car shopping, used car shopping. It's been painful. I literally came home and cried.

Can I make it up to you with a dead bug from months ago? (From when I first got my 100macro and started playing...)

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Hey I think I dated her...she just laid there in a fetal position too...coincedence? Perhaps not...

mikerault wrote in post #7707518
So...no one has mentioned my shot. Can I ask for some feedback? Nobody liked it at all?

I love it and wish I could get a shot like that Mike! Only nit on my end is I would like to see more DOF.

OMG, you guys crack me up! I never made the connection to a resemblance of a volcano, but you're right! How funny! Seriously, it was a safflower, so the package said. They had a "bunch" on clearance at Kroger, and I thought they'd make interesting photo subjects. I took several shots and was fascinated with them. I played with that shot a good bit in PP to get it like I wanted. The yellow bits caught my attention too! Maybe I'll post links to other pics & versions tomorrow.

Mike, your shot was pretty cool... definitely bug eyed, but it appeared to be a bit soft. I think that took away from it some. Lord knows I've had my share of those shots in my macro endeavors. Was that a dragonfly? I see wisps of wings on the sides.

Firedragon, I'm with monty on his comments on your shot. That blur in the foreground draws attention away from the shell. Maybe crop that part out in your original if you can. I'm not on my computer with PS on it right now, or I'd play a bit. Maybe tomorrow....

Penny... nice dead bug. Maybe I should shoot more of those myself! Like monty says... they stay still for you! Good luck on that car.

mikerault wrote in post #7707518
So...no one has mentioned my shot. Can I ask for some feedback? Nobody liked it at all?

Oh, geeze mike don't feel left out at all, glad you joined the fun!!...I liked your concept a lot and even thought about what I might have tried to get more detail in the shot. To me it needed more DOF, so maybe f/11 or more likely f/22 in order to more of the face is in the shot. At f/4 the DOF is so thin that w/o stacking there's a bunch of detail lost.

As an example BA's shot was F/11 and you see how much more detail is there in the shot because of the DOF being larger.

I don't have the link handy but there is a DOF calculator that is a nice tool that is so good I copied the whole HTML page to my Nokia N800 as well as my old Sony Clie so I can use it if need be wherever I am. When I find the link I can post it in this comment if you want it...not a problem.

BTW, I usually have no idea WTH I am taking about so don't think I am an expert at all...just relating what I have gleaned from my reading and practice.

EDIT: here is the link...play with it and you will see how tiny the DOF is at f/4 vs. f/11 or f/22...it can make all the difference in the shot.

http://www.dofmaster.c​om/dofjs.html

Lava, I've got a some of a dead spider that wasn't quite so dead when I started out.....I felt pretty bad about it too. But it did stay still for me.

I can't imagine that I'll get good enough to shoot them alive. But I do own a nice tripod now at least.

Mike, I loved your bug eyes. (I like the diving stuff better....)
Lava, the lighting works for me on the safflower because the light just kisses the right edge of it. Shows off the fine fuzz on the lower bud part (insert very technical term here) of the flower.

Monty, love the aero, drive it up. I'll pay you 5k. lol

Congrats folks!

I was sold on Goofy Eyes, but man when Geno's came out it threw me. Glad you could sort it out, John!