Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Not Your Usual Portrait

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    212
    Real Name
    Arlen

    Not Your Usual Portrait

    I thought I would post something a little different than the usual fare. Not a pretty girl or a weathered old man, but a rather compelling visage nevertheless, no?


    Not Your Usual Portrait

    (Maybe I should have put this one into the "pets" category. )

  2. #2
    Brownbear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    7,244
    Real Name
    Christina

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Compelling, indeed! Stunning image... and my favourite portrait

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    North West of England
    Posts
    7,178
    Real Name
    John

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Now that's what I call impact. Great image.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    northern Virginia suburb of Washington, DC
    Posts
    19,064

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by John 2 View Post
    Now that's what I call impact. Great image.
    Absolutely!

  5. #5
    Shadowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    36,717
    Real Name
    John

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Very nice, very different.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    50
    Real Name
    Barry

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Impressive and a real attention grabber.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    2,342
    Real Name
    Steve

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Arlen, that's a great shot, and I love the black and white. Very well done!!

  8. #8
    FlyingSquirrel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Washington, USA
    Posts
    1,132
    Real Name
    Matthew

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Well done, really great image!

  9. #9
    teokf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Tawau
    Posts
    750
    Real Name
    Steven

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    WOW! great image.

  10. #10
    Stagecoach's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Suva, Fiji
    Posts
    7,075
    Real Name
    Grahame

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Very nice Arlen,

    Care to share the shooting info for this closeup.

  11. #11

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Australia (East Coast)
    Posts
    4,524
    Real Name
    Greg

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Stunning, Arlen.

    (It reminds me of someone... can't think who ... probably a politician.)

  12. #12
    Kaye Leggett's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Charlbury, Oxfordshire, UK
    Posts
    1,864
    Real Name
    Kaye Leggett

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    He has real character - well captured.

  13. #13
    Suzan J's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Bayfield, Ontario Canada
    Posts
    461
    Real Name
    Suzan J

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Yikes! First the slug and now this... Great shot

  14. #14

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    212
    Real Name
    Arlen

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Thanks to each of you for the very kind words. It's never clear how any particular group of people will react to bug pictures, as some (like me) are fascinated by them and others recoil in revulsion. Except fly fishers, who usually can be counted on to welcome detailed pictures of the insects their flies imitate.

    For those who don't recognize this menacing-looking beast, it is the Baldfaced Hornet, found all across North America. It has a bad reputation, and indeed they can be aggressive and deliver painful stings if they think their nest is being threatened. But in other circumstances they are usually much more mellow, dare I say friendly.

    Grahame, the technical details for this shot are not particularly exotic, being similar to what many here (including you, I think) employ. Canon 5D, Canon 100mm macro lens with extension tubes, nominal f/16 at 1/200, flash on an off-camera bracket, and a piece of black velvet that I carry around placed in the background. RAW optimization in Lightroom; converted to B&W and tonal control accomplished with NIK Silver Efex Pro and Viveza in Photoshop. Much more important was the interaction with the subject. I found it drinking from the most soil along the bank of a local river here in Oregon, and it seemed in no hurry to leave the scene. Lots of patience, gentle persuasion, and years of practice developing a rapport with insects (strange as that may seem) did the rest.

  15. #15
    FlyingSquirrel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Washington, USA
    Posts
    1,132
    Real Name
    Matthew

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Arlen View Post
    Lots of patience, gentle persuasion, and years of practice developing a rapport with insects (strange as that may seem) did the rest.
    Does not sound strange to me at all. A lot of people don't realize what it takes to get wildlife shots (bugs are wildlife IMO). Only someone that works a lot with various animals can understand...over time you just pick up on subtle signals from the animal, know their behavior, get the sensitivity and body language built into yourself second nature, and...well, the patience is just something only the passionate can get.

  16. #16
    Stagecoach's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Suva, Fiji
    Posts
    7,075
    Real Name
    Grahame

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    Quote Originally Posted by Arlen View Post
    Grahame, the technical details for this shot are not particularly exotic, being similar to what many here (including you, I think) employ. Canon 5D, Canon 100mm macro lens with extension tubes, nominal f/16 at 1/200, flash on an off-camera bracket, and a piece of black velvet that I carry around placed in the background. RAW optimization in Lightroom; converted to B&W and tonal control accomplished with NIK Silver Efex Pro and Viveza in Photoshop. Much more important was the interaction with the subject. I found it drinking from the most soil along the bank of a local river here in Oregon, and it seemed in no hurry to leave the scene. Lots of patience, gentle persuasion, and years of practice developing a rapport with insects (strange as that may seem) did the rest.
    Arlen, thanks for sharing this.

    The reason I asked is that I was wondering if you had either the image quality to allow enlarging, or, were using tubes. I have a few close ups of hornets we have here but all taken when they are guarding their nest and you can see them watching your every move.

    As you say the work that goes into getting a shot like this is not simple but the results are worth it when you can portray their character as in this image for others to appreciate.

  17. #17

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Oregon, USA
    Posts
    212
    Real Name
    Arlen

    Re: Not Your Usual Portrait

    It's good to have folks with a similar mind to commune with. Judging from the top notch macro photos I've seen on this site, including by some who have posted on this thread, there are a number of "bug whisperers" among us.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •