Inside a tulip...C&C please???...anyone???

[IzzieK]

I went out to buy myself a bug catcher kit...'went to Hobby Lobby and the woman I asked said, "is it for a kid?" I smiled and said " Yeah, a 58 year old kid..." She looked at me and smiled but brought me to where she knows the item I was looking for is located. 40% off today...Yippeee!!! I paid $5.13 for it total including tax...went home sat in wait for some bugs to catch...I saw a fly, a moth, two bees and whatever it was that flew so quickly I can't identify it...they all stayed away from me -- it must be my face... Disappointed, I look around for something to photograph and saw this -- no bug today but I think I must look closely inside:



This is actually a full size shot, no cropping done because when I did cropped it lost its surroundings which I find also attractive, so I just resized it to 1400 on the longest side. I made another three more attempts to catch some bugs, any bugs but no one wants to stay put...maybe tomorrow...

What do all think? I used a 200 macro lens and no extension tubes. And oh, I think 200 ISO...

[Ziggy]

Izzie I like your capture of the inside of a tulip. Nice detail and color.

May I ask why you are trying to capture bugs?

[Shadowman]

Nice capture, first I'm hearing of a bug catcher kit.

[zkogut]

I went out to buy myself a bug catcher kit...'went to Hobby Lobby and the woman I asked said, "is it for a kid?" I smiled and said " Yeah, a 58 year old kid..." She looked at me and smiled but brought me to where she knows the item I was looking for is located. 40% off today...Yippeee!!! I paid $5.13 for it total including tax...went home sat in wait for some bugs to catch...I saw a fly, a moth, two bees and whatever it was that flew so quickly I can't identify it...they all stayed away from me -- it must be my face... Disappointed, I look around for something to photograph and saw this -- no bug today but I think I must look closely inside:



This is actually a full size shot, no cropping done because when I did cropped it lost its surroundings which I find also attractive, so I just resized it to 1400 on the longest side. I made another three more attempts to catch some bugs, any bugs but no one wants to stay put...maybe tomorrow...

What do all think? I used a 200 macro lens and no extension tubes. And oh, I think 200 ISO...

This is cool looking. I love photographing eyes and insects with my 85mm macro as well. I'd try to get even closer with your lens and capture some individual pollen with the red background. Nice photo though.

[Stagecoach]

Well done Izzie.

I like it and the DoF works well showing us just enough of the subject in detail. If I was to be really picky, I would say that you should have removed the few 'black' spots using the healing tool and considered a crop possibly from the left (removing the background green) and a bit off the bottom to place the middle of the flower off centre

I assume the lens you used was the 70-300mm with the 'macro' 1:2 function?

As for bug catching kits I have a number hanging around the place that I often get in trouble for and they are the thin clear plastic 'take away' containers and have holes punched in the lids. Ideal for placing over some specimens, sliding the lid under and retaining whilst you get the gear ready

If you have a table outside try putting a piece of fruit say half a mango and leaving it, you may attract some flies as it decomposes

Grahame

[Marie Hass]

Nicely done, Izzie!

You handled the reds well and there is good DoF.

'Rie

[Barbara Ponder]

I like it Izzie! I think all the bugs are staying away because they know you are a bug killer Hope the kit works out for you! but if not I am still enjoying your journey

[joebranko]

Love the colours and texture. Beautiful!

[flashback]

Izzie, very cool, the color(s) are brilliant and eye catching, it's almost an abstract. The only thing it that bit of green in the upper right hand corner.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image with lovely colors and patterns, I leave technical comments to macro shooters as I don't shoot macro

[GBO25]

I reckon it's great Izzie. So sharp where it needs to be and I don't reckon you could crop it any because you'd lose the swirl of the petals as they sweep away.
Really nicely saturated colours as well. Excellent.

[jcuknz]

Issie ... I cooked up a curry today and being cheap tough meat that meant a slow cook for around four/five hours ... I went out for awhile and when I came home the lovely odour had attracted about five flies which I duely dispatched with spray and broom to the outdoors .... just an idea perhaps for your search

[deetheturk]

Very well done Izzie, +1 to Grahame's comments, this is much better this early than I expected as for the bugs don't beat yourself up, or them for that matter you will be clicking them soon enough, keep at it

[IzzieK]

First up, thank you all for viewing and commenting and critique-ing...I truly appreciate it very much...

Ziggy, I decided to join the bug club even on the sides. It is a genre I wanted to try for quite a while, having promised David (deetheturk) quite a while back that I will get that darn macro lens over and over again...while collecting other accessories for doing macro, I wasn't shooting. For a while there, I lost my interest to shoot anything along the way so I was bumming around here and learning post processing...one good thing is that now I have time to indulged even just two or three hours each day doing just that -- photography..then another one or two hours if I like on post processing. Here is my first attempt at macro and bugging.

Thanks John (Shadowman) for commenting...I only know and seen of a butterfly catcher so when I went to google to know more of what my husband said he is going to buy me, I thought a butterfly catcher is much bigger than a bug so I typed "bug catcher". Lo and behold! For the first time in my internet life , I typed the right words to look for what I really want. Amazing!

Thank you for looking and commenting, Zak, Marie and Joe...really appreciate it a lot.

[IzzieK]

Well done Izzie.

I like it and the DoF works well showing us just enough of the subject in detail. If I was to be really picky, I would say that you should have removed the few 'black' spots using the healing tool and considered a crop possibly from the left (removing the background green) and a bit off the bottom to place the middle of the flower off centre

I assume the lens you used was the 70-300mm with the 'macro' 1:2 function?

Yes. A Sigma 70-300mm with macro function. Good for flowers but not on insects.

As for bug catching kits I have a number hanging around the place that I often get in trouble for and they are the thin clear plastic 'take away' containers and have holes punched in the lids. Ideal for placing over some specimens, sliding the lid under and retaining whilst you get the gear ready

If you have a table outside try putting a piece of fruit say half a mango and leaving it, you may attract some flies as it decomposes

Grahame

Thank you for all your comments and advice. I feel I am doing very well indeed if you said so, but I still want to do my bug thing...I thought I already removed some spots there. It must be my lens, needs cleaning. I'd get on it straight away as soon as daylight comes.

I have a lot of small tables which are supposed to be tv dinner tables but I'd get into trouble if I put even one leg of them outside...I will perhaps try a shallow dish pot with some pineapple pieces I have in the fridge. Good idea! Thanks again.

[IzzieK]

I like it Izzie! I think all the bugs are staying away because they know you are a bug killer Hope the kit works out for you! but if not I am still enjoying your journey

Thank you bird lady... Oi...I am not as bad as I look...I find the flies around here are intelligent enough to fly away when they see me with a whacker. What difference does it make with a bug catcher to catch him with it then? Yeah...yeah...once smashed them dead 3 days earlier than their life span, the other well...it might as well wish himself dead anyway...

[IzzieK]

Izzie, very cool, the color(s) are brilliant and eye catching, it's almost an abstract. The only thing it that bit of green in the upper right hand corner.

That will begone, Jack...soon. Thank you for passing by this time around. I like your comment: abstract. I've never heard that said in any of my images.

[IzzieK]

I reckon it's great Izzie. So sharp where it needs to be and I don't reckon you could crop it any because you'd lose the swirl of the petals as they sweep away.
Really nicely saturated colours as well. Excellent.

Thanks Graham...I followed Graham's advice to concentrate on one focus at a time and I decided on that yellow one inside. Maybe one day I can expand on doing my metering on matrix to get all the insides well...I appreciate your comment.

[IzzieK]

Issie ... I cooked up a curry today and being cheap tough meat that meant a slow cook for around four/five hours ... I went out for awhile and when I came home the lovely odour had attracted about five flies which I duely dispatched with spray and broom to the outdoors .... just an idea perhaps for your search

I looovvvvvvvvve curry, but I can only cook it when hubby is not here and on a trip somewhere not just our hangar down 20 minutes away. He doesn't like coconut milk. So that will take sometime before I can get a fly or something...Thank you for your comment and advice. I appreciate it very much. I will put that in my list for 'ron...

[IzzieK]

Very well done Izzie, +1 to Grahame's comments, this is much better this early than I expected as for the bugs don't beat yourself up, or them for that matter you will be clicking them soon enough, keep at it

Thank you David...nice to see you again...now you look more macho without the flower shot... I appreciate your comments as usual with Grahame and the rest of the crew here. I knew you and Grahame will honestly correct me on whatever I am doing wrong with my bug including swatting it dead. ha! and that is OK too .