Well this is technically not a "real" macro shot, but I hope you guys still enjoy it.
I was at the lake a few weeks back and was able to capture this little guy. In real life he was actually close to golden, but I found it quite hard to show that in the picture. Maybe any of you have an Idea how to adjust the picture so it would convey the golden color a bit better. As always, general CC is welcome =D
Beetle in the sun
I played with it a bit in Gimp: created 2 layers of the picture, in the top one, I masked out the background so only the beetle was visible. I increased the color temperature of that layer a bit. I decreased the color temperature of the background layer a bit.
Maybe not a 'true' macro-shot, still a very nice picture !
Thank you very much, I think that is helping already, just the tweak I was looking for.
Glad you enjoy the picture
This is a macro photo bro. Beetle elytra can be a challenge to capture as they are almost a mirror surface at times. Have you keyed out the species? What software do you use? Try pulling down a curves adjustment or masking out the elytra to isolate the subject how you see fit. Here's a fast global curves adjustment bringing everything down as another example. In terms of constructive criticism, it feels like the subject is shifted away as the light illuminates more of the body than the face. This can make the viewer feel less invested. In nature, rival males will clash for mates and down/away is often the direction they fly or turn when in defeat. The subject may be better placed walking up the leaf or shot at a different angle for brighter mood. The light confetti and tones remind me of champagne or some type of celebration. The beetle looks like it is leaving the party early for some reason. Bokeh balls are a personal taste issue; however, for macro I do personally find them distracting most of the time because the balls of light are almost the same size of the subject. This might be interesting to see as a series of images showing animals in defeat, giving up or turning away. Stuff that pulls at the heart of the viewer. Have fun bro and keep up the great work
Wow, really nice. Lots of input! Thank you.
I am using capture one, but I would say the weakest link, from a gear standpoint, is my monitor, which is quite old and not well suited for photo of work, and makes it hard to judge bright areas and the tones of a picture.
I am not quite sure what you mean by "Have you keyed out the species?" (I am not a nativ English speaker)
Yes I have the beetle masked out, I like the curves adjustment you did. I also think the lighting on the beetle could better. As to the turning away part, its totally different angle to look at the picture which I didn't even consider (but really good to know and hear).
As for the bokeh balls, I actually quite like them in this picture, but I can see their potential to be distracting.
I bought my first Camera early this year and I am always happy to learn new things. Thank you for your feed again.
Next time I will try to keep your thoughts in mind.
I can understand where you are coming from with regards to the monitor. It's wild but it seems like most people's tastes are really calibrated to the screen on their phone these days. What I mean by "keyed" is identified taxonomical binomial name at the species level. I study insects, especially Apis sp. since they are my milk and honey so to speak. I find their life history's fascinating. What I've noticed is that the images that seem to really hit mainstream are evocative to human empathy or somewhat anthropomorphized. It can border on unrealistic in some regards and artists need to be mindful of this; however, the general public seems to relate (invest) more this way since the subjects are often alien looking or expressionless. That is, if a creative cares to appeal to a mainstream audience at all. I'm definitely still finding my groove too buddy. Anyway, it's a cool picture bro! Have fun and a great day in your neck of the woods