Hello Everyone! Would Love Feedback.

are you asking for a critique or something else?


---Mike Savad

until i know what your looking for - is that none of these are really in focus. the face should be the sharpest thing and the rest to follow with a deep focus. but all of these are very shallow.


---Mike Savad

That's what happens when shooting only one macro image. To get good depth of field need many images and then focus stack them....

well no, you need a deeper focus and more light. a flash rig will have a giant flash set up all the way around the subject. and they get large and crazy. they use a specialized macro lens as well for really nice shots. good macro is tough to do, many people have things close up, and not many like bugs on their wall so its a tough sell. its one of the reasons i don't do many of them. they might sell to the right person but its a long shot.

stacking btw only really works for things that don't move. macro has a hairline focus, and bugs move. to get a slice you need a macro rail and a bug that's frozen in place.


---Mike Savad

Miguel,

Welcome!

Nice images,especially for someone new to photography. Here's some tips. Watch your focus/depth of field on Macro shots. DOF becomes very shallow when using a Macro lens and close-ups. Where you position the focus becomes critical and can make or break the image. Example, the ladybug shot. It looks to me the focus is on the flower head and not the ladybug,where it should be. Try to increase your DOF in the beginning and then as your technique gets better, you can reduce it.

Keywords. You need to have many more words, what insect, common name,latin or scientific name,name of the flower it's on,etc. If you do a search for "ladybug" 2400 images will show up, and that's just photography! If you search for "ladybug,coccinellidae", which is the "family" the lady bug,lady beetle,belongs to, there are now,only 171!

Finally, you have chosen a VERY crowded field, bugs and flowers,so do some research and see who is your competition and how they shoot,light,etc. their subjects and learn from them.

I've got 2 groups that I admin and you might enjoy:

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/photo-critique-one-on-one-.html

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/photo-critique-one-on-one-.html

Read about them and see if you would like to join,

Good Luck!

Rich

For example in the following image you need the head and eyes in focus, so you would focus there take shot, move focus to body take that shot, and so on. Then import them all into Photoshop in layers and focus stack the images so everything is sharp as a tack. Also the head is in the shadows and then some of the image has blown out highlights. These can also be fixed in post-processing. I hope that is what you were after :)

Sooner, I must disagree. I've shot numerous macro images with deep focus an no stacking.

An example:

Rich, both your links go to the same group, not two different groups.

Murray, never said best or only way, just a way. Trying to get him to look at images as layers...

rich those are the same groups


---Mike Savad

Murray, so totally different level of equipment...but nice image for a beginner...yours not his LOL!

"To get good depth of field need many images and then focus stack them...."

Sounds pretty definitive to me.


Where is his or my equipment mentioned?

Wow...tough crowd today...not definitive...just overly summarized maybe...

btw...be nice if the people in these forums would get over themselves...nobody can be all that %Murray

Murray - Great depth of field on the main subject!

It's not about me, Sooner (which of you am I talking to?). It's just that you've given a beginner advice to stack his images, which is a completely different learning curve than learning to shoot good images.

1) Join a photography club...
2) Don't ask anyone here if you are good are not...
3) Take some photography classes...
4) Study the great photographers who do the type of work you are "attempting" to do.
5) Don't quit your day job...

6) The Internet has hundreds of examples and classes on nature photography....
7) Chances are you will never make more than a few bucks for all the effort you put into your photography...
8) If you are asking us for advice, you will never improve.

@Robert...amen!!! You just earned post of the year award.

@Murray...I will try this one more time...every photographer has to be able to view their images as layers or parts of a whole to reach the next level...

I am thinking about the old saying "no good deed goes unpunished" Next time I will ask permission before I post...

By the way my avatar is both me...ain't photoshop amazing...D'oh!!!

anyway


you should talk about the type of spider this is, in the description, it would be more interesting that way. how many will get it for a wall, that's unknown. the keywords should should reflect the spider model. mentioning where the spider lives, won't help too many to your site.

your bio, i would leave out the injuries and such and talk about the art you do. but in order to sell, you have to be unique and stand out. macro is tough to do because it does involve bugs. but more so they need to have the proper focus, and lighting, and still be interesting. getting close isn't usually good enough, it still carries the same responsibilities of being balanced, good color and some kind of interest. you want to watch for too much background or too busy an image. the insect should fill the screen. ideally though i would switch to flower close ups, they have better chance of selling even though there are already too many of them. but still that has to be in total focus as well.

if your going to be selling at all, you have to think where images will be in their house. not too many will be interested in your dog for example, unless it doesn't look like a snapshot, no houses, pieces of cars etc.

---Mike Savad

Sooner, apparently you're either Daniel or Elaine. Photoshop ain't that good. ;-)

It's always Daniel...she's too smart to mess with any of the online crap...she only works with people...which is really strange seeing how people orientated and charming I am! You can buy my book on how to Make Friends Online @ Amazon starting next month...sure to be a best-seller!!!

I personally like all the nit picking your doing to this Gentleman's picture. It hurts but in the long run we will learn something. That is the only way we learn to take better pictures. I will now go back to mine and look at the details everyone brought up. I may not have noticed those things before in my pictures. Renee

Welcome Miguel, Glad to see a fresh face in our little community here. I have no idea what I am doing with photography but I love your photos and can see more than a few that would go great on a wall. Please feel free to use the 'search discussion' tool at the top of the page as has a wealth of photography information.

Rich,

Both links are the same!

What!!!

Yes, they are the same link,didn't you check before you posted this?

Not really.............

So, post the other one then............!!!

Ok,here goes...........

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/raw-critique.html

and the other one...........

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/raw-critique.html

Ah, Rich.............

Rich

Rich they are still the same thing.

"@Murray...I will try this one more time...every photographer has to be able to view their images as layers or parts of a whole to reach the next level... "

No they don't. That is an opinion.
Every photographer first has to know what his equipment is capable of and learn how to use it to get the best "vision" presented. The post-shooting technical stuff comes in time with a LOT of practice.

its entertaining anyway. do you like 1 better or 2 better -- they look the same.

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/raw-critique.html
http://fineartamerica.com/groups/photo-critique-one-on-one-.html

here copy those.


---Mike Savad

see that's how you do it.

---Mike Savad

I really like this one, Miguel. I'd prefer it cropped in at the sides to showcase just her in her beautiful black dress! (I don't even know if butterflies are shes or hes, lol). Be glad you've found your niche! Keep shooting what you love.

Wow.....

Anyway, as you see there are more than a couple ways to skin the macro cat. The problem you will run into is no matter how good you get people generally don't want giant bugs on their walls. I started selling with a portfolio of mostly dragonflies, butterflies and bees. In four years I don't think I have sold enough to even cover the cost of the macro glass. Take that for what its worth which is shoot what you want but if you want to sell you will need to expand your range of subjects.

Other than that I would lose the dog. The image, not the animal. While meaningful to you the image is your dog in your neighborhood and really won't appeal to the public and IMO detracts from the portfolio at large. By all means photograph the dog but try and get something that will appeal to john or jane q public.

heck, i barely sell butterflies, and of all insects, those are the prettiest. i've sold beetles to one lady, who's son is studying bugs. beyond that, bugs are icky.

---Mike Savad

Louise,

Of the lack of obvious self-deprecation, this "story" tells the tale............

Take a few moments and read my posts more carefully..................

Your friend,

Rich

Obviously, I don't get the joke...


Anyway...feedback.

Nice and sharp but must be cropped in tighter to eliminate the background. People love sunflowers for the most part, but it needs to be more "art", less "snapshot". Try a square crop.


Same with this cute little fella. More cute, less woods.

Hi Miguel
Welcome! Your images are really fun. I can understand completely your love for bugs and critters, I seem to share that love. I also love Mike Savad's advice, but bugs are not icky. Please continue to get better and larger prints of every bug out there. It's a wonderful world when you consider how much color and odd shapes there are in nature. Good luck to you!
Lisa

Welcome Miguel! I a new to FAA, as well...but not new to macro, which is my passion.

Keep shooting, but also evaluate what others are doing and study how to use your equipment. And I have to agree with Mike... Bugs don't look good on a wall.... But they are still my favorite subjects. :) if they make you happy, keep shooting them.

just going to bump this, since there are some tips about better macro stuff in this thread.


---Mike Savad