Walter Naumann  

Venus Fly Trap and Carcass by Walter Naumann

September 2020 - Venus Fly Trap and Carcass

September 2020 - Walter Naumann

Original

About the Image(s)

Taken 2020 August 20, 14:01 hours, in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. This is my wife's potted plant on our patio. The remnants of a bug are what is left after it was eaten by the plant and the jaws reopened. The plant jaws are about 20mm by 10mm in size.

The pot edge excludes the image from Nature category.

Canon EOS 5DS R camera with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens with ring flash. 1/125 sec, f/22, ISO 200. Hand held.

Lightroom sliders overall and background exposure reduced using Adjustment Brush with auto mask. Photoshop Gaussian blur on the upper jaw. I can't remember if I used Photoshop high-pass filter sharpening and Lightroom noise reduction. Is that too much for Nature category? My Wren Chicks image last month was marked down for too much vignette at my club exhibition, as you warned me. I may try it again with less editing next month or submit it in Open category. What do you think?

This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted

Terry Campanella   Terry Campanella
Water, what a fascinating plant! The colors are quite vivid and you did indeed capture that carcass. I am wondering if it is a bit too soft. I've worked on it a sharpening and adding some texture. Finally, I slightly changed the crop and added a vignette.   Posted: 09/06/2020 17:26:42
Comment Image
Dr V G Mohanan Nair   Dr V G Mohanan Nair
Beautiful close-up image of Dionaea muscipula. Nice colors. I think there was no need to blurr the second leaf. Without blurring, the image is good for nature category. In the present form it is clear that you have made blurring, as some portion near the second leaf below the first one is sharp. Since all other parts are out of focus, there is no need to blurr the image. Some level adjustment and saturation will be sufficient. Your cropping looks good to me.   Posted: 09/18/2020 10:59:44
 
I think this image would do best in pictorial because the vase shows the hand of man and may get disqualified or receive a lower score in the Nature category. As a pictorial image, I like your softer version because it looks intentional as a creative expression.   Posted: 09/18/2020 19:20:11
Joan Funk   Joan Funk
I love the venus flytrap image. Good catch. I agree with Mohanan that the second leaf did not need blurring. You got beautiful depth of field blurring for what is behind the two leaves.   Posted: 09/22/2020 11:34:02
Bunny Laden   Bunny Laden
(Group 43)
Walter, this is one of my favorite plants! You asked about Nature category, but PSA says "Photographs of ... cultivated plants, ..... are ineligible, .." As this is cultivated, you would need to submit to pictorial. I love the colors and the fact you captured the insect in the plant. For my eye, it is a bit soft. You own the plant, so you have an opportunity to take more photos. You might consider focus-stacking. If you don't own any, you might try a trial of Helios.   Posted: 09/24/2020 17:56:10
Bogdan Bricelj   Bogdan Bricelj
Walter,

pot edge, blurring and cultivated plants are all limitations for ND. You can't get rid of them. Photo would be still more interesting with closer macro.

It seems that processed photo is less sharp then original.   Posted: 09/26/2020 12:17:15