Audrey Waitkus  


Hungry Bug by Audrey Waitkus

January 2020 - Hungry Bug

About the Image(s)

This was taken with my cell phone, f/2.4, 1/382 sec, ISO 50. In Photoshop I cropped, adjusted brightness with masking to balance the exposure on the flower and bring out the bug, and added a vignette.


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




Ruth Holt   Ruth Holt
Well, three of us got "buggy" this month! Sharpness, color, and lighting are all well done in this image. This would look great enlarged and placed on a wall in an office...   Posted: 01/13/2020 16:48:45



 
The center of attention indeed is the colorful bug. The colors and sharpness have been well done. Also the blurry background make this image pop. However, the two grass leaves in the upper right quadrant are distracting because my eye gets pulled there,I suggest removing it or tone it down.   Posted: 01/18/2020 23:41:05



Eric Schweitzer   Eric Schweitzer
I like the image and its colorfulness. I agree with Abe about the background. Wonder if the flower was not so bright if the bug would stand out more.   Posted: 01/20/2020 18:52:38



Audrey Waitkus   Audrey Waitkus
I definitely agree about the distracting leaves, and I will be sure to fix that before I use the photo again. I did a lot of balancing of the exposures of the flower and the bug until I had what pleased me best.

I think I was more interested in the delicate shadings in the flower than the bug, who was sort of a happy accident. I have a series of photos of this particular flower and I've enjoyed playing with the tones and shading so that the flower has the best possible three dimensional appearance.   Posted: 01/20/2020 20:38:13



 
I was impressed that you got such a great photo with your cell phone. I agree with the comment on the background, but otherwise, I wouldn't change anything. I'm curious, do you just use the camera that came with the phone, or have you tried the camera that comes with Lightroom?   Posted: 01/23/2020 08:11:38
Audrey Waitkus   Audrey Waitkus
At this point I just use the phone that came with the camera. Some time ago I took a class to learn more about using the cell phone, and tried a bunch of other camera apps, but they were mostly more trouble than they were worth. With the native camera, you just swipe and go. I don't even have a modern cell phone. I think sometimes there's a bit of luck involved, but I usually get what I'm looking for. In the last couple of years, the cell phone has been almost my only camera (getting too old for all that equipment). I haven't heard of a camera that comes with Lightroom. I'll have to look into that. But I'm not a fan of Lightroom - I use the edit in Photos on my Mac and if I want more I take the photo into Photoshop. Thanks for the tip about the Lightroom camera.   Posted: 01/23/2020 09:13:21
 
If you have Lightroom on your phone, it has a built in camera that allows you to shoot Raw photos. It took a bit of getting used to, but it's great when you want to adjust exposure before shooting. I've used it a little, but mostly use my camera.   Posted: 01/23/2020 10:35:17