Sophia Schade
February 2025 - Looking at me
Original
About the Image(s)
Settings ISO1000 145MM f9 1/1600 handheld Z9
I took this magnificent photo of Praying Mantis while in Greece.
As you can see from the original the Praying Mantis takes the color of the plant and blends in very well. I wanted the PR to be the star of the photo so I darkened everything around it. I am trying to figure out how to have the atenas to show more. Please help me make it better!
BTW last months photo received 2nd place ribbon.
Settings ISO1000 145MM f9 1/1600 handheld Z9
10 comments posted
Hi Sophia, Super capture and plenty of detail left despite the crop. I am guessing trying to mask out the background treatment to exclude the antenna would probably not work. I can only suggest applying the treatment with a gradient so the area around the antenna is more like how it was originally. I am hoping Pete has some smarter ideas. Posted: 02/03/2025 02:54:44
Thank you for your feedback and your compliment! Posted: 02/04/2025 23:27:41
Sophia, I agree with Mark! Super capture!
One thing you might try to add more attention to the antenna would be to use the Object selection in either Camera Raw's or Lightroom's masking function. This would allow you to add brightness to them. Although I didn't do a very careful job, here's what I came up with. Does this help?
Posted: 02/03/2025 15:27:02
One thing you might try to add more attention to the antenna would be to use the Object selection in either Camera Raw's or Lightroom's masking function. This would allow you to add brightness to them. Although I didn't do a very careful job, here's what I came up with. Does this help?
Posted: 02/03/2025 15:27:02
Hi Pete thank you and I will play with it when I get back from the PSA Sri Lanka gathering! Posted: 02/04/2025 23:28:52
Sophia, this is an outstanding capture of a Praying Mantis. Years ago I took a bug shooting course conducted by some well-known entomology photographers. One of them stressed including the environment with the subject. He used a 30mm macro-lens, resulting in about 1/2 subject and 1/2 environment. I started with your original and used ACR to isolate the subject, then worked on the subject and BG separately. Posted: 02/04/2025 23:19:33
Hi Richard, thank you! I really like your edits..What is ACR? Thank you for your feedback and your edits. Posted: 02/04/2025 23:30:34
Thanks Sophia, ACR is Adobe Camera Raw which is part of Photoshop. With ACR you can make masks to separate elements of the photograph. Light Room has the same capabilities as ACR. Posted: 02/06/2025 21:25:22
Sophia, outstanding capture. The detail is amazing. Love the way you darkened the image and brought the spotlight onto the Praying Mantis. This image is one I would display. BTW, he looks hungry. Posted: 02/06/2025 15:50:15
Hi Sophia, this is an excellent capture of a Praying Mantis. The sharp detail on the mantis, especially in the eyes and front legs, really brings it to life. The lighting is well-controlled, creating a strong contrast between the subject and the dark background, which adds to the drama of the image.
One minor refinement-there's a slight highlight on the leaf that competes with the subject. A subtle adjustment in post-processing to tone it down could help keep the viewer's focus entirely on the mantis. Posted: 02/09/2025 13:45:18
One minor refinement-there's a slight highlight on the leaf that competes with the subject. A subtle adjustment in post-processing to tone it down could help keep the viewer's focus entirely on the mantis. Posted: 02/09/2025 13:45:18
Sophia, this is an excellent picture of a Praying Mantis. Your depth of field for me is perfect. Did you use focus stacking? Both Pete and Richard have done some good work on the image. I would prefer something between the two. Posted: 02/11/2025 12:18:36