Got a thin skin? Then look elsewhere. Post a link to an image that you've made, and invite others to offer their critiques. Honesty is encouraged, but please be positive in your constructive criticism. Flaming and just plain nastiness will not be tolerated. Please note that this is not an area for you to showcase your images, nor is this a place for you to show-off where you have been. This is an area for you to post images so that you may share with us a technique that you have mastered, or are trying to master. Typically, no more than about four images should be posted in any one post or thread, and the maximum size of any side of any image should not exceed 950 px.
Moderators: Greg B, Nnnnsic, Geoff, Glen, gstark, Moderators
Forum rules
Please note that image critiquing is a matter of give and take: if you post images for critique, and you then expect to receive criticism, then it is also reasonable, fair and appropriate that, in return, you post your critique of the images of other members here as a matter of courtesy. So please do offer your critique of the images of others; your opinion is important, and will help everyone here enjoy their visit to far greater extent.
Also please note that, unless you state something to the contrary, other members might attempt to repost your image with their own post processing applied. We see this as an acceptable form of critique, but should you prefer that others not modify your work, this is perfectly ok, and you should state this, either within your post, or within your signature.
Images posted here should conform with the general forum guidelines. Image sizes should not exceed 950 pixels along the largest side (height or width) and typically no more than four images per post or thread.
Please also ensure that you have a meaningful location included in your profile. Please refer to the FAQ for details of what "meaningful" is.
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 4:02 pm
Hi all, Thought I would have a bit of a play with lighting my shots differently. Here's some results. C&C would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy. Look over there!  Weed.  Hibiscus  Peak Hour  I really wanted to capture the top lady bug about 3/4 along the leaf with the bottom one where it is, but no matter how many times they went backwards and forwards, they just didn't want to play a game of composition with me. cheers -Mark
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by Killakoala on Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:24 pm
Mark, they are great images. Tack sharp, colour is lovely and your composition is marvellous. I really like the last one with the lady bugs. They look great like that.
Steve. |D700| D2H | F5 | 70-200VR | 85 1.4 | 50 1.4 | 28-70 | 10.5 | 12-24 | SB800 |Website-> http://www.stevekilburn.comLeeds United for promotion in 2014 - Hurrah!!!
-

Killakoala
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 5398
- Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:31 pm
- Location: Southland NZ
-
by big pix on Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:29 pm
2 & 3 are outstanding for me........... where was your wip and chair for the lady bugs....... keep up the great work
Cheers ....bp.... Difference between a good street photographer and a great street photographer.... Removing objects that do not belong... happy for the comments, but .....Please DO NOT edit my image..... http://bigpix.smugmug.com Forever changing
-

big pix
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 4513
- Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:52 pm
- Location: Lake Macquarie NSW.
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 6:46 pm
Thanks for the feedback Steve and BP.. really appreciate it.
Steve... I'm not as happy as I was hoping to be with the ladybug shot. I wasted frame after frame trying to get the composition a bit different, but alas they didn't want to play.
BP... something new for me. I'm not a flower type of person, but I've seen some very outstanding flora shots around the place and decided I would start having a crack at it.
Thanks again.
Cheers
-Mark
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by libertyterran on Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:23 pm
Hi Mark, would you mind telling us how did you arrange the lighting for all these shots, i.e. number of flash, angle, etc... Thanks a lots, very impressive marco!
-
libertyterran
- Member
-
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:28 am
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:36 pm
No problems at all libertyterran. Single sb600 off camera with a home made snoot. The snoot has a home made diffuser on the end of it from a fishing tackle tray divider. Very grungy stuff.  The sb600 and snoot are placed onto a monopod, and directed as needed. The first few shots were shot from directly above at a distance of around 1 meter. The last shot was slightly to the left of the camera, but a lot closer than the others.. perhaps 5 inches from the subject. A very primitive reflector was also used with the last shot, slightly to the right and almost parallel to the subject. Unfortunately the last one did not work as well as expected as you can see from the harsh blown highlights on the shell/wing covers.
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by marcotrov on Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:43 pm
Excellent nature macros mark. You have nailed the focus and exposure in all. cheers marco
-
marcotrov
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2577
- Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:21 pm
- Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:48 pm
Thankyou marco.. appreciate the feedback.
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by libertyterran on Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:25 pm
xerubus wrote:No problems at all libertyterran. Single sb600 off camera with a home made snoot. The snoot has a home made diffuser on the end of it from a fishing tackle tray divider. Very grungy stuff.  The sb600 and snoot are placed onto a monopod, and directed as needed. The first few shots were shot from directly above at a distance of around 1 meter. The last shot was slightly to the left of the camera, but a lot closer than the others.. perhaps 5 inches from the subject. A very primitive reflector was also used with the last shot, slightly to the right and almost parallel to the subject. Unfortunately the last one did not work as well as expected as you can see from the harsh blown highlights on the shell/wing covers.
Thanks Mark, I've googled around and found this.   Does this look similar to your setup (with the diffuser on one end of the snoot)? Cheers, Quang
-
libertyterran
- Member
-
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:28 am
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:33 pm
Almost. My snoot is longer and narrow quite a bit. Just like a snoot on a studio flash.
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by gstark on Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:40 pm
Mark, I love the fourth. The concept is wonderful, and it appeals to my sense of humour. As to the difficulty in getting the ladybugs to cooperate ... they can be so cantankerous at times, can't they? I hope you got a signed model release from them
g. Gary Stark Nikon, Canon, Bronica .... stuff The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it - US Pres. Bartlet
-

gstark
- Site Admin
-
- Posts: 22922
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:41 pm
- Location: Bondi, NSW
by gstark on Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:42 pm
xerubus wrote:My snoot is longer
Typical bloody Nikon owner. Always boasting about the length of his snoot! 
g. Gary Stark Nikon, Canon, Bronica .... stuff The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it - US Pres. Bartlet
-

gstark
- Site Admin
-
- Posts: 22922
- Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:41 pm
- Location: Bondi, NSW
by Viz on Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:04 pm
That hibiscus one really rocks, I was quite puzzled as to what it actually was. You could have attached near any title and I would have believed it.
Dan The Batch Automator
-

Viz
- Member
-
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:46 pm
- Location: Leichhardt, Sydney
by xerubus on Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:09 pm
Cheers Viz. I think the technical term is those little fuzzy bits at the end of the long pointy bit.  That's right isn't it Rel? 
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by Viz on Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:14 pm
Yeah, I thought that it was a dry ,terrestrial version of something aquatic...
Dan The Batch Automator
-

Viz
- Member
-
- Posts: 176
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:46 pm
- Location: Leichhardt, Sydney
by zafra52 on Sun Mar 02, 2008 1:54 pm
I like all of them. Lovely colours, sharpness, and composition.
-

zafra52
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 4845
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:22 pm
- Location: Brisbane
by xerubus on Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:08 pm
thankyou zafra52. 
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
by rflower on Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:25 pm
Hi xerubus.
Great shots. Nice and sharp with the focus. I have just got a tamron 90 mm myself, and really need to start playing with it. Was your flash on a cable, or fired wirelessly from the onboard flash? Do you remember what settings the flash was on? (ttl, manual etc)
Russell Nikon D700 // 50 1.4 // 70-200 2.8 VRII // 24-120 f4// Tamron 90 // SB-800 // 70-300G I'm on Redbubble too ... http://www.redbubble.com/people/rflowerIf you can make one of my photos look better and you have the inclination ... please do so.
-

rflower
- Member
-
- Posts: 441
- Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:01 am
- Location: Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne
-
by xerubus on Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:38 pm
Hi Russell. I used the on board flash in commander mode, and the sb600 was fired remotely. In remote mode, the flash is set to manual, which is default I believe when wireless. The important part was to put a little diffuser over the on board flash to stop it from interfering with the shot. Also.. I was shooting at f22 1/200th. ISO 200. I usually shoot ISO 100 for macro, but 200 seemed to help with my exposure using the flash remotely.
-

xerubus
- Senior Member
-
- Posts: 2740
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:33 pm
- Location: Nth Brisbane
-
Return to Image Reviews and Critiques
|