blue damsel

[brianfarrell]

from earlier this summer...

[matthewchj]

Nice shot!

I love the beautifully blurred background. You might want to clone out the small bit of leaf right at the bottom of the picture, though.

[wulf]

I think it is not quite sharp enough on the insect, which is a shame as a shot from that close could have been amazing. Having tried to shoot similar things myself, I appreciate just how hard it is to get right though.

Wulf

[brianfarrell]

Originally Posted by wulf

I think it is not quite sharp enough on the insect, which is a shame as a shot from that close could have been amazing. Having tried to shoot similar things myself, I appreciate just how hard it is to get right though.

Wulf

You're right Wulf - the DoF is about 1 mm. It is quite sharp on the insect's eye, but this isn't so apparent at this resolution - you see the OOF ovipositor instead.

I'm saving up for a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 Macro... sharpy sharp sharp

[RangerGuy]

Having tried macro shots of Dragonflies last week, I can really appreciate how well this came out. Just trying to get one to sit still long enough to snap a picture is hard enough. I never did have any luck with mine.

As an "untrained newb", I give you a "Nice job".

[wulf]

Originally Posted by brianfarrell

You're right Wulf - the DoF is about 1 mm. It is quite sharp on the insect's eye, but this isn't so apparent at this resolution - you see the OOF ovipositor instead.

How big is the original image? It might be worth cropping down to make more of the sharp area, especially if the picture is at a nice high resolution at the moment.

Also, what equipment did you use for this shot?

Wulf

[brianfarrell]

Originally Posted by wulf

How big is the original image? It might be worth cropping down to make more of the sharp area, especially if the picture is at a nice high resolution at the moment.

Also, what equipment did you use for this shot?

Wulf

The image isn't big enough I'm afraid - watch this space though, because I know more about this equipment now than I did then - and when I get my Sigma Macro, well...

The exif is intact. Olympus E-500, kit lens 40-150mm at 68mm. The aperture was wide open at f/4, I've just noticed, so I've got what I deserve with the DoF!

[odark30]

In case you feel the need, I dragged your photo in CS3 and it sharpened quite nicely.

[mysticeyesx]

nice shot! look forward to more when you get the macro lens.

[brianfarrell]

Originally Posted by mysticeyesx

nice shot! look forward to more when you get the macro lens.

Thanks mystic! Just ordered it - now I can't wait