I see a leaf that appears to be in the sun, that is very bright and is well photographed. I am not sure what the unique qualities are about the shot at this point other that the fact it will probably be on the ground in a short while. I would suggest that you think about how you centered the leaf and consider moving it to one side of the frame - I would suggest a little to the left. Post some more of your work. Steve W
Thanks for your comments Steve. I agree with your suggestion on placement. I have another shot where I actually did just that, but it was unfortunately not as sharp as this one. These are just shots I took from my treestand (I'm a bow hunter) while I was bored and the light was right.
I don't like these as much but since you asked, here are a couple other shots...
Hey Mike
I think the first shot had better potential, needed different composition. My suggestion, spend some time in the macro forum looking at shots and reading critique, I have found it very helpful.
You might print this out as it is and play with two pieces of paper and change the cropping and then I think you will begin to see. Stay away from centering, take a peak at the 'rule of thirds' application to photography. I think you have a few subjects here but did not work them to make them stand out.
The second shot if sharp would have crowded the frame to much, and you would have wanted to remove the part of leaf in lower right corner too. Letting the trailing leaf tip appear in the lower left would have helped this shot.
Notice how that background behind the tree is appealing, imagine framing either one of your leaf shots to that background! Slide that tree to the right in this picture and it gets better. Make that hole in the tree appear anywhere other than center and it keeps improving.
Look at lots of pictures here in macro and nature and study the ones that you like and realize what makes them likable and I think you will dramtically improve your next shots. I believe you can do it!
Oh, have fun too...........take many different angles, and move things around and take lots of shots of these simple subjects and you will see how the photographer actually puts it together
Here Mike if this helps, just cropped you images a bit for thoughts..........let me know if you want me to take them down, might help explain what I was trying to say...
Thanks Karl, those look great. I really do struggle with remembering to off-center my subjects when I frame them.
Since we're on the subject of PP cropping, what's the popular opinion regarding this practice? Are there purists out there who would argue that PP cropping is somehow morally bankrupt? Or is it really a widely accepted practice?
I think the purists will opt not to, I think as we progress we try not to. These examples just to help visualize in the viewfinder better for composition. It has really helped me with my flower shots as well as being concious of background in my nature photos when possible.
Hey, that tree shot looks pretty cool now! That leaf looks like a crab claw!
Mike, these are my opinions, your style is your style, do what you like and have fun with it.
kcmike wrote:
Thanks Karl, those look great. I really do struggle with remembering to off-center my subjects when I frame them.
Since we're on the subject of PP cropping, what's the popular opinion regarding this practice? Are there purists out there who would argue that PP cropping is somehow morally bankrupt? Or is it really a widely accepted practice?
Thoughts?
I would bet that 95% of the folks on the forum crop in processing. It is a tool like the rest that I use to improve my shots. I do agree that if I didn't have to crop I would not. Steve W
