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::Soldiering on::


::Soldiering on::
Photo Information
Copyright: Julia Hollis (Runnerduck) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 439 W: 66 N: 620] (1847)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-05-23
Categories: Insects
Camera: FujiFilm FinePix S5500, Raynox DCR-150
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-05-26 7:03
Viewed: 797
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Soldier Beetle - Cantharis Rustica

The Soldier Beetles are a small group of attractive beetles, so-called because of their smart colours, reminiscent of an old fashioned soldiers uniform. They are active predators, hunting on flowers and leaves in sunny weather, looking for small insects. They can also fly well at times, though tend not to. They occur commonly in rough flowery places such as woodland margins and glades, hedgerows and scrub, and are widespread throughout most of Britain and Europe, except the far north.

(copied from Collins wild guide - insects, so I apologise if there are any typo's!).


This image was taken before all the fantastic advice I received from my last post (Laid Bare), so don't think I haven't been listening!

Probably my last image for a week or so. It's all gone a bit pear shaped (probably because I'm suddenly trying too hard), so I'm taking a few day's off and we're then away from Sunday.
I will still try and give feedback till then.


Image was cropped on the left and contrast adjusted.

Thanks for taking the time to look.
dew77, Fisher, marhowie, naki, liquidsunshine, Comandante, gerhardt has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: ThanksRunnerduck 2 06-04 17:23
To Comandante: Thank youRunnerduck 1 06-04 15:13
To marhowie: Thank youRunnerduck 1 06-04 15:12
To PDP: Thank youRunnerduck 1 06-04 14:58
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-05-26 7:06]

Hi Julie!
Today,we have posted the same insect.Very nice shot and composition.TFS...:-)

Hi Julia, glad to see you are on the band wagon.
Cool shot!!!
Excelent capture and well done on the composition.

A tip for ya, F9.0, You'll squeeze out a little more DOF. That's all our Fuji's will give us, which is a drag. O well.
I haven't used a tripod yet.

Mike

Nice macro, Julia.
Good details, nice colurs and well composed.
It's a little shallow DOF as mention.
Very well done.

well done with regards to sharpness and composition but not that successful DOF..

  • Great 
  • naki Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 421 W: 27 N: 782] (2694)
  • [2005-05-26 15:17]

Hello Julia, nice details on the focussed areas. Very good colors and composition. Seems that you had enough light and could work with closer f number.
Well done.

Nicely captured Julia,
Great composition, good colours and detail in the focused area.
Have a great break.....bring some piccys back!!
Thanks for posting

Hello Julia!
very nice macro.Colors,details and framing are wonderful.Thanks for sharing.

Hello Julia! Good details, composition and colors. I see you are using the 150. Much easier to work with than the 250 which has a very narrow DOF. Tripod? Beanbag? If the insect is stationary, use your timer if ya don't have remote shuttering. At 1/500th and F/5, your DOF is too shallow..With a tripod and slower shutter-speeds you can edge up your F stop #
So now that I've written this, I read your note about shooting this BEFORE the advice last post!! I'm leaving it in - maybe I can beat it into ya! ;-))))

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11755)
  • [2005-06-03 19:29]
  • [+]

Hi Julia, very nice shot. The colours are excellent. AS others have said the DOF is a little shallow but what is in focus is nice and sharp.

About the ID, C. rustica has a black spot on the thorax and the wing cases (elytra) are dark. It is a soldier beetle but it's hard to say which. Beetle ID's are very hard. I'm not a religious man but I've heard someone say that when God made the animals he was very keen on beetles, there are 4000 British species alone and they are the largest insect order.

Well done.

Julia, don't give up. Macro work s not easy. It will never be easy. The joy of actually getting one right is worth all the effort.

...then you are hooked for life.

Get a stationary subject. Like a dead moth and start experimenting. Write down all the settings and change them after two or three shots. Then refer back to the notes when viewing the photos and notice the differences.

It is important to start at the smallest aperture and work your way opening up from there.

There is no motion blurr in this photo and the only nit is the small DOF (F5). The angle of your POV also atributes to the larger DOF. Take the photo from a 90degree side angle or top and experiment from there.

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