Bokeh-licious Bug

[JKoerner007]

Here is a Cryptic Mantis from South Africa.

Mmm, not sure the topic was mantids ... but bokeh-licious bugs

Not as beautiful a setting; this one is sitting on the wall of the cabin, I stayed in. Taken handheld with D800 + 300/4 AFS and the build in flash.

Indeed ... going from the beautiful moist splendor of the Florida outdoors as bokeh as a background ... to stucco ... would not have been the direction I would have taken the topic 

If you have any arthropod images with luscious backgrounds, would love to see them

[charlie]

Mmm, not sure the topic was mantids ... but bokeh-licious bugs

Indeed ... going from the beautiful moist splendor of the Florida outdoors as bokeh as a background ... to stucco ... would not have been the direction I would have taken the topic 

If you have any arthropod images with luscious backgrounds, would love to see them

In regards to the topic of bokeh, the isolation of the mantis is nice though without your description I recognize no moist Floridian splendor, just a wash of green that could just as well be muslin.

At what point does quality bokeh transform to blandness?

[David H. Hartman]

My feeling is the equipment may be very important to the photographer taking or making the photograph. Another photographer may be curious about the equipment that was used. However the photograph itself must stand of fall on its own merits. When viewing and enjoying a photograph the equipment used doesn't matter, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc. Its all good.

Dave Hartman

[JKoerner007]

In regards to the topic of bokeh, the isolation of the mantis is nice though without your description I recognize no moist Floridian splendor, just a wash of green that could just as well be muslin.

Mmm, disagree.

Even a cursory glance shows there are light, mid-, and dark greens represented in the background, which is clearly not muslin and in fact nature.

At what point does quality bokeh transform to blandness?

When you use muslin.

[JKoerner007]

My feeling is the equipment may be very important to the photographer taking or making the photograph. Another photographer may be curious about the equipment that was use. However the photograph itself must stand of fall on its own merits. When viewing and enjoying a photograph the equipment used doesn't matter, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc. Its all good.

Dave Hartman

The Eternal Paradox:

(1) The image must stand or fall on its own merits, regardless of equipment;
(2) No image can be obtained without equipment;
(3) Some equipment / focal lengths / apertures are better/worse at effectively capturing colors ... isolating the background ... and rendering bokeh than others.

Hence the interest to discuss these particulars along with the display of any image

[JKoerner007]

Here's another from the same sequence:

[charlie]

Mmm, disagree.

Even a cursory glance shows there are light, mid-, and dark greens represented in the background, which is clearly not muslin and in fact nature.

Disagree all you like, I was not questioning what the background is or is not.
I am questioning what good bokeh is.
If reducing the background to nothing but color constitutes good bokeh, then you have succeeded.

By the way muslin often has light, mid, and dark tones:
 

[JKoerner007]

Disagree all you like, I was not questioning what the background is or is not.
I am questioning what good bokeh is.
If reducing the background to nothing but color constitutes good bokeh, then you have succeeded.

Charlie;

Methinks you're trying to be an academic pr---, nothing more.

My original post was designed to create intrigue on a bug image with nice bokeh.

(BTW, mantids aren't really bugs, but the original intent was fun.)

Another poster posted an image of a mantid on a stucco wall ... and apparently you took exception to my comment.

In your own post you rhetorically said, "I recognize no moist Floridian splendor ..."

Really? No sh-t?

Sorry, Charlie, but the "This is Florida" sign in the background got blurred with the rest of the greenery

Now, you are popping-off with minutia that has nothing to do with anything.

Here is the bottom line:
If you think you have a better bokeh bug shot, post it, and (if I agree) I will respect your opinion.

If all you have is more lip, or a common bug shot on a wall, or your screen door, sorry Charlie, but you are off-topic and just a blowhard to me.

By the way muslin often has light, mid, and dark tones:

Thank you for the academic exercise

Show me the wildlife bug shot excellence of which you are capable, and if I agree it is worthy of my attention, I will give it to you.

Otherwise, your comments belong in the recycle bin IMO.

Admin: This approach serves the NG community no good.

[David H. Hartman]

I sense a need for comic relief...

Well, we're having a ball just 'a bopping on the big dance floor
Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974
Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
Look at me again and there's gonna be fight
We're gonna rock this town
We're gonna rip this place apart

--Brian Setzer


Oops!  Forgot the author

[Jack Dahlgren]

I sense a need for comic relief...

Well, we're having a ball just 'a bopping on the big dance floor
Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974
Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
Look at me again and there's gonna be fight
We're gonna rock this town
We're gonna rip this place apart

That sounds like bokebilly to me...

[pluton]

Here are 2 non-professional 'tourist' shots of insects who have turned their heads toward the camera. They are tourist shots because I had not set out specifically to photograph insects, and had only a not-suited-to-purpose 50mm close focusing lens on hand.

[Chip Chipowski]

Oooh I like the personality in #2!

[David H. Hartman]

No.2 should have a leading role in a horror movie.

[Kim Pilegaard]

Here is the bottom line:
If you think you have a better bokeh bug shot, post it, and (if I agree) I will respect your opinion.

Sorry to have been off the topic, when I posted my picture of the Cryptic Mantid. I was simply more focused on the bug in the original posted picture than on the background, which was probably also the intension when the picture was taken. Of course, I should have read the title of the post more carefully.

[Akira]

Here are 2 non-professional 'tourist' shots of insects who have turned their heads toward the camera. They are tourist shots because I had not set out specifically to photograph insects, and had only a not-suited-to-purpose 50mm close focusing lens on hand.

I also like the second one which is even humorous!