NikonGear'23

Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: Randy Stout on March 17, 2017, 17:36:24

Title: viagra
Post by: Randy Stout on March 17, 2017, 17:36:24
Taken many years ago.  The first time my wife saw this image, thats what she blurted out!

I have more room of the right, and cropped in a bit to increase the % of drooping flower heads.  Just playing up the theme a bit.

Thought about removing the bees.

Advice and comments always appreciated

Randy
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: elsa hoffmann on March 17, 2017, 17:47:39
Chocolate box pretty - it's gorgeous and I like the beeeez
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: armando_m on March 17, 2017, 17:59:40
colorful !

IMO, I wouldn't remove the bees
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Frank Fremerey on March 17, 2017, 18:58:45
It is fine for me, just a bit easier on the tones maybe? I feel the colors are bursting out of the frame
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Randy Stout on March 17, 2017, 19:50:27
Thanks everyone for the comments.  Yes, I appreciate the saturation is pretty strong.  The original was taken on a fairly cloudy day, and the colors were pretty saturated to begin with, but they did creep up in a bit in post processing.   :)  My ;normal style is to be rather subdued re: colors and saturation.  Because this was meant to be a funny one, not an accurate representation of nature, I cranked it up a bit !


I found the data on the file:  D100  18-200 at 18 mm  1/250s.


Randy
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Peter Forsell on March 17, 2017, 21:45:34
Stunning! I like the out-of-this-world saturation, definitely. Otherwise it would be in danger of being just another botanical picture, now it is a scene from Alice in the Wonderland and I love it.
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Jakov Minić on March 17, 2017, 22:30:22
Sunflowerssssss, i would spend years on that field :)
I agree with Frank, the warmth is a bit too much on my screen too. 
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: ColinM on March 17, 2017, 23:03:44
..., just a bit easier on the tones maybe? I feel the colors are bursting out of the frame

I think the tones fit in fine with the caption/title of the image!

By the way when you say bees, what type are these?
They look longer than any bee I've seen (more like hornets), but then I don't know which country this was taken in
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Randy Stout on March 18, 2017, 11:59:48
I think the tones fit in fine with the caption/title of the image!

By the way when you say bees, what type are these?
They look longer than any bee I've seen (more like hornets), but then I don't know which country this was taken in

Peter,  I am in Michigan.  I do not know what insect these are.  Def. not regular bees, and although I thought they might be a wasp, I couldn't find any online that look like this.  Perhaps a type of beetle?

Randy
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Bjørn Rørslett on March 18, 2017, 12:13:19
Probably some kind of hoverfly.
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Lars Hansen on March 18, 2017, 12:31:17
Great colorful sun flower shot - I got curious about the bugs too. It looks like it could be the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle/Pennsylvania Leatherwing Beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus). 
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Frank Fremerey on March 18, 2017, 12:59:52
Ask Bill de Jaeger. He is a living legend when it comes to identify any species in North America. Stunning knowlegde right from the head in detail and cinemascope and odorama. Love him!
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Randy Stout on March 18, 2017, 19:48:39
Thanks guys for the input.  I think Lars has it right, the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle, based on what I could see on line.  I sent a PM to Bill de Jager to get his learned take as well.


Appreciate it!

Randy
Title: Re: viagra
Post by: Bill De Jager on March 18, 2017, 21:46:29
Randy, that's a gorgeous photo, very well composed.

Frank, thank you for the glowing praise but you greatly overestimate my knowledge.  I'm certainly no authority on insects!  While I never heard of these insects before, they do look a lit like beetles and quite a bit more like wasps.  If you were a insect predator would you want to tangle with what looks like a fierce wasp?

I think this is another great example of convergent evolution, similar to the  western clearwing poplar moth (https://www.google.com/search?q=western+poplar+clearwing&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwii8s-j8ODSAhUC9WMKHRazABcQ_AUICSgC&biw=1696&bih=781) whose adults mimics the appearance of stinging hornets.  I only became aware of this latter insect during the last few years, because it became an issue when a drought weakened riparian trees in my area and led to this insect's larvae causing significant damage to many trees.  The adults look fearsome but they're just moths and they can't sting.