Bokeh-licious Bug

[David H. Hartman]

Interrupted, didn't get back to this.

Sorry,

Dave

[charlie]

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.



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.

John, the truth is I think you are a damn fine bug photographer. Some of your stacked shots are detail rich and technically impressive feats. Because I'm somewhat familiar with the quality of your images and you seem to have experience with a wide range of lenses, I also appreciate your thoughts on lenses that work well for this type of photography and reversing.

What I don't appreciate is your constant air of superiority. So when someone else posted their bug picture and you so smugly suggested that they should not have, I thought what better time to call into question if your photograph is in fact "Bokeh-licious". Clearly you are not up for a discussion on what makes good bokeh in this bokeh centric thread of yours.

I'm not much of a bug photographer though I do have this decade old picture of a spider I took with a reversed 50mm that you can use to determine the proper level of respect I should be given:



With that said I'm up for the wildlife bug challenge. I'll take pictures of bugs and be reminded how challenging it is and share them here. My challenge to you is to practice more tactful responses when interacting with our community. What do you say?

If all goes well maybe we can meet up for a beer, I mean we're practically neighbors.

[BEZ]

I'm not much of a bug photographer though I do have this decade old picture of a spider I took with a reversed 50mm that you can use to determine the proper level of respect I should be given:

Charlie,
Really nice interesting rendering, in the out of focus flower background of the image.

Much respect!

Cheers

[Tom Hook]

Charlie,

Excellent Bokeh-licious Arachnid.

My compliments.

[Chip Chipowski]

Charlie, well done 

[pluton]

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

I'm thankful that the age of giant insects and the age of humans did not overlap.

[JKoerner007]

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.

The color and areas of focus are quite good

The total isolation of the subject (with no distracting elements in the background) not so much.

It is very difficult to angle the lens, and point to a background setting, which totally isolates your subject. (One of the advantages of longer focal length macros, e.g., 180-200mm, versus 60-105mm iterations.)

[JKoerner007]

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.

Your subject (and focus of key points) were terrific ... and I share your interest

But bugs on a wall, or a screen, or a hand ... kinda spoil the effect (no offense, as I have taken thousands like this, if that's all I could get).

[JKoerner007]

John, the truth is I think you are a damn fine bug photographer. Some of your stacked shots are detail rich and technically impressive feats. Because I'm somewhat familiar with the quality of your images and you seem to have experience with a wide range of lenses, I also appreciate your thoughts on lenses that work well for this type of photography and reversing.

Thanks, Charlie.

What I don't appreciate is your constant air of superiority. So when someone else posted their bug picture and you so smugly suggested that they should not have, I thought what better time to call into question if your photograph is in fact "Bokeh-licious". Clearly you are not up for a discussion on what makes good bokeh in this bokeh centric thread of yours.

I admit to being a macro snob, especially when faced with rhetorical questions, no images, and irrelevant minutia.

I am an empiricist, but once I see a person is capable of producing images to which I myself would aspire (or at least relate), then I am willing to enter into a discussion with them about the particulars. I feel the same way about Martial arts. The genre is filled with 'theorists' who have never actually had a fight. There are plenty of self-proclaimed 'black belts' who would never make it 1 round with a professional fighter. No actual experience, no chin, no heart. I would never take instruction from someone like this. However ... there are those who have paid their dues and who have authentic and serious experience. Those are the ones I would pay to train me, not a dude with a straight nose

Many nature photographers are the same way. They read articles, they buy lenses, they debate products, but they only walk out to their backyard, their porch, or to their local park to take "Nature" shots. (Or, worse, a petting zoo.) It's hard to take their 'advice' on nature photography seriously.

The bottom line is I am always willing to take instruction from anyone, who can authentically produce images to which I aspire, under conditions which I consider to be truly challenging. If it seems I have a cutting style of writing, it is only to separate the theorists from those who actually take images like I am trying to take. Hope this makes sense.

I'm not much of a bug photographer though I do have this decade old picture of a spider I took with a reversed 50mm that you can use to determine the proper level of respect I should be given:

I appreciate your willingness to share. It is a beautiful, clean image: nice color and sharp focus, but perhaps not as much depth of focus as desired.
(However, I know that live arthropod subjects can be tough to get several images in succession for a stack.)

Thanks again for sharing

With that said I'm up for the wildlife bug challenge. I'll take pictures of bugs and be reminded how challenging it is and share them here. My challenge to you is to practice more tactful responses when interacting with our community. What do you say?

It's a deal.

If I know someone is in earnest, I am as willing to provide constructive criticism as I am to receive it.

It's only when I think someone is being a sarcastic pr--k that I respond in a different tone.

If all goes well maybe we can meet up for a beer, I mean we're practically neighbors.

I would like that.

FYI, I am meeting up with a friend of mine Friday (that I have known since the 4th grade, and with whom I used to ditch middle-school to catch rattlensnakes) for a 10-mile mountain hike for old-time sake

PM me your contact info, and I would be glad to shake your hand and continue our friendly challenge

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family,

Jack