I wasn't really planning on participating in this challenge since I don't have a macro lens. However, I just happened to stumble across this guy climbing around on our window ledge and thought I'd give it a shot.
First I tried using my 50mm f/1.8 but it doesn't focus close enough. So, I thought I'd try using my old 28-80mm from my N65. I knew it focused close but I didn't realize it'd focus as close as it did. What really amazed me though was how sharp this lens is. Holding it, it feels like a cheap, plastic lens that's about to fall apart...but it really does give nice results.
This was shot at 80mm with all natural lighting. I didn't have to use a reflector or flash.
Anyway, for PP:
- Opened in RAW to adjust white balance
- Heavy cropping to focus in on the subject
- Used Shadow/Highlight tool at low settings
- Cloned out a tiny part of his leg that I found distracting
- Curves
- Hue (made the yellows a little bit greener)
- Saturation (increased reds & yellows slightly)
- Created a feathered selection and added a little Gaussian
blur to enhance the bokeh
- Created another feathered selection and blurred the black
area in the bottom left
- Cropped to 640x561
- Sharpened again (slightly)
- Added thin black border
- Save for Web
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These insects never fail to fascinate me - it must be so bizarre coming across one! This photo is really well framed, and I particular the diagonals formed by the antennae. legs and head.
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