dead roses and rust
by Lydia

Comment:

Originally posted by GolferDDS: This is a Grahamgator worthy still life! Couldn't fit the challenge any better.

LOL Larry's comment .. probably a few ppl thought it was a Grahamgator .. and an awesome one too . !! ..
no genre is a match for you .. it seems you have everything covered ..

many congratulations on the ribbon .. its funny but i have noticed many ribbons match the photo they are 'attached' to .. i might have to do images with a lot of blue in them in future .. hahaha .. !! .. ;)

The Old Country Fence
by GolferDDS

Comment:
WOW .. this just jumped right out at me ..
its a stunning edit you have done .. loving the black and white ..
this would have to be one of my favourites in the challenge ... its an awesome image ..
i wish this was in the top 5 at least .. :)

Favorite Soccer Ball
by glad2badad

Comment:
LOVED this pic .. was going to vote and comment on the challenge but somehow time slipped away and i didnt get to it .. i would have been one of your 9's ..
many congratulations on the ribbon .. :)
and even tho 'they' say not to make a biased vote .. i have to admit that i'm pretty biased when it comes to dogs .. and a wonderful photo of a dog in motion ... with a ball .. this was my absolute fav in the challenge .. :)

During The Storm
by GolferDDS

Comment:
i loved this image ..
everything about it ..
i gave you an 8 btw ..
and i totally thought it satisfied the challenge ..

re your comment in our pm ..
what is a 'better' image than another when its up to the vagaries of the voters .. well .. its not only personal opinions, but there's the feeling that a lot of images get voted down because its a its a conflict of interest .. also because there are less ppl voting these days .. the low voters dont get balanced out by the ppl who are voting what a photo is 'worth' .
having said that ... its such a grey area .. art .. and what appeals to one may not appeal to another .
and then there are ppl who vote with a very strict idea of how a photo should look .

take the arguments over extended .. many feel that the more you stray from an original photo you are leaving the realms of photography .. the thing is they were altering photos way back in the darkroom ..
and as soon as you start editing you are changing a photo .. at what point does it become not a photo but an altered version of itself ...
ppl do heaps of editing to photos on this site .. landscapes that have changed dramatically from the original photo .. colour, contrast, hdr etc etc .. but that isnt seen as a problem to the ppl who say you cant then add another photo and create something out of your imagination because it is not a photo anymore ..
i see extended as a wonderful opportunity to create something more than your photo .. an opportunity to use your imagination .. to tap into your creativity ..

and i personally see photography as just another artform .. either straight from the camera .. edited to give it more oomph .. or used as a basis to create something else entirely ..
also i love the evolution of photography and what so many amazing artists are coming up with these days .. blows me away ...
WAY TO GO PHOTOGRAPHY .. !! ..

Orange Caterpillar Parasite Wasp with Dewdrops.
by roz

Comment:

Originally posted by tanguera: How do you find your bugs? Are there places in your garden they hang out, or....?

hey Johanna .. there's an area of grass i don't mow which grows quite lush if the kangaroos don't eat it ..
the last two or three years there was no grass because of the drought but this summer we've had heaps of rain .. so it's really taken off ..
but I also photographer them on fences and trees, flowers, brick walls and bushes as well .. wherever I can find them really .. :)

Message edited by author 2021-02-10 05:28:24.

Orange Caterpillar Parasite Wasp with Dewdrops.
by roz

Comment:

Originally posted by willem: Beautiful as ever. If I would be really nit-picking I would say it would be nice to have part of the second antenna in focus as well. I always wonder how you get so much in focus of a moving animal and whether you use natural or flash light. My macros always show a lot of out-of-focus, either because of DOF or because of movement. Top 3.

thankyou for your positive comment willem ..
i photograph the insects in their natural environment so i have to be quite stealthy .. !! ..
i dont use a tripod which some macro photographers do .. for me setting up a tripod to photograph them would be ridiculous .. for starters all the movement in setting it up would probably scare them off ... and the time required .. the insect would be gone ..
i use an external flash in most cases because the available light is very unreliable .. and usually not bright enough .. i change the exposure on the flash depending on the available light and i change the direction its pointing as well .. also depending on available light .. i can change the exposure setting on the camera so there's less movement .. movement is often a precursor to the insect deciding its an unsafe environment and leaving ..
so i move very very slowly ..
i do focus stack if i have the opportunity .. sometimes i'm able to get a few shots of the insect suitable for a standard edit where each photo has to look very very similar .. sometimes that's not possible ..
but i try and get as many photos as possible .. if the insect isnt moving .. focusing on different parts of its body ..
i focus stack manually in photoshop because the slightest movement up and down or sideways will mean most of the programs you could use to do it for you wont work .. and if you're not using a tripod or focusing rails then there will be slight movements .. i try and brace myself on something to lessen the movement of my body ..

i do love the shallow depth of field that you see here in this image ..
if i made it less shallow and got more of the insect in focus i would lose that lovely soft background .. and also it would make it more difficult to focus stack .. its like a sacrifice .. i do want as much of the insect in focus usually .. but i dont want a busy background .. of course there are times when i like that all the insect isnt in focus .. it can be quite beautiful when you dont see everything ..

i've answered you in here in case anyone else was interested ..
there's a heap more i could say . but i've just tried to answer your questions ..
have a great day .. :)

Message edited by author 2021-02-08 15:36:37.

Medication then meditation
by Ammie

Comment:
many congratulations on the blue .. it's a wonderful image .. xx
ps. your welcome .. :)

Hidden Treasures
by RianBotes

Comment:
hidden treasures indeed .. this is STUNNING .. !! ..
so much going on .. foreground, midground and background .. the plants with their colour and life, the fog settling in the valley .. and the sun .. topping it all off .. perfect composition ..
i'm not voting yet .. :)

by Lydia

Comment:
cute pic .. it has a lot going for it .. what i can see .. and what i cant .. what is obvious and what's suggested ..
i'd love to know how you were able to override the dpc requirement that there has to be a title of some kind .. in letters or numbers etc ..
i'm not voting yet .. :)

Stargazer
by ecmguy

Comment:
WOWZERS .. !!! ..
looking a lot like a blue ribbon to me ..
what outstanding photographic skills you must have ..
this is mindblowing in so many ways .
just for starters is a perfectly magic image ..
its beautiful ..
the light is amazing ..
i cant imagine how you have got such a strong light coming out of what the person is holding . i will be wanting to know after rollover ..
i'm not voting yet .. but like i said .. this is totally blue .. :)