Dandelion and Insect

TechArtist · Jul 16, 2012

Original: http://i50.tinypic.com/2jed5rk.jpg

Took this photo with my iPhone 4S. Trying to get some of the photos I've taken with my iPhone edited so this is one of my favorites. It was taken, but not edited with Camera+ and I did a tiny bit of editing with Bridge CS5's Camera RAW(using this since it's basically like Lightroom and my trial is over and I don't have the money to pay for a copy of it).

Definitely looking for feedback. I'm trying to figure out if there is anyway to get some more clear focus with this camera or if it is just a limitation of the iPhone.

gargieya · Jul 17, 2012

Nice !!!

Jaemie · Jul 17, 2012

I don't know about the limitations of the iPhone, but I can address the composition of your photo.

The title suggests the subject is the insect and the left dandelion, however there are numerous elements competing for attention in the image (e.g., utility vaults, trees, sidewalk and street - leading lines, other dandelions) and the insect appears far too small in such a large crop. In this case, it's probably best to go back and re-shoot a close up of the dandelion/insect that isolates those elements from the surrounding distractions, so you get a photo with just the dandelion/insect and either a simple background (all grass, all concrete, all sky, whatever) or with a mixed-element background that is blurred to the point it no longer has recognizable distractions (a narrow DOF - I don't know if the iPhone has that capability). I've cropped your photo to show you what I mean, and I did some sharpening and minor adjustments in PS CS6. The insect is now a major part of the image and there are few distractions. Unfortunately, the photo suffers from poor sharpness and I had to chop off part of the dandelion to remove some competing elements. Anyway, that's the direction I would work towards with this particular subject. I hope this helps a little.

JoshuaSimPhotography · Jul 17, 2012

Yeah, the crop really helps

Jaemie · Jul 17, 2012

As an alternative to Photoshop, try Paint.NET. You can do quite a bit of PP, it's easy, and, best of all, it's FREE! I've been using it in addition to PS for several years.

JoshuaSimPhotography · Jul 17, 2012

I use to use the other paint program all the time, I just liked to do some virtual drawing

TechArtist · Jul 17, 2012

Jaemie said:
I don't know about the limitations of the iPhone, but I can address the composition of your photo.

The title suggests the subject is the insect and the left dandelion, however there are numerous elements competing for attention in the image (e.g., utility vaults, trees, sidewalk and street - leading lines, other dandelions) and the insect appears far too small in such a large crop. In this case, it's probably best to go back and re-shoot a close up of the dandelion/insect that isolates those elements from the surrounding distractions, so you get a photo with just the dandelion/insect and either a simple background (all grass, all concrete, all sky, whatever) or with a mixed-element background that is blurred to the point it no longer has recognizable distractions (a narrow DOF - I don't know if the iPhone has that capability). I've cropped your photo to show you what I mean, and I did some sharpening and minor adjustments in PS CS6. The insect is now a major part of the image and there are few distractions. Unfortunately, the photo suffers from poor sharpness and I had to chop off part of the dandelion to remove some competing elements. Anyway, that's the direction I would work towards with this particular subject. I hope this helps a little.

View attachment 14016

I do like your crop. It definitely makes more sense. I think what I was going for was to try and show all of the Dandelions and get more of a sense of a journey. Though I do agree now that I look at this again that the background elements are way too distracting(ecpesially that power box,

).. I think next time I will try to find a less distracting angle(although I never expected to get the little insect, he just happened to come along right at that moment).

sm4him · Jul 17, 2012

Had it not been for Jaemie's crop, I wouldn't have ever figured out where the insect was; I thought that was just a little dead piece of the dandelion dangling off of it.

You CAN get reasonably decent pictures from your cell phone camera, IF you recognize its limitations and work within them. Among those limitations is that phone camera's don't really do macro (at least not under normal conditions). While you understandably think it's cool that you captured the little critter, and the crop DOES help relay that, it's still way too small to really be much of a focal point.
Concentrate on creating pleasing compositions and getting good focus and you can do much with a phone camera.

Also--just for future reference--this should probably go in the new Phone Camera forum rather than macro.