Shieldbug: flash but no dark background

amrannoordin · Oct 30, 2011

C&C welcome. This is also to illustrate that you can use flash without getting those dark or black backgrounds. You can get a nice bokeh instead. Shot this about two hours ago (morning in Singapore).

Tiberius47 · Nov 1, 2011

Beautiful shot. Excellent use of light and flash.

cgipson1 · Nov 1, 2011

subject looks OOF to me... very soft.

jrice12 · Nov 1, 2011

I don't know. I am no expert in using a flash, but it almost looks like the flash didn't fire here. Was it up and to the left so there is a dark under-belly? There is a focus plane that cuts through the subject but it missed the eyes etc. Narrow DOF. Like the colors of the bug against that green background, I don't like those black backgrounds, but some folks do - matter of taste.

Markw · Nov 1, 2011

Yepp. Missed focus, and it's very soft. And you also don't illustrate bokeh here. There's no details at all in the background. So, no bokeh.

Mark

amrannoordin · Nov 2, 2011

Agree it is soft. I have always had that problem due to my poor eyesight. Thanks.

@jrice12: Yes, the flash did fire. I am no expert on flash either

I tend to fire with my flash angled up and not directly at the subject. One of my quirks

Agree that some prefer black background as a matter of taste. I guess I posted it because a few have suggested that when you use flash, the result must be black. Just showing that it doesn't have too be with slow synch and rear curtain setting etc. But I wouldn't want to force it on anyone to do what I do. Here I am just trying to follow the John Shaw school with regards to this background. Just suggesting possibilities

@Markw: I think you can see the bokeh in the background. Bokeh can be creamy smooth. I believe it is a matter of degree. You can see the blend of the yellowish green to green caused by the blurring. There were yellowish and green leaves in the background. I like to use this effect to remove distractions form the subject. If I want more hint of the environment, I will adjust the aperture to give a little more DOF. I agree with jrice12 that perhaps the DOF is too narrow and/or it was OOF.

Thanks all for the inputs. Very useful critique. Appreciate it.