Beetle - Torynorrhina flammea

This is a reshoot for these photos:

I changed 2 variables: the ISO (from 1600 to 100/800) and my diffuser. Everything else is the same (lighting, background, f-stop, and shutter speed). I'm not sure which ones I like better.

*Specimen

comments (7)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Since you're kind of inviting feedback, here goes :)

Regarding the ISO change, there's two things. When you change the ISO and leave shutter speed and aperture the same, it will result in a darker image, as seen here. If that was your intention, all is good. If you wanted the same brightness as the earlier image yet with a lower ISO, you should have doubled the shutter time.

My second remark regarding ISO is that there's no reason I can think of why you don't just set it at 100, or the lowest value possible, given that the setup is entirely stationary. Next, you compensate for this low ISO with a slower shutter speed, or more light (flash, continuous lights). So: ISO 100, f/16...shutter speed: whatever value needed to make it bright enough. The above requires you put the camera in manual mode.

As for the "full body" retake, it's intriguing. It's creatively dramatic, like a scifi movie poster. It's very cool. Yet if the purpose is maximize details of the species, I think the original one was "better". So...just keep both :)

In case you dislike the new take yourself, I'd figure it's a matter of further experimentation with diffuser positioning. It may not be at the ideal angle, and I perfectly understand why: it's hard to get enough light in between the camera and subject.

I'll end with the ultimate annoying remark: with RAW, your new take could easily be turned into your original exposure with just a few sliders. With JPEG you have to get it "first time right", which is much harder. On the other hand, it does make you more precise. Because you have to :) Posted 3 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks so much for the feedback! A couple things...I can't figure out how to change the shutter speed, lol. I need to read the instruction manual, I guess. That's why I never change that value, hehe. Also, I did try RAW. I forgot to tell you...I think I may have done it wrong though because I couldn't find the files afterwards (I am not sure that I chose the setting correctly because the images still said .jpeg and I expected RAW to have a different extension). So, I will try again with RAW. Also, I tried shooting in manual mode, but the photos were completely black. Posted 3 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Oh, and I do like the darkness of this photo, but think the original is better for details and identification. This one is more artsy, which is fine too. I usually try to take the more practical shots because I come at this from a science/naturalist perspective. I'm not a photographer. But, I do love everyone's artistic photos. Posted 3 years ago, modified 3 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      Agree with all of this fully. Just do both, there's no reason to chose :) Posted 3 years ago
    2. 1. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        I agree with your agreement. Posted 3 years ago
  3. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    You cannot change the shutter speed in aperture priority mode, which I understand you normally use. The idea of aperture priority mode is that YOU control the aperture and that you let the camera calculate the shutter speed. So you don't control shutter speed that way.
    
    The opposite is true for shutter speed priority mode. Now YOU control shutter speed, yet the camera controls aperture.
    
    Manual mode is the mode that lets you control both. This gives you maximum control but also the responsibility to come to a correct exposure, as the camera will not do it for you. So don't be scared of a black scene in manual mode, it simply means there's not enough light. Say you use ISO100, f/16 and a shutter speed of 1/100s...yet the output is black. Now you try 1/50s, which effectively captures twice the amount of light. Still too dark? Try 1/25s. And so on...
    
    It sounds much scarier than it is, with a few rapid test shots you'll reach the needed value in no time.
    
    I believe Canon's RAW files have .CR(something) as extension. Posted 3 years ago
  4. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      Ohhhhh. I do shoot in aperture priority mode and that explains why I couldn't change the value for shutter speed. Oopsie, hehe.
      
      Also, (while I do use a small, tabletop tripod) I often just shoot handheld because it's hard to get the right angles using a tripod. And, I think I only have a full-sized monopod. I can't remember the last time I used a real, full-size tripod and am not sure I still have one. Although, I do have a small thing with flexible arms that can hold my camera without tipping...I'll experiment with that. Posted 3 years ago