Lone Butterfly

[Daniel Krueger]

 

Nikon D7200
Sigma 70-200mm 1:2.8 II EX

Aperture Priority
Handheld

[Tersha]

The butterfly is lovely, sharp and easily visible, but T find the OOF pink flowers at the front distracting, they pull the eye. Usually I really like OOF stuff in a photo, but I think in this case the colour is too different with the pink.

[Patrick]

There’s a good starting point here, and to really elevate future shots, I’d encourage a deeper dive into the foundational elements of photography. Think about how intentional decisions regarding light, composition, and precisely isolating your subject could transform the image. Spending a bit more time planning the shot – considering the best light, your framing, and the story you want to tell – can make a huge difference.

Thank you for posting 🙂

[Daniel Krueger]

@patrickw-2, thanks for the feedback. I agree with your assessment. But I find myself stuck. I’m at this weird crossroads of artistic and scientific and I don’t have a map. I’ve purchased a few books and found a few YouTubers with some information, but I can’t find that one resource that will speak to me, and guide me, on my journey to the next level. I have to admit many times I’m surprised and even awed by what I’ve photographed. I love being surprised by what I see and then what the camera “sees”. Beginner’s luck perhaps. Sometimes the end result image is close to the photo I had in my mind’s eye. And (hysterically) sometimes so far from the intention to make me wonder what I was looking at, or what I was on when I snapped that one!
In all seriousness, how did you elevate your skill? I like what topics you mentioned, but at this point I’m just guessing. I suppose there is something to be said about discovery and exploring the information; but I love books and what books – if any – would you recommend for someone like me. Someone who has leveled up from beginner and now on the cusp of intermediate, where do those resources live?

Thanks for your feedback. I do realize that feedback and interacting with a community of likeminded people is crucial to honing existing skills and acquiring new ones.

Happy Monday from Minnesota!!

[Patrick]

Thank you Daniel for your reply , i agree with what Rob has just mentioned about stating what advice you might be looking for , I have seen a few people just drop a picture in the ST , people are not mind readers.

For my own learning as you asked i mostly picked up how to get the camera to function via watching Youtube HOW TO’s from the first week i bought my camera  , I had years and years of on and off moments making digital art Via Photoshop and many other pieces of software , So when i started doing photography i kinda had a head start with composition and things like the rule of thirds , leading lines , texture ,shape ,form compared to someone that just got a camera and decided to be creative.

Please know i don’t think i am any good myself at this craft but one thing i do know and that is i don’t personally get anything from shooting what i call nice easy to digest photos postcard stuff , I think i would stop doing photos if that was all i had to frame.

To be serious and to say what i do or try to do now more often than not , and that is Single images can be powerful on their own but i try now to create a few at the same place but with the aim of creating an ARC simplest way to read that is to include , a beginning , a middle  and an end , My practice for this is a bit silly but works for me ,when i post images to my ig i always work towards getting 3 images before i even turn the camera on ( this 3 photo is  simply for IG grid aesthetics )  but the practice of doing it keeps you in that frame of mind when out in the real world trying to get a few pictures , i always use to leave the house with no plan and fail a lot , now i make sure i have some idea of what i want.

[Rob Eyers]

Hi Daniel,

One of the things I found on Lightstalking early on was that the shark tank could be a very helpful resource. There’s one caveat I would add. When posting in the tank be clear about why you’re posting and what you’re hoping to get out of it. Your original post did include the settings and a histogram so all one could deduce was that you were looking for technical advice. Since there really isn’t anything “wrong” with your settings it left little to comment on without guessing what your intentions were.

Your response to Patrick cleared that up considerably. Had your response been your original post, you may have received different responses. Just my perspective. Clear comments about why I’m posting and what I’m looking for has always been more fruitful for me in the tank.

So I’ll share a comment that I received along the road. I was once told that if I thought my images weren’t good enough…”get closer”.  To this day I find myself including more in the  frame than necessary. Today’s high pixel count cameras are a life saver when I find myself “getting closer” by cropping. Maybe this could be applied to your image too. Is there anything in the image that doesn’t need to be there to achieve your goal? What did you find interesting? Does the image portray that?

[Robert Apple]

I try not to read other comment before posting so as not to influence mine , however caught the a bit of what Rob said and get closer is good advice, you know how to use the equipment you have as colors look good , sharpness and lighting look good, so I wont go there, but I have noticed that defining the message of the photo is a bit ambiguous. “Lone Butterfly” gets a bit lost, that might suggest minimalism , which would mean getting farther back and the buttery fly is a central focus, but the background is way to busy for that, the message now is more a flower garden with a butterfly in it. to go that route there is too many distractions between whats in focus and what isn’t to bring the viewer in to just the butterfly, even though the contrasting colors of green and orange do help some. The shape of the butterfly would ask for a portrait crop, and the direction it is pointing would ask for a left side orientation . The balance of Bokeh vs sharpness could be used to balance the photo as well , top to bottom with the bokeh adding some eyecandy highlights. All these are phsyological triggers as the brain seeks to balance a scene, when you look at a scene what part of it is really getting your attention , the camera takes it all in without concern, but your brain is focusing in on key details that are attracting you to the scene, some new agey people like to call that having the image in your minds eye, that’s a silly way of putting it, pay attention to what grabbed you to point the camera , try to create what that focus is. When I look at you photo full size, this is what grabbed me, but every one is different, you can read all the books you want and look at all the photos you want but if your not concentrating of what speaks to you, your just going to be a copy of someone else, unless that’s your goal, for some folks it is.

[LightandShadow]

I agree with others about the bright buds in the frame. They are distracting. Your title suggests a solitary subject within a field. I personally like that style though it is often seen by others as having too much in the frame. Robert’s recrop is a good start, though the bright blooms are still distracting.

It used to be easy to get feedback. Once upon a time, constructive feedback was expected. Now, no so much. Looking at pictures you like, reading substantive comments, taking a chance and writing your own feedback are good ways to learn. Putting visceral responses into into words has a real effect on your ability to change your photography.

BTW, practice practice practice…. Self-critique but put the thoughts into words. At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself. Enjoy the journey.

[Author]

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