This month, we are going to talk a little bit more about Cedric's question in last month's post. This is a photo of a katydid. These are a type of grasshopper if I remember correctly, though they are not prone to jumping as much as actual flying. I have never used this shot, not because of any glaring or major flaws but rather because there are a lot of little things about it that I find distracting or detracting to the point where it just doesn't meet with my own personal approval.
First things first, it must be said that when you are working with 1mm focal planes (which I LOVE doing) you are going to get these problems a LOT. Especially if you are shooting hand-held, as I was doing here, instead of with a tripod. It is very hard to keep the subject squarely in a focal plane that small while holding the camera with your hands. Why was I doing it that way? Honestly, because I like the challenge and because despite my age I like to prove to myself that I can still hold my hands that steady. 😄 (I probably couldn't do it anymore, this photo was taken almost 20 years ago.)
So, the first problem is that the angle is not quite exact. The bug and my camera are not perfectly squared, which means that it is not in focus throughout the whole length of its body. The front is fine, but the rear is venturing out of the focal plane. Top to bottom is even worse. The second issue, that the rear leg is fully out of focus, is somewhat distracting but on its own would not necessarily be a problem. The third and biggest issue is that the front leg is blocking its face.
In retrospect this is an image that, given the size of the katydid, I should have been more generous with in regard to the size of the focal plane. Frankly, I underestimated the size of the thing, and chose too tight a focal plane to try squeezing it into. And the leg blocking its face, well, that was me paying so much attention to holding steady and getting the thing into the focal plane that I just missed a pretty major (by my measure) compositional flaw.
All that said, it is still a fun image to look at, and you can learn a lot about katydids (and photography) from it. But it isn't something that I would try to sell or publish outside of this type of educational context. It is close, but not close enough for me. Frustrating? A little bit, but not much. As I said before, you get so used to taking photos that are close but not close enough that you just get used to it and they don't bother you much after awhile.
Thanks for asking, and for checking in!
