34 21 September 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Technique
Ross Hoddinott shows that bugs
and mini beasts can provide pictures
wellworthhangingon thewall
T
o capture a
close-up picture
worthy of wall
space, I believe
atmosphere, lighting
and simplicity are key
ingredients. Images of
bugs and mini beasts don’t
have the same far-reaching
appeal as feathered and
furred creatures, so you
have to work a little harderBehind the
3
A touch of vibrance
(+15) was added
to give the image extra
punch and impact.4
Just the minimal, default level of
sharpening given, but masking
applied to ensure it affects the main
subject and not areas of smooth tone.2
A small amount of clarity
(+10) was applied to boost
mid-tone contrast and enhance
fine detail and texture.1
A handful of dust spots were
removed using the Healing
Brush to ensure the file is clean
and ready to print.Ross Hoddinott
Ross has been a
full-time professional
photographer since his
teens. Now in his early
forties, he is one of the
UK’s leading landscape
and natural history
photographers. Ross has written several
best-selling books, and co-runs Dawn 2
Dusk Photography with Mark Bauer.
See http://www.rosshoddinott.co.uk.STEP-BY-STEP: PREPARING FOR PRINTING
1 Remove fringing
A degree of chromatic aberration was obvious
on the original file, with some cyan fringing
along the legs (where contrast is greatest). So
I checked the Remove Chromatic Aberration
box under Lens Corrections in Lightroom.
2 Reduce brightness
The highlights were overly bright in the original
file, so I dragged the Highlights slider (found
under the Tone panel) to the left to reduce the
brightness of the sun. In this instance, I did so
aggressively, selecting a value of -100.3 Lift the shadows
I dragged the Shadows slider to the right, and
made slight adjustments to Blacks and Whites
to produce a more pleasing overall exposure.
These adjustments were made very much to
eye, with me adjusting each slider intuitively.