food for thought
Paul,
I've been wondering if I'm not actually a slave to the idea of cropping in camera and therefore not cropping in post processing.
I guess that idea goes back to my first digital camera, a 3Mp model where every pixel counted. Now with 12Mp at my disposal there is room for some post processing cropping, particularly when the results are downsized for posting on the web.
There are two immediate benefits I can think of, one is being able to photograph the insect from further away, thus not entering it's comfort zone and possibly scaring it away, and after all you don't see the ones that got away, very often I don't either
, and two, by photographing from further away and cropping you obtain greater depth of field for your subject, witness our two similar photographs of flies posted today. Yours actually shows greater clarity of detail over the whole insect than does mine, despite yours being taken at a greater distance from the subject, and so yours is therefore "arguably a better photograph".
I have to admit that when faced with a rare or unusual subject I would start to photograph it from further away so as to at least obtain something of a picture, then I might be tempted to move in closer.
Given similar weather conditions tomorrow I feel a little comparison exercise coming on, repeat todays outing, well short stroll, but photograph my subjects from a greater distance and steal myself to the idea of post process cropping.
Watch this space.
Barrie