I am resting on the sofa today after getting up really early for 3.5 hours of hockey before it got too ridiculously hot, so I figured I should make another post. I continued scanning through my photos from the Kanawha State Forest in WV. So far, this set has produced posts about a Gorgone Checkerspot Butterfly, my current favorite unidentified green spider, and Apheloria virginiensis millipedes.

Today, I stumbled across this photo that I have overlooked several times already and really don't remember taking...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/25 sec at f/11.3. ISO 200. Dolica AX620B100 tripod. No post production. Kanawha State Forest, Charleston, WV.

Why This Photo: Honestly. this is basically a one-off photo. I have one other shot of this moth, but I either didn't get much of a chance to or didn't want to spend much time with this subject.

What Works: The biggest thing that struck me with this photo is its simplicity. There is basically just the main subject and nothing else to distract you from it. Yet the photo isn't flat - the blurred background still holds enough to keep (at least my) interest.

What Doesn't Work: Focus is sharp, but it is either slightly forward of where it should be, or I needed a slightly wider depth of field. If you check the full-size version, the head and antennae of the moth are blurred. Kind of minor, but it sure would make a better photo. Also, it would have been nice if I could have gotten the face of the moth in the photo - but sometimes that's easier said than done.

Oftentimes, that one-off photo turns out to be a really nice photo. And many times, simpler is better.

And then there's that whole luck factor... ;)

- Bill