Composition vs Focus

[glsammy]

Personally I just wish I could find a subject that gave me the luxury of worrying which type of shot I should go for.
I tend to shoot whatever I can find that's still enough to fit in the frame, head on or side on will do for me.
I do take the point though that the second type is the more "attractive" option, although my artistic talents stop at ability the press the shutter button!

[Bruce Williams]

Hmmm....Well I only wish I had your talent for just pressing the shutter button Graham. A stroll through your extensive and impressively eclectic Member's Gallery delights us with shot after shot of images simply chock-full of technical and artistic merit.

Bruce

[Gill Catton]

I'm coming in late on this but just to say I agree with Nick I always prefer something different. Though having said that your subjects are nearly always something new to me anyway so all shots are interesting!!

[Fourwings]

I must admit that for years I was taking the text book ID type image, but lately I have found myself experimenting far more with alternative views and limited DOF and have found it quite good fun especially with the stuff that I see reguarly.
Show me something rare or new and I instantly revert to the text book shot mode, but I guess the answer is to do both as both types of image are equally satisfying to lovers of nature or photography in general.

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks Gill - your encouraging comments much appreciated .

Steve - I find myself doing/thinking much the same way - although perhaps considering the "artistic possibilities" a bit more than I did before starting this thread.

Bruce

[Gerel]

Until recently I have been mainly taking shots, particularly macro, for ID purposes, so trying to get the standard angles etc and mainly just trying to get a half respectable shot. Sometimes though it is more fun to forget about the "science" and concentrate on the image for it's own sake.

I was reminded of this thread by these two bugs, useless for ID but I quite like them as pictures.



In other words, I agree with everyone above

Steve

[Jason Green]

Hmmm... I'm starting to think that the line between an ID shot and an artistic one is becoming narrower. For the sake of IDs from insect shots recently I've been aiming for three angles; the must top-down for wing venation and body colours, a side-angle to record leg colour, hairs, etc. and a mugshot for facial indentations, antennaes, mandibles/jaws and the like.

Who says these angles can't cover the key ID points whilst being artistic in appearance too?

[Bruce Williams]

Two interesting shots Steve.....and because they are different, they're perhaps more likely to hold attention than the more conventional viewpoints.

Jason - Ok, I'm sure it's not impossible to shoot an up-close insect/arachnid dorsal view that is anatomically helpful and at the same time artistically pleasing - but you look hard for good examples. There's much more scope for artistic possibility with the mugshot and side-on shot - so I agree with you there .

Bruce