Widow Skimmer Dragonfly
by Randy Runtsch
My favorite parts of this image, other than the dragonfly, are the flowers in the upright corner and the mottled background.
Please critique and comment.
Subject: Mature Widow Skimmer Dragonfly
Location: Quarry Hill Nature Center, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Date and Time: July 7, 2013 at 12:50
Equipment: Pentax K-5 with Pentax DA 55-300mm at 300mm, handheld, sunlight
Exposure: 1/350s, f/9.5, iso 200
Crop: Changed to 4:5 aspect ratio and removed about 10% of right and 4% of top.
Post processing: Dodged insect body and dark areas of wings to expose details and burned bright areas in the background.
Comments
2 commentsFirst, I like the tension introduced by the flower that roughly mimics the dragonfly's pose. I could see emphasizing that tension by moving the df further left in the frame, but the challenges of dof management preclude that from working here. As it is, the df's head and front wings are just a touch soft.
Second, The position of the df in the frame is great. It really grabs my attention and lets that lovely mottled green background sing about the joys of summer. In this case, the flower stops me from feeling like the df (and my imagination) is about to roam off into that glorious summer day. Wonder if today's rainy, cold weather is playing a role here?