The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Back to the Dragonfly pond yesterday but literally the only subject at midday was a few of these – and some insect-eating birds. Cool foggy weather has apparently slowed everything down.
Specific Feedback
All comments welcome!
Technical Details
Cloudy light; overexposed 1 stop in camera. Hand held. Shadows up in LR, Topaz Denoise (Low Light) and crop in PS, to 40% of original frame.
The only way to get the entire body in focus is to have it very close to parallel with the sensor. I was curious what the DOF was so I figured it out this way: looking at the original frame and assuming the DF is 2" long (from an online source), the frame width covered 7". Our deck railing has vertical wires with 3" spacing so I stood just inside my office door and focused on the railing and moved back until the frame width covered 7". (Same aperture and focal length as the DF shoot.) The distance from the sensor to the railing was 16 ft. So the DOF calculates as 0.36", or 9mm. Of course, the value for the circle of confusion in the DOF formula is a judgement call and makes a big difference in the value returned. It is basically how tolerant you are of sharpness. With the newer and better sensors and lenses, I think I would cut that DOF value in half. I need to find a test subject and do some experimenting.
I should try using flash and going to f/16 or more, as these guys are so often in a shaded cove. But that’s even more clumsy to hand hold, especially if i need to use the flash extender.
Great catch Diane! The details are superb throughout on the body and I like the blurry wings showing motion! A beautiful subject too. I’d say you have nailed this technique.
Well done. Very sharp image and good details - especially considering how difficult these are to photograph in flight. Your calculations are very impressive. I’m just now into the “naughts”. You know: Naught divided by naught is naught; one divided by naught is…
Thanks, @Allen_Sparks and @terryb! I neglected to mention that the tip of the abdomen was blurry in the frame with the wings I liked, but sharp in a nearby one (I was in burst mode at 20 fps) so I composited it. That’s what got me wondering about the DOF.
I shot about 10-12 different bursts as he moved away then came back. It was common that in some the tip was blurry in some frames and sharp in adjacent ones. So it looks like he is periodically shaking the very tip of the abdomen. I’ve seen this before but hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Terry, I think (vaguely) I remember a heated debate in some long-ago math class about infinity vs. undefined. Don’t remember which one won.
The sharpness coupled with soft lighting and some motion blur make this an outstanding capture. The complementary BG balances everything. I don’t have any nits for you and like this one as presented…Jim
Thanks, @Jens_Ober, @Kris_Smith and @Jim_Zablotny! I need to do some work with a curl bar if I’m going to handhold this rig for long. The biggest frustration is getting a preset focus close enough to even see the thing. I leave both eyes open and place the DF, as seen with my left eye, just at the edge of the lens hood at 10:30, and it will be in the frame. Then I request my brain to switch to my right eye and hit the AF button with eye/animal AF set, and it usually locks right on. And the DF usually instantly exits the frame.
Sounds like there’s quite a bit of patience and practice involved. I don’t even want to ask how many shots it took for you to achieve such a good result.
That is one sharp, in flight image of the DF, Diane! I hope to see some DF’s soon and be able to try the R5 at capturing DF’s in flight. You and Allen have showed me it is possible to do. Sorry I have been off the grid for a few days. We went up to the camper. That is such a blessing to spend a few days there.
Thanks, @Shirley_Freeman – it’s easier than you might think. Give it a try! Of course, the big secret is to go for the ones that hover in place for a while. Out here, that’ s Blue-eyed and Green-eyed Darners.
