# Brown Damselfly **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** macro-close-up\ **Created:** [May 22, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245 "2023-05-22T17:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Freeman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/shirley_freeman/32/11361_2.png) [@Shirley\_Freeman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Shirley_Freeman)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/1 "2023-05-22T17:21:51Z")
![BrownDamselflyOnLeaf.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/1/2/125a79e300d0098981420faea1e0f81c4bcd11fd.jpeg) > **Critique Style Requested:** _Standard_ > > The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image. ### Description I went out to our flowers in the backyard this morning and spotted this little one hanging onto a leaf. I got down low and tried to make sure my camera was parallel to the damselfly (which wasn’t easy for an old body trying to HH and shoot manually! I love his colors and markings. ### Specific Feedback Composition work? Enough room on both ends of him? I shot at 1:1 and so there isn’t too much room to spare, but I have a little real estate to add back. ### Technical Details Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon 100 mm f2.8 L macro lens, with KX-800 twin flash, HH. Manual settings to include manual focus. 1/200, f9, ISO 320, flash at 1/8th power. Light editing in LR. ---
**Author:** ![Kris\_Smith](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/kris_smith/32/59826_2.png) [@Kris\_Smith](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Kris_Smith)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/2 "2023-05-22T20:00:16Z")
Sweet shot, Shirley. The composition works for me - great job getting into position with your rig. It isn’t always easy. A tiny bit of room on the back end would be a nice addition I think, but it isn’t super necessary. I love the colors and think it may be a female. Several of the early blue varieties have brownish ladies. Great sharpness throughout and a simple perch. That black bg is like a velvet tray for a bit of bling. ---
**Author:** ![Merv](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/merv/32/50395_2.png) [@Merv](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Merv)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/3 "2023-05-22T21:06:45Z")
It’s a very nice look at this Damselfly, Shirley 🙂 I really like the parallel perspective as well as the folded wings, the iconic spread out wings pose is overrated in my view. The hint of green highlights in the BG is just enough to give it some depth but not too much and the perch is nice as well. I like the lighting that your twin flash produces! I agree with Kris that just a bit more space on the left behind the tail would improve it overall but it’s not a must at all. Well done! 🙂 I haven’t seen any cool stuff like this yet! My wife has been ramping up her botanical garden recently so it won’t be long. ---
**Author:** ![Egídio](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/eg%C3%ADdio/32/52213_2.png) [@Egídio](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Eg%C3%ADdio)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/4 "2023-05-22T21:40:03Z")
Wow, Shirley! What a beauty you have captured here in your photo. The black background enhances the beauty of the image and the metallic colors of this damselfly. I think your composition is just right, too. There is enough room where there needs to be, namely on the right side. I like the crop you chose by not leaving much empty space above the damselfly. Congratulations on such a fine image! ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/5 "2023-05-24T15:08:28Z")
Shirley, this is a lovely look at this damsel. The details are very striking, with good sharpness throughout. The exclamation on it’s thorax says that it’s a Fragile Forktail. A great job of handholding and positioning. ---
**Author:** ![Gill\_Vanderlip](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/gill_vanderlip/32/54254_2.png) [@Gill\_Vanderlip](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Gill_Vanderlip)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/6 "2023-05-24T23:26:08Z")
WOW !!! I love this photo. you nailed it. !!! ---
**Author:** ![Ingemar\_Holmkvist](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/dc4da7/32.png) [@Ingemar\_Holmkvist](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ingemar_Holmkvist)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/7 "2023-05-26T14:26:57Z")
This a lovely shot of a skittish insect and the sharpness is spot on. I really like the unusual pose and the fact the leaf it is perched on somehow isn’t 100% sharp while the dragonfly is making it less distracting. I also like that the background is not uniformly black but has some nice patches of dark green making the image less sterile. If this was my image I think I would try a wider crop like 16:9, cutting out a bit on top and adding some room to the left (should be a piece of cake to inpaint if there’s not enough image on the left for it), but I’m not sure if that would be an improvement or not. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 10:12am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/8 "2023-05-27T10:12:57Z")
Hi, A little more real estate on the LH side will help. Details are quite good and the damselfly is sharp from front to back. When I shoot small insects, I try to get the BG under-exposed by .5 to 1 stop. In this case, the black BG looks good with the damselfly perfectly exposed. Well done…Jim ---
**Author:** ![Gill\_Vanderlip](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/gill_vanderlip/32/54254_2.png) [@Gill\_Vanderlip](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Gill_Vanderlip)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/9 "2023-07-25T19:05:54Z")
One of my favorites. You have a real talent with macro photography and really capture your subjects like insects with real beauty. Just Damn Beautiful !!! ---
**Author:** ![Gill\_Vanderlip](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/gill_vanderlip/32/54254_2.png) [@Gill\_Vanderlip](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Gill_Vanderlip)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/10 "2025-05-11T20:25:32Z")
Hi. Went back and looked at your image. How close were you to use a macro lens. So sharp and detail is unreal… I need to leave the insect photography to the the Pros. THAT IS YOU !!! Stellar!!! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Freeman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/shirley_freeman/32/11361_2.png) [@Shirley\_Freeman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Shirley_Freeman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/brown-damselfly/35245/11 "2025-05-24T18:12:38Z")
Thank you, Gill. A year has gone by so I am not certain now how far I was from this Damselfly. They are pretty skittish, so I suspect I was at least a foot or more from him. I was using 100 mm lens with my flash setup so had to be at least that close I would imagine. Thank you for going back and viewing this shot.