The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
There were a multitude of crop options here; in the end I went for this. I am in awe of how evolution has led to such design. In this small section alone, you can see cells with 3,4,5,6 and 7 sides. (And, yes, it is what you think it is).
Feedback Requested
I also like this when rotated 90deg to the right. What do you think about the rotation?
Technical Details
Camera: OM-1
Focal length: 60mm
Shutter speed: 1/160s
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO: 400
16mm extension tube +TC X 2 + 60mm macro lens + Raynox 250 close-up lens (in that order). Godox 126 LED light attached to hotshoe. Equipment and subject in a white box. Stacking in Zerene.
In PS, initial cropping, removed bits and pieces of junk, converted to B and W, adjusted tonalities so membranes appeared white. Final cropping and choice of rotation.
Mike, the magnification and minimalist approach has worked very well here. In addition to all the different numbers of cell sides, I’m wondering about the tiny “prickles” on so many of the diagonals. Dragonflies are notorious scientifically for their ability to maneuver and their wing design plays a major role in that. I like the upward reaching sense in this as presented, other rotations would have their own sense of motion.
Emerging from a deep ChatGPT rabbit-hole on your intuition about the “prickles”, I was told that: “researchers suggest that groups of these sensors” (which is what the bristles are) “could tell the nervous system where the airflow is separating from the wing, where little vortices are developing, and potentially even help monitor the development of the leading-edge vortex during each wingbeat”.
Mike: A great concept executed to perfection. I don’t think the crop or orientation matters much here. The random window panes are a feast for exploration. Most excellent. >=))>
Mike, I like the veins that radiate out from the lower lh corner. The BW treatment is perfect for the image and I I have no nits for you. Awesome…Jim
Great abstract, Mike. I don’t do insects, so I didn’t recognize it as a dragonfly wing. I love the little spiky things. It’s so interesting what they are - thanks for looking that up!
Way, way late coming to this one, Mike, but it’s a gorgeous abstract and an interesting scientific close-up simultaneously. This is also the sort of thing you’d see in the decor of a very modern building. Kudos on pulling it off so beautifully.
