Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Here is another Common Green Darner. My first posting of this bug generated excellent comments – a bit like going to grad school.
In the postprocessing of this image, I used DxO PureRaw, thanks to the recommendations from several of you. When I get done processing a batch of butterfly and dragonfly images already in hand, I’m going to experiment with the recommendations of Jim Zablotny. As Jim pointed out, the wingbeats of dragonflies are fairly slow. In fact, they are only about 30 to 40 beats per second (butterfly wingbeats are even slower, at about 10 beats per second). It will be interesting to experiment with slower shutter speeds.
Specific Feedback
I welcome all comments.
Technical Details
OM-1 Mk 2 150mm 1/5000 F7.1 ISO 2000
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Nice job on this version, Russell. I really like the angle you were able to get which shows the tucked up legs very well-something I never really thought about in dragonflies. I think going to a slower shutter speed and greater depth of field would be a good idea.
Russ: I got a nice 
-meter spike with this one. Good detail on the head here and excellent DOF to get the body and wings sharp. I’m kind of miffed at you though; I think my wallet is about to be bruised picking up a red dot 
. Terrific capture. >=))>
I found an interesting (mixed) review of the OM red dot finder here:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3sH6IgnBQ)
I think I’ll try the OM1’s Subject Detection (Birds) first before considering the red dot finder. Do you get a high percentage of flying dragonfly keepers using it? I’m not very optimistic about OM1’s Subject Detection, as it only works sporadically on butterflies. But if it’s a hovering dragonfly, that may be different. Anyway, you’ve piqued my interest for sure, Russell. As for your fine shot, I think you could lower the ISO even more. Thank you.
Hi Mike. I haven’t used the OM’1 subject detection. If the dragonflies in my neighborhood actually hovered, it might work for them. But I’ve almost never seen a dragonfly hovering in my favorite dragonfly habitat.
I have had success with only two techniques. The first is ProCap, capturing a dragonfly that is launching from a perch. In that case, the view finder works fine. The second is doing my best to track a flying dragonfly, using high speed sequential. In that case, I need to use the red dot finder.
Does this make sense ?
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Russ, I really like this one. Coming at you face on and slight angle makes for an interesting shot to me. Nice details in the DF.
Yes, not often do they hover, Russell. Your shots using the red dot speak for themselves, so you’re making sense!
This one was taken with a much more optimal exposure. Colors look good and the wings are nice and crisp. You can drop the highlights down just a tad as my only processing recommendation. Otherwise, a fine capture…Jim
Russ, Green Darners can be a good DF subject. They will often “patrol” in a line so you can follow focus and they occasionally hover (as you know). Another common DF that hovers regularly is the Blue Dasher male. There are others, depending on the size and type of water. This is a good capture, with a the df nicely angled and sharp. It does look slightly overexposed. I agree with the others, that you can drop the shutter speed. In many instances getting the head and body sharp works well even when the wings blur and slower shutter will give you more depth-of-field.
