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
The regal dragonfly surveys his massed pond skaters from aloft. He is convinced the Gerridae are beneath him in more ways than one.
Feedback Requested
Visually this is all about tonal contrasts. I tried to accentuate the sunlit top half while enhancing a little the natural shadow over the bottom half. Could this be improved?
Mike: What an utterly fascinating shot this is. Getting a dragonfly in flight is still one of my unmet goals but then to get one in such a cool environmental setting is really special. A wonderful capture, comp and presentation.>=))>
Hi Mike, really interesting image with the storyline of the dragonfly overlording the pond skaters. The Skaters appear to all be in the shade. Makes me wonder why. Just a behavioral element I guess. Nice catch of the dragonfly in flight with spread wing position. The white on the abdomen is also a point of interest for me.
Looks good to my eye.
Mike, nice catch on the DF flying by. I too am struck by how the majority of the skaters are in the shadow and how many there are. Was it a very hot day?
Thanks, @Bill_Fach@Allen_Sparks@Mark_Seaver. We are “enjoying” record temperatures (39-40 deg) and the lake these skaters are on has shrunk drastically to pond size. They were clearly seeking a lower temperature, as they moved with the shadow and only occasionally ventured into the unshaded water, as we can see here. I think they ventured out to seek prey. I saw a group of them feasting on a dead cicada in the water. Butterflies and birds are wilting in the heat - kingfishers struggling to find food with the surge in aquatic plant growth and water shrinkage. Dragonflies seem to be flourishing, but the flutterers, normally plentiful, are rarely to be seen this year.
This is very creative. You got a very interesting and somewhat abstract photo here because it’s so hard to figure out exactly what’s going on and I had to do some reading. Just fascinating!
Hi Mike. Thermoregulation in action is the storyline behind your photo. This really is a strong statement about how animals like insects maintain a steady body temperature. When they get too warm, they cool off for a bit before venturing out into the sunlit areas. Processing looks good and I like the level of contrast between the shady and sunny areas. Very well done…Jim
Ah, Jim, there goes my storyline! . The lake - now pond - where I took this is full of stories of just what you describe. Yesterday a toad ambled down and just sat in the water to cool off, birds are coming down to drink, dragonflies prefer to lay eggs in the center as the shore is shrinking quickly, kingfishers in the shady trees grow thinner by the day; butterflies just don’t appear till it gets cooler. It will be interesting if we get a big rainstorm.
. The lake - now pond - where I took this is full of stories of just what you describe. Yesterday a toad ambled down and just sat in the water to cool off, birds are coming down to drink, dragonflies prefer to lay eggs in the center as the shore is shrinking quickly, kingfishers in the shady trees grow thinner by the day; butterflies just don’t appear till it gets cooler. It will be interesting if we get a big rainstorm.