Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Familiar bluets are one of the more common, small blue damselflies found along the shoreline vegetation of ponds and lakes. Even with the bright blue coloration, they disappear quickly in the grass.
Z9 200mm f4 Micro (1/320 sec at f18, ISO 1600, fill flash at -2.0ev) Topaz DeNoise AI, Levels, Slight crop for comp…Jim
Jim, she looks sharp from stem to stern, and I love her color. These guys are a bit skittish so being able to have the time to frame, make sure the camera is on the right plain of focus so that all of the Damselfly is sharp isn’t always easy. I am guessing that you have darkened down the lighter grasses as much as you can. They aren’t real distracting, but if you pull down the brightness (especially on those near that bottom border) on them a touch more and still look good, it might improve this already excellent shot.
Wonderful!! I think they are so pretty, even though they are the most common ones out here on the Left Coast. They are SO small and I’m quite certain they get smaller every year, even as my lenses get bigger.
I love the three green blades and that you nailed the focal plane on the DF. The tan pieces in the BG – not so much. If your ethics permit, they would be easy to remove or greatly reduce.
Hi Jim, love the color and head to tail sharpness (so hard to do - for me anyway). I like the setting with the green grass blades even though the lighter ones in the BG don’t add to the photo. Very nice catch.
Jim, the details in the Bluet and the grass perch look great as does the blue/green color contrast. Your careful position worked out well. I could see some burning-in of the brighter bits in the background, but they do where where this damsel likes to hang out. Getting a clean look like this is always time consuming.
Thank you @Allen_Sparks , @Shirley_Freeman , @Mark_Seaver , and @Diane_Miller for the critiques. The OOF grass is quite bright and I liked the patterns in the BG. Rather than editing them, I find it easier to find another damselfly. Hopefully, the next one will perch near a better BG…Jim
