Allen: One of the best dragonfly images I’ve seen in quite a while. Terrific perch and BG and great focus on the skimmer itself. Superbly crafted image! >=))>
I like it with the berries - it fills out the information about where you found it and where it lives. Plus the different shapes are a nice addition. Super detail and pose - I often find them on nice branches, but with their wings over their faces which I wish they wouldn’t do.
Wonderful!! It’s so hard to get enough DOF with these guys but you have it here, with excellent lighting and detail. I love the composition with the berries. In a perfect world the dragonfly would be facing the berries, but with the imperfections in the world we have these days, that is not even worth mentioning. Initially liked the darker areas in the BG but then my brain did the face/vase thing and now I see them as leaves, and find them a little distracting. I wonder about some blurring or contrast reduction of the dark areas.
Beautiful composition with the berries and dragonfly, Allen. I see what Diane is saying about the background, but I only see it in the small version. Once it’s opened up to a decent size the softness of the background leaves and dark spaces sends them to the background where they belong.
It’s a great composition, Allen, with the berries, all in focus. I had the same feeling as Diane about the dark spaces in the BG (especially the one below the hindwing, which could be partly cloned out). But overall it’s super.
I also think leaving the berries in works well. A great added environmental detail that you rarely get. The focus and clarity is right on. Nice photo Allen.
A very balanced comp–The berries add some additional color and help frame the dragonfly. BG is pretty good and this image certainly is deserving of an EP. Awesome and the dragonfly is darn sharp from head, tail, and wings…Jim
