Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

The Halloween Pennants are starting to emerge at a nearby NWR. So I took a trip with some camera club friends and we found this guy. The weather was fairly bright cloudy and cool so made the ode hunting somewhat challenging.

Specific Feedback

Any

Technical Details

Canon 90D, 300 f4L IS II, 1.4x extender II, monopod
ISO 2500, f14, 1/640s

Processed in DXO Pure Raw 3 and Photoshop.

1 Like

Wow, just wow. The perch, the leg position, the focus and detail, the background - amazing work. My jaw is dropped, my hat is off. What a gorgeous creature. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one IRL - don’t think they live up this way.

2 Likes

It is completely not fair that you have the gorgeous specimens and I don’t! But you get full credit for what you do with them! Wonderful details and the perfectly matching perch! The brown to gold to yellow palette is perfect!

1 Like

@Kris_Smith @Diane_Miller … Thank you for the comments!
Btw, I worked up a vertical for this scene also. Thought I’d share it below:

1 Like

The vertical works, too. It emphasizes the delicacy a bit more - in the sense of the bug landing and also the plant itself which looks a treasure for macro.

1 Like

A lovely shot, Allen. I prefer the vertical, and would just lighten the LRC a little. The long perch adds to the balancing act effect to my eye. But both excellent!

1 Like

Hi Allen,
wow, what a beautiful image. The Dragonfly looks awesome.
I also like your vertical version. But I wonder how the image would look if there were a bit more space at the right and the left edges.

1 Like

Wow, Allen! That’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen that kind of dragonfly before. I love how his colors are the same as his perch and then the green background just makes those beautiful brown colors stand out more. I like the vertical because you can see more of the plant and it feels more balanced. Beautiful work!

1 Like

Allen, this is an excellent shot (both horizonal and vertical). I am intrigued with the plant, and the vertical gives more of it. I agree with @Jens_Ober about maybe a bit more space on both sides, not much, but it just seems narrow right now. The greens and the browns are really complimentary to each other. Well done!