The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
A local wildlife sanctuary has a large patch of native Bee Balm. It gets lots of pollinator attention. As I stood there waiting and watching I saw both species of Clearwing Moths visiting, but only this Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) came close enough for photos.
Feedback Requested
I like the oveall brightness and how the oof flowers and leaves add color and atmosphere while the Moth and much of the flower it feeding on are sharp. The extra bugs show how attractive this plant is. BTW, there’s a smaller collection of bright red Bee Balm close by that is visually striking but rarely visited.
Beautiful catch, Mark. I think I’ve seen one hummingbird moth ever and it wasn’t when I had a camera. Detail in the moth is excellent and I like the motion blurred wings. The array of flowers in front of the moth makes a very nice composition.
Pollinator preference may depend on the year. I have a red monarda that usually attracts hummingbirds, but this year they’re very ho-hum about it.
I like how the moth is placed in relation to all the beautiful flowers. A small suggestion would be to brighten the eye a bit - their eyes are very attractive and you might be able to show this for the large view.
very nice capture
I like the way the moth stands out against the colourful background and the way the motion blur on the moth 's wings adds the action feel of the image.
Mark: What a great opportunity and you took advantage of it well. I do see a tiny bit of softness in the moth, especially when compared to the sharpness of the flower center it is approaching as if it is just a smidgeon outside the DOF range. It takes close scrutiny to see and viewed from a sufficient distance would probably be imperceptible. The wings capture is terrific and amazing that there is so much blur even at 1/2000 sec. I bet you could hear the buzz. >=))>
This is a lovely image Mark. The composition with the base of flowers and the RHS stem frame the moth so well. I like the OOF flowers in the BG.
Would you consider burning down the upper most green sepals and maybe brightening up the moth?
Mark, kudos to you for being able to capture this hummingbird moth face-on in flight! They move so fast that more than once I didn’t even get my camera focused on one before it was gone. They are very quick, and skittish.
Bee balm is a magnet for nectar seeking insects. I like the probiscis getting uncoiled for nectar gathering. Great pose and I like the boundary setup with the Monarda. Excellent shot…Jim
