Dragon Fly shot on beach on very bright morning in Costa Rica. I have just done a few adjustments (crop/contrast. in LR Classic).
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Are there better techniques for getting close up shots of very fast moving subjects against the bright beach? I wanted to keep the image crisp - so kept the aperture at F5.6
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
basically I cropped this photo down a bit, added a bit more contrast and adjusted the white balance. Aside from that, what would make this more appealing color-wise? Should I have cropped it differently? I liked the curve of the branch it alighted on - so I kept most of the curve.
Would you remove the Shadow at the base - or does it anchor the subject in place?
Appreciate any suggestions or alternate techniques.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Nikon D500/ Nikon 28-300 mm Lens
Shot at 1/250 sec at F5.6 Iso 500 / 300mm
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EJ, this is a good look at this dragonfly. Itâs colors are right and the perch fits well with the bright mildly structured background. The perch is a great addition with itâs starkness and fine curves. How you handle the shadow falls into âartistic visionâ, some viewers will like it some wonât, you get to choose how you present it.
Clearly your reflexes are better than mine, if indeed it was moving around lots! Iâve had to teach myself patience, mostly setting up âtrapsâ for insects and such. If theyâre regularly using a spot, I prefocus on the spot and make all my camera adjustments beforehand. With just the right tension on my tripod head so I can move it a little for framing while remaining stable as shutter speeds dictate, all I have to do is quickly make a small adjustment in framing when the subject arrives. Doing so allows me to select camera settings that take best advantage of that particular setting, which might be different than those Iâd select for hand holding and quick shooting.
Of course the patience of age (and a very comfortable resting spot!) are required. A couple of days ago I sat and waited for over an hour for a bee to land on a particular blossom I had selected. By the end of the span I was starting to fantasize that bees have a sense of humor, using the blossom as their own trap for me while I was setting up, but staying away once I was in place!
I understand the feeling! I have spent several long minutes (not hours yet) waiting for insects or birds to land or at least hover. Once I had a dragonfly see its reflection in my camera lens and just hover in front of me for about 3 minutes! Of course this meant I could not change any camera settings and had to rely on my autofocus function to be spot on. I did manage to get one or 2 good shots.
This picture is hand held shot. I was luck as I had seen several dragonflies alight on this same branch. I slowly circled the branch and eventually go to a good kneeling point to capture the shots as they alighted and took-off.
I walk the beach every day. I have considered taking my monopod or light tripod with me, but have not as of yet. I will need to add this item to my routine to enable me to get these types of shots âon purposeâ rather than by just dumb-luck!
Know the feeling well! In fact my wife and I both have resorted to lighweight âtravelâ tripods for walk around in lieu of monopods. Legs together, theyâre incredible âmonopods,â with the advantage of spreading the legs for tripod function. Yeah mine is âtoo shortâ for me in that I have to commit the ultimate sin and raise the center column fully if I want to stand my 6â4" frame fully upright. But a tripod with the column raised is still immensely more stable than a monopod or a nopod.
If you want specifics, weâve settle on the Gitzo Series 1 GT1542 Mountaineer models at only 2.8# topped with RRS BH-30 ballheads at only around 8 ounces for total packages weighing just over 3#. I particularly like that in spite of their small size the center column can be removed or reversed for macro work, and they have a hook on the bottom of the column for adding weight when more stability is needed. Best of all for travel and field carry they collapse down to not much more than 20".
BTW- That little tripod and head are so stable that we frequently use them with our 5-pound Nikon 200-500mm lenses for wildlife.
EJ: I really like the perch and the BG bokeh. The DF itself looks great and you have it sharp where it needs to be. I might be inclined to lighten the dark shadows on the bottom edge as they do pull my eye a bit. Nice find and a fine result.>=))>
EJ, Dragonflies often have a favorite perch or will choose between a few that they seem to like. Since they are visual hunters, they do see you approach and usually times fly away. If youâre willing to invest 30 minutes sitting quietly, they will (at least sometimes) come back to their favorite spot. On a few occasions, Iâve had ones that largely ignored a slow crawling approach.
I almost always shoot from the same tripod that Hank describes. With the head stored in the camera backback, the tripod and backpack will fit in the overhead compartment of all the modern jets (even the small ones), which make traveling with camera much more comfortable.
I love this image! The background of the reflecions in the shallow water offer such an attractive BG. Personally I would have moved the frame up a bit to not have the shadows, but thatâs a matter of taste. Well done, great shot!
Grt, Ingrid.
