The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I was watering the garden early this afternoon when I spotted this Eastern Pondhawk up in one of our redbud trees. I had to handhold and from my vantage point on the ground I really couldn’t tell what was going on. Only after opening the image did I discover I had interrupted her meal. I’m not sure of the ID on the butterfly as I don’t recall seeing anything similar in our garden before.
Specific Feedback
Had to use the remove tool to remove an intervening twig below the action which was hiding the end of the dragon’s tail. Then did some slight repair work to fill in the missing tail end. Does that look OK to you?
Technical Details
Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8 GM-II, 2xTC @ 400mm, HH
ISO 800, 1/400 @ f11
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
A very interesting shot, Bill. While the munching head of the df is the obvious draw for the eye, I’d like to see the butterfly prey brightened up a little. As for the repair work, I feel a little bit more “opacity cloning” under the tail would be nice, as there’s a fairly noticeable line there between pale and dark green - and the green is bleeding a bit into the tail tip. Am I a stickler or what? Well spotted!
This image goes beyond a DF on a perch type shot. The feeding behavior is what makes it special. The lighting on the prey is marginal. I like the background. The plane of focus is narrow but one set of wings shows nice detail. Even though the repair work on the tail is not perfect, I don’t find it to be a distraction from the overall impression of the image. Nice catch.
Very cool catch! Good enough DOF with the eye/face sharp. Just a bit more cloning with a tiny brush to fix the tip of the abdomen would be good. Looks like you might be able to pull up more shadow detail as well. The OOF BG is wonderful!!
Nice catch on all parts. I like the backlighting that shows off the little hairs on the face and makes the wings come alive. Sorry about the butterfly, but dragons are ravenous and relentless hunters. I’ve only caught a couple of them with a meal, but since it is one of the only times they stay still, it’s a good opportunity for us.
Bill, catching this Pondhawk with her meal is quite a feat. The Pondhawks are notorious for eating insects that are their size and even larger. Yes, the tip of the tail “feels” like it goes out of focus too quickly, so a bit of cloning there to create more of an edge would be good. The multiple “bullseyes” along the wings indicate someone in the Satyr family, with the Southern Pearly-eye and Creole Pearly-eye being the most likely. The lack of white rings around each spot suggest Southern. (Way too many spots to be a White Peacock.)
