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
This is a head on view of a newly molted Shadow Darner and it’s exuvia. The pairing shows off the physical changes in the head. By cropping this close (38% ff) I have focused on the two heads (are they better than one??? )
Feedback Requested
This particular DF molted in a location where I only had top down access. Showing off how the head has changed seemed like a good way to do something a bit different. This was taken at nearly life size (1:1) so a fairly deep stack was required to get both heads sharp.
Hi Mark
Very different and clever view - it takes a bit of working out and very worthwhile.
I dont know if you have considered desaturating the green leaf a bit , more like the colour of the bottom leaf? With a more limited palette the detail in subject may be even more prominent?
This particular DF molted in a location where I only had top down access.
Whilst I was playing with the saturation I also played with square crop and flipping the image as it doesn’t matter which way is up .
Please ignore if it’s not the creative direction you wish to go.
It’s an amazing pic!
I missed this one and need to add my critique! The upside down pose goes well with the lighting. The naiad’s exuvia shows the hinged jaws that are able to be extended to catch prey and the milky texture of the adult’s eyes are well depicted. Desaturating the greens slightly helps the comp and would remove the light streaks in the leaf in the upper LH corner. The repeating parallel diagonals are a wonderful feature that you managed to capture and along with the head-on view provide a slight abstract feel to the image. Great shot!..Jim
Bill, this is a different Shadow Darner, it “hatched” much closer to shore, but as I indicated, in a spot where I could only get head on looks. It’s been a good year, clearly a lot happened last fall that I wasn’t aware of because I’ve had at least 6 SD’s hatch and I just saw 3 more naiads today.
Jim_Zablotny
(Jim Zablotny)
selected this as an Editor's Pick
6
This image is a true macro shot which features the head of a freshly emerged dragonfly perched upside down on its exuvium. The lighting is perfect and the details are nice and sharply rendered. The pararallel diagonals present in the comp provide elements that are not regularly observed in macro-photography. Although not critiqued and evaluated by many reviewers, it is worth viewing because of the simplicity of the composition and the lighting which puts it over the top…
What I find interesting is how much the adult head, especially the eyes, has expanded. It brought to mind how a new-born human often has a very flat cranium which expands over time. In this case the process must happen quickly after emergence - while I think the wings must need longer to expand and strengthen. I also love the diagonals in the composition.
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