I found this female Widow Skimmer at a local pond this morning. I find the females tough to photograph because they like to perch quite low. I usually shoot dragonflies at f14 or f16 but shot these much wider since the background was so close. This first image is at f6.3.
Canon 90D, 300 f4L IS, 1.4x TC III, monopod
ISO 640, f6.3, 1/400s
For comparison purposes, this second shot is at f10.
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Allen, these are both good of the female Skimmer. Both shots are good, but I think the first one with the f6.3 gives plenty enough details in the subject to work fine. Probably just personal preference, as they both are certainly good shots. A good learning lesson here, on just what a few stops can do for the background when it is relatively close to the subject. Well done.
Both are very nice photos. Lots of detail and both are sharp. As per Shirley I prefer the first with the more mellow bg. Thanks for posting the comparison.
The f6.3 version is pretty nice and like it a lot better than the f10 version. With dragonflies, its all about the background and the large aperture softened it up nicely. This species is one of the most approachable very attractively patterned species and is a very photogenic species. Well done…Jim
As a detail nut, I prefer the extra sharpness in the df and the subtle change in wing position of the second view, but both are excellent. The touch of iridescence in her upper right wing is a fine extra.
Allen: # 1 for me for sure but take credit for getting the plane of focus right so that you could get away with the shallow DOF. Top notch shot and a great lesson in the variables of DOF at short working distances. >=))>
