Dragonfly - What do you think?

Sean Dempsey · 04-26-2004, 08:14 AM

Got this at my local desert arboritum. when it's full size, the detail and veining structure in the wings is unreal. I think I am gonna print it, but wanted to see if anyone has suggestions for it.

Tamrom 28-300
300mm
F/10
1/125 sec
ISO 400

soren · 04-26-2004, 09:10 AM

ah i always enjoy close-ups of mother nature and all her creatures

amazing detail and great color... looks to be well framed

i like how the bright colors of the dragon fly jump out against the lack of color in the well blurred bg

Young Shooter · 04-26-2004, 09:40 AM

very nice detail and nice color good framing, i would recommend you to crop the left side of the picture

darkrainfall · 04-26-2004, 10:17 AM

wow... that is very good detail... I'd suggest cropping just a little off the left side and maybe burning that branch in a little... otherwise, very nice.

the other Ruth · 04-26-2004, 02:20 PM

WOW!!!!

I like very much, looks perfect. Nice colours and strong image/focusing.

Hope to see many more like this

Ruth

Sean Dempsey · 04-26-2004, 02:54 PM

I printed it out at 13x19 on photo glossy, it's pretty impressive at that size. Not sure who'd want to have a picture of a giant dragonfly hanging on their wall, but /shrug, it'll go into the gallery at the next art show.

natatbeach · 04-27-2004, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Dempsey

I printed it out at 13x19 on photo glossy, it's pretty impressive at that size. Not sure who'd want to have a picture of a giant dragonfly hanging on their wall, but /shrug, it'll go into the gallery at the next art show.

I would be that person

What a beautiful shot...the colors are so striking...It's wel placed as the featured photo... nice work

Sean Dempsey · 04-27-2004, 10:02 PM

Wow, featured photo eh? This is the single biggest photography accomplishment every bestowed upon me =D

I think I might reprint it so the head isn't bullseyed... I had to do that because I had to focus fast, so I set the AF point to the center since I knew I just had to focus and fire. Not sure exactly where to position him while still maintaining the 13x19 aspect ration, since I really don't want to enlarge it either. Will try some things out.

**gahspidy** · 04-27-2004, 11:09 PM

This is really a nice catch. I don't feel you should worry too much about the placement of the dragonfly in the pic, feel it is framed just right especially considering you had to catch it quickly. I do agree with a previous suggestion about burning the branch in a bit.

Sean Dempsey · 04-28-2004, 07:49 AM

here's some others. These look alot better at bigger sizes of course, loses a tone of detail shrinking them down, but oh well.

Young Shooter · 04-28-2004, 07:14 PM

hey i like the second one of the 3 its so so cool were did you go to see this? please explain like how you saw this as a shot?

Sean Dempsey · 04-28-2004, 08:56 PM

I just went to a small desert nature preserve here in town. These are common dragonflies, and, believe it or not, he kept goint to the EXACT same branch, over and over, for about an hour. I'd just leave my camera pointed on the branch, let him fly around for a few minutes, he'd land, I'd shoot, and he'd fly around again.

I walked around for an hour, came back, and there he was on his favorite branch.

Some of those are taken with the Sigma 105 macro, some with the Tamron 28-300.

PuckJunkey · 04-29-2004, 07:36 AM

...the detail you've captured (particularlly on the first three) is really outstanding. The only thing that bugs me on the first one are the blurred out branches in the background. I'd just clone them out with one of the darker colors in the background so the focus is purely on the dragonfly and not the light colored lines that traverse the frame.

Still though, an excellent shot.

**SmartWombat** · 04-29-2004, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Dempsey

believe it or not, he kept goint to the EXACT same branch

Yes, i believe you. Tt looks like one of the larger "hawker" family of dragonflies. they have definite territories and fly regular "beats" up and down looking for prey. They usually return to the same point to eat their catch. Though one day sitting by the river Dart in Devon I did have one alight on my knee and proceed to eat a fly it had caught right in front of me!
No, I didn't have the camera at the time

Not a colour I've seen in the UK or Europe though. Where was this taken?

Sean Dempsey · 04-30-2004, 05:33 AM

Southwest Utah!!

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