This was taken with a 50 to 200mm zoom. The wind was blowing. The reed this guy was resting on was waving to and fro. I had to lean back and forth with it to keep it in the d.o.f. range.
Considering that there was no macro equipment used, the circumstances were less than favourable...I'm delighted with the result.
Had to make a lot of adjustments to pull the shot off.
INCLUDING...Going back to the same place 3days in a row waiting for this guy to show up where I found he usually roosts
If those two stems were not there, it would be the perfect picture, but I know you can't remove them for the challenge. I like the effect of the black and white on the wings. The wings on the left are a little too blurred on the bottom but still an excellent shot.
Composition: 4, I like that the dragonfly is at an angle, and the two lines also help to add energy to the shot. He's also slightly off center (which is better than if he had been dead center). My main "nit" on composition of bugs, animals, etc, is when the animal is facing away from you... appearing as if to "flee" from the camera. For me, the composition would be so much stronger if the dragonfly were facing towards the camera instead of away.
Technical: 7, The center of the dragonfly and its wings look tack sharp. Kudos. I'd like to have seen that sharpness on his eyes (if he were facing towards the camera). Also, good use of shallow DOF.
Appeal: 4, I like the colors and the various shades. Improving the composition would have added to the appeal of the image.
Challenge: 6, It's a nice close-up. A little closer still (really zooming in on the dragonfly) could make an extra powerful macro shot.
Overall Calculated Average Score: 5, It's a nice shot and technically works well. Only the composition keeps it from scoring higher...
excellent detail .. I find the colors to be a bit flat I would have preferred more saturation. Also I would have cropped just a bit more off the left side . I think you still could have kept your excellent compositional lines that way but, highlighted your main subject even more.
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