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Jonathan Ashton
09-09-2013, 05:22 AM
Canon 7D Canon 180mm macro ISO 320 1/800 sec f11, fill in flash -1.3
A fleeting visit to my garden pond and then they were off, I see the female has lost a part of one of her wings. I have images with and without flash, I think the flash lifts the image a little.
All comments welcome.

Mitch Haimov
09-09-2013, 10:20 AM
A fine image, Jonathan! Strong, balanced yet off-center comp; sharp throughout with lovely, soft BG; interesting subject at a compelling moment. I suspect some may object to the strands of spider silk, but they don't bother me at all and add to the natural feel of this technically superb image. Tighter than I have come to expect from you--good to see you doing things a little differently.

Makes me wonder about the story behind that wing, and how well she is able to fly (lost/unbalanced lift surface & lost pterostigma). Here is a very interesting video about dragonfly flight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxrLYv0QXa4

Nancy Bell
09-09-2013, 12:32 PM
Wonderful poses of the dragonflies and overall composition with the single, gently bending perch. I really like the glow you captured of the red abdomen of the male and that both insects are in the same plane. My eye goes too quickly to the bright yellows in the upper bkgd. Maybe selectively desaturate?

Jonathan Ashton
09-10-2013, 08:59 AM
Thanks for the comments, Nancy I did desaturate the yellows a little. Mitch thanks for the link - very interesting indeed!

Steve Maxson
09-11-2013, 03:16 PM
Hi Jon. Excellent sharpness and light on both dragonflies and the perch plus a pleasing comp. The yellows do draw my eye a little, but it's not a deal-breaker. You might try selectively darkening that area of the background a bit to see if it helps. I would wish that the one wing was intact - but on the other hand, it does make the image unique. Overall, this is a very strong image!