Male Roseate Skimmer

[Don Lacy]

While out shooting birds the other day I came across a male Roseate Skimmer working his territory so I threw on an extension tube and spent some time trying to get a few DF images. The light was harsher then what I would have liked but I very few decent images of the males so I was happy to get this one.

1DMK3, 500 f/4 + 1.4 TC + 25mm Ext Tube, 1/125s at f/10, Aperture Priority, Evaluative Metered, ISO 400, Tripod, cropped

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Don. This is a striking species and you got him to pose nicely for you against a sky background. Good head-to-tail sharpness and I like the diagonal of the perch. I would agree with you that this image would have been even better if the light had been softer. :S3:

[Mitch Haimov]

Well, that's an eye-catching dragon! Really pops against the blue BG. Nice detail. I agree softer light would have been preferable, but not terribly harsh as is. I would prefer further back in frame.

[LinzRiverBalmer]

never sure how to critique the bugs as I don't even know how you all tell the males from the females.....

this should be female, she's hot pink.... oops, HE... identity crisis. Or they just don't care about color LOL

Nice capture, great perch, of course we always wish for less harsh light. I think photographers must be about the only people on earth who wish for non-sunny days.

I have never seen one of these in this color here or anywhere actually, so this is neat to see for me, and I will now go look up the difference between a skimmer and a dragonfly and how to tell the sexes apart. Thank you for the visual lesson.

[Jason Stander]

Hi Don... Lovely comp and angle... Great detail... Enjoy the blue bg... WD!

[Jonathan Ashton]

Well caught, the light wasn't you best friend but you did very well. Not too sure if reducing the highlights and possibly the contrast by a small amount. I am not sure how much of a crop it is but if it were a little less I suspect the detail might improve a bit, a 16:9 crop may work with a smaller crop.

[Markus Jais]

Very cool species, I have never seen that color in a dragonfly.

I like the composition, the blue background and the sharpness.

Markus