Common darters

[Jonathan Ashton]

Canon 1DX Canon 180mm macro ISO 1000 1/400 sec f11 fill in flash -1.6
I have been struggling to get images around the pond this year, it has become very overgrown and nothing seems to land in a photogenic space. This is a grab shot, soon as I got it they were off, oh well, fingers crossed there's still another 6 weeks for another opportunity. Maybe the male will be sharper next time:w3

[Nancy Bell]

Great position on the darters. Hard to get everything sharp when the insects have so many body parts on slightly different angles, plus the 2 darters are on different angles to each other. Tempting to do a massive amount of trimming back of the vegetation to limit the potential perches. But that would probably ruin the overall look of the pond.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi John. I like the behavior you captured - as you well know, it's difficult to get both subject in sharp focus in situations like this. Just when you've almost got it, they fly away. A good self-critique about the background. The fill flash helped to soften the shadows in the bright light. Keep working at it - eventually you'll nail the perfect shot! :S3: