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Jerry van Dijk
03-31-2010, 03:07 PM
Although it doesn't seem so when I look out my window, springtime is here. This means I'll soon be counting butterflies again for a long term monitoring project for our national butterfly conservation organisation. To my great delight, there are as many dragonflies as there are butterflies on my route. This female Sympetrum vulgatum is from last year, resting on an iron fence.

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, handheld, 23 mm (138 mm eq.) Suntec 4+ closeup lens, ISO-100, F/4.5, 1/200 sec, EC 0, pattern metering, aperture priority, RAW.
RAW processing in Silkypix, PP in Corel Photopaint. Minor tweaks on levels and sharpness. NR in Neatimage.
Ken Childs
03-31-2010, 03:27 PM
This is great, Jerry! At first I though it looked a little dark but soon realized that everything is really crisp and clear and it really doesn't need to be any lighter.

The first dragons of the year appeared here yesterday. There were many very fresh Blue Corporals all around one of my ponds and this was repeated today so soon the air will be filled with flying dragons! :D
Markus Jais
03-31-2010, 03:54 PM
Great close-up. I like the format of this image and the diagonal lines of the wings.

Markus
Cheryl Flory
03-31-2010, 09:22 PM
WOW!! amazing sharpness, background, and love what looks like eye contact. wow!
Vida van der Walt
04-01-2010, 02:50 AM
Wonderful image Jerry! Love the low angle and the comp. Perfect detail and sharpness and I never would have guessed that the perch is an iron fence.:)
Jerry van Dijk
04-01-2010, 02:58 AM
Hi all, thanks for the compliments. Ken, having a pond with dragonflies in my garden would be very bad for my social life.... Looking forward to the coming season!
Julie Kenward
04-01-2010, 12:46 PM
Fabulous work, Jerry. Love the angle of the image and the eye-to-eye contact. Perfect framing with that front wing totally included and both back wings stretching out of the frame.
Charles Wesley
04-01-2010, 03:43 PM
Jerry,

You have to love this intimate portrait. Really like the colors and sharpness with great translucency in the wings on this dragon.

Thanks for sharing...
___________________
Charlie Wesley
St Augustine Beach, FL
Anita Bower
04-02-2010, 05:47 AM
Nice. Thanks for sharing. :)
Ken Childs
04-02-2010, 07:21 AM
Ken, having a pond with dragonflies in my garden would be very bad for my social life.... Looking forward to the coming season! I have 4 ponds. What's a "social life"? :D