Blue Faced Darner

[Don Lacy]

Its Dragon time again for me as I start switching over from Birds back to my favorite subject :)
as this is a new species for me and I was very happy to get him out in the open even if he was on a ugly stick:(

The image was made with a 500 f/4 plus 25mm extension tube and a 1.4 TC shot at 1/10 of a second the only way I got a usable image was by shooting in live view and using the timer on the shutter release.
40D, f/5.6, Aperture Priority, Evaluative Metered + 3/4, ISO 400, Raw, tripod, cloned out a twig in the URC

[Ken Childs]

That's a fantastic looking dragon! Not the best perch but you get what you get and the bug looks great. Have you tried a 90 degree rotation to the left?

[Don Lacy]

That's a fantastic looking dragon! Not the best perch but you get what you get and the bug looks great. Have you tried a 90 degree rotation to the left?
Thanks Ken for your comments, as far as the rotation thats the way they perch anything else would not look natural.

[Mike Moats]

Hey Don, very cool comp, awesome details and BG. Well done.

[Bob Miller]

Hey Don...love your dragon! So sharp and at F5.6!! Bg is perfect! Congrats!

[Christopher Miller]

Hi Don, I'm envious. Up here it isn't dragonfly season till early June or so. Nice colors and BG with excellent detail in the DF.

[Ed Cordes]

Nicely done. Making me jealous as the dragons have not yet returned to NY.

[Nick Palmieri]

I like this angle, a little different. Nice detail on this guy.

[Ken Childs]

Thanks Ken for your comments, as far as the rotation thats the way they perch anything else would not look natural.
Don, I understand where you're coming from and I would do the exact same thing but if one of the rules for this forum was that everything had to look natural, a large percentage of the photos now being posted wouldn't be allowed! ;)

[Don Lacy]

Don, I understand where you're coming from and I would do the exact same thing but if one of the rules for this forum was that everything had to look natural, a large percentage of the photos now being posted wouldn't be allowed! ;)
I agree Ken and I think photographers should only be limited by their imaginations and ethics. For me when I present my images I want them to be as beautiful as they can be and still be honest to the natural history of the subject. So while I have no problem cloning and adding canvas or using other PS techniques to enhance the image I still want it to be an accurate representation of what the viewer would see if they encounter the subject in nature and you just do not find Darners perching any other way:)

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Don,
Everything works here.....even the "ugly" perch. Those eyes are killer!

[Julie Kenward]

Awesome image, Don! Love the angle of the wings here - how they fade to almost transparent on the one side and then really show all the detail on the other. I'm glad the DF's are back for you too because I love your DF images!

[Don Hamilton Jr.]

Wow!! Smoking Sweet, like it a lot, and like the natural pose, as you saw it.. MAN, I NEED TO GET WITH THE PROGRAM, AND GO OUT AND DO SOME OF THESE AS WELL!!!
TFS
DON