A tiny lady.

[Jim Bridges]

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJ&J%7E1.JIM%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01 %5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I found this female Rambur's Forktail damselfly this spring in a small grassland prairie area at Brazos Bend SP. We were both hunting... her for a meal and me for her.:) I made a few photos before she went on about her busy morning. This was made with D80 Nikkor AF 105/2.8D on a tripod. ISO 100 f11 @125 sec and post processed with Capture NX 2.


http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum/attachments/nature-wildlife/132106d1280317337-elegant-lady-aafmram-1.jpg
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[Julie Kenward]

Wow, Jim, that is some beautiful light you've captured there! Stunning pose and a nice perch as well - big score! I think if this were my image I'd try to blend that OOF stem behind the main stem into the BG just a bit more. I think taking a small amount off the top would tighten the image nicely. Lovely exposure and the details on the df are wonderful!

[Sandra K. Mathews-Benham]

How beautiful and delicate, as Julie said, perfect lighting and amazing detail.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jim,
I like Jules idea of a crop off the top....and while I agree that the DF is lit nicely.....the perch is going too bright and competing with it. Looking at the light diredtion I do have a couple of questions for you.....did you lighten the DF?.......or was it sunny?.......using the sunny 16 rule.....I would put the image overexposed 1 stop......for the grass...but probably opened up the details in her body nicely.....so toning down the stem of the grass....will bring this up a notch. Yo may also want to smooth the BG a touch more behind the legs....if you are oK with such things....but you did an excellent job isolating the DF in against the BG otherwise. Nicely done overall.

[Jim Bridges]

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJ&J%7E1.JIM%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01 %5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Thanks for the kind comments and feedback on this image! Roman, I don't do much PP using NX 2. Most of my PP work is contrast- saturation- noise reduction- USM- crop and that's about it. I use the histogram on my camera when shooting for proper exposure. I prefer to work on overcast days or in the shaded areas when I can. This was made in a shaded area. It's great to get others opinion and I truly appreciate the suggestions and comments.

[Ken Childs]

Hey Jim, it looks like most things have already been covered. In addition to the great suggestions by Jules and Roman, slightly lightening and sharpening the eye might help.

I've only found adult males of this species here. This young female is a beauty!

[Jim Bridges]

Hey Jim, it looks like most things have already been covered. In addition to the great suggestions by Jules and Roman, slightly lightening and sharpening the eye might help.

I've only found adult males of this species here. This young female is a beauty!
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJ&J%7E1.JIM%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01 %5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Thanks for the comment and suggestion Ken. I'm not much of a PP expert but learning more about NX 2 every day. I also found a little male the same morning and they seem to be more common in this area as well. I may post one in a few days. The strange thing is that I only find the female in the early spring. <o></o>

[Anita Bower]

Lovely image. The position of the DF on the perch is just right. Nice diagonal lines. I like the light and the soft BG. Some good suggestions above. Thanks for sharing.

[Jim Bridges]

Lovely image. The position of the DF on the perch is just right. Nice diagonal lines. I like the light and the soft BG. Some good suggestions above. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for looking and taking the time to comment