Water lily with bug

[Jay Sheinfield]

From the archives..............................

Cropped to frame with some light balancing.

Nikon D3s
iso 200
1/80 sec @ f/11
hand held supported by camera bag.....laying prone

Comments welcome

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jay, I thought this was an interesting comp but felt there were a few things that could be done to make it stronger. First, I felt the lily was a bit washed out and I took it into levels and brought up the color and more detail. I also dodged and burned parts of it.
I then eliminated the far portion of a pad since I felt that took away from the overall.
I did this quickly so excuse any errors.
I think the play between the dragonfly and lily is interesting

[Nick Palmieri]

Very nice capture here. I like Dave's re-post...I am borderline regarding the dragonfly but think I would have kept in as well as it does add a bit of interest to the overall image. I like the composition with the three lily pads.

[John Chardine]

Jay- IMO the dragonfly is a very nice touch. It was really a nice surprise to see it there after being drawn in by the outstanding flower. I think a bit more room given to the dragonfly would help to emphasise it a bit more, but maybe this is not the intention! I like the repost by Dave as it simplifies the image and makes you focus on the items that are important.

[Ken Childs]

Jay, I pretty much agree with what's already been said. It's a nice image to start with and Dave's repost definitely takes it up a notch. Like John, I'd like the dragonfly to have just a bit more room so if you have the canvas, give that a crop a try. :)

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Jay. This is another beauty! Before I read Dave's comment, I was thinking that removing that small leaf near the top of the frame would simplify and strengthen the image. The dragonfly adds a nice touch to the comp. The flower in Dave's repost definitely has more impact, but not having been there, I can't say which is closer to reality (if, in fact, that is important). :) Well done.

[Jay Sheinfield]

Thanks to all for the feedback..............good suggestions, looks like a bit more PP to do.

Jay

[kostas nianiopoulos]

i love it , looks like movie scene or something well done !!!

[Tom Redd]

Jay, agree with the above comments. Nice shot, Dave's repost takes it up a notch. The dragonfly is a great addition to this scene and well done to capture it in the frame.