Damselfly sp.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Tripod (with difficulty!)
Camera Model Canon EOS 7D
Firmware Firmware Version 1.2.2
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/60
Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 400
Lens EF180mm f/3.5L Macro USM +1.4x
Focal Length 252.0mm
Image Quality RAW
Flash On
Flash Type External E-TTL
E-TTL II flash metering Evaluative flash metering
Flash Exposure Compensation -1 2/3
Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync
White Balance Mode Auto
AF Mode AI Servo AF
AF area select mode Manual selection
Picture Style Standard
Color Space Adobe RGB

Another shot taken from the stream in the hotel grounds again a common species. No idea unfortunately regards ID.

All C & C welcome.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Jonathan. Nice job capturing this colorful damselfly in a good pose against an attractive background. Although the tip of the abdomen isn't quite as sharp as the head, I regard this as a minor point - you might see if some selective sharpening would help. The flash worked well here and looks very natural. I'm trying to decide if the beetle is an added bonus or a minor distraction from the very cool damselfly. :) It will be interesting to see what other folks think. Well done.

[Julie Kenward]

I think the beetle is a plus in this one - his irridescence works nicely against the bright colors of the DF. I like the image as presented but also wonder about lightening up the BG just a bit so the damsel steps away from it a bit more.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jonathan,
I think I would prefer this w/o th beetle......but colors look great as does your flash work. I might opt for crop off the top......mostly because the pano emphasizes the shape of the damselfly. Overall.....very nicely done!

[Ken Childs]

Hey Jon, Roman nailed my critique exactly.....I'd prefer this without the beetle but having it there is not a deal breaker. Well done!

[D. Robert Franz]

Love this....