fall dragon

[john crookes]

While out photographing fall migrants i found this guy resting on a gone to seed weed

Nikon D2X
400mm
1.7ext
1/180th
f8
ISO 200

[Robert O'Toole]

Hi John, nice Dfly image. I like the sharpness and the clean BG. The subject is in great shape, no wing tears or frayed edges.

The sunlight is a problem, a diffuser or a well placed cloud :) would have really helped tone down the contrast and made the image much better. Also it would be better to avoid clipping the perch on the left or better yet since the perch is a little washed out, I would try a horizontal crop and show less of the perch, or crop some of the bottom edge.

Anyway nice image.

Thanks for sharing,

Robert

[John Cooper]

Hi John, Nice of this Dfly to drop by for a grab shot!! Nits already mentioned by Robert. Good effort!

[Mike Moats]

Hey John, Robert has a good point about the diffuser and would give it a different look with less contrast, but for me I don't mind the contrasty light as I think it has an interesting look to it. I like the idea of a horizontal crop.

[Roman Kurywczak]

I'm with Mike on this one as to the lighting and the crop. I think the DOF is fine and the BG is great.
Roman

[Harold Davis]

john, i think it is great. i love the detail, the perch and the clean bg. congrats on the shot.

[Jonathan Michael Ashton]

Nice shot, I suspect the composition would be difficult to resolve as the seed head lends itself to a vertical shot and the Dragonfly (a ruddy darter??) more to a landscape format. I would like to have seen more of the body in focus, I may have tried to increase the contrast a little on the veination in the wings.
Jon

[Gus Cobos]

Very nice image John,
Love the background colors, and the details of your subject..
Congrats...:D