Common Darter (felmale)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Canon 50D Canon 180mm tripod MLU, macro ISO 100 1/3 sec f11
There is a story to this one. It had been a gorgeous sunny day and I was stuck inside painting my son's bedroom, I was really a bit cheesed off as we had recently had such poor weather and I had very little luck on the macro front.
At about 4.00pm I had finished so I pored myself a glass of Speckled Hen (English bitter!) I wandered down to my pond and saw this female darter floundering in the pond. Without hesitation I bravely plunged in and rescued her,( well I dipped my finger in and she climbed aboard:S3:) I placed her on a sedge/reed plant as you can see.

Now folks I have this image like this and at differing apertures and I have a slightly different image with a plain background which I will post tomorrow. I personally like this background, I think it tells us a little about the wee beastie. Tell me what you think, I know you guys like smooth backgrounds but one day - one day I might just find a chink in your armour:w3

[Norm Dulak]

Jonathan.

I really like this image as it is. The subject is very interesting, colorful and sharp. It is well framed and composed, and the water drop at the bottom of the insect adds further impact. And I like the diagonal elements in the image.

Depth of field might have been better to bring the tip of the proximal wing into sharp focus also, but that is a minor thing. I would, however, suggest cloning out the oof stalk on the left.

Otherwise, this is very nice.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Jonathan.

I really like this image as it is. The subject is very interesting, colorful and sharp. It is well framed and composed, and the water drop at the bottom of the insect adds further impact. And I like the diagonal elements in the image.

Depth of field might have been better to bring the tip of the proximal wing into sharp focus also, but that is a minor thing. I would, however, suggest cloning out the oof stalk on the left.

Otherwise, this is very nice.

Norm here is the same image but at f16

[Jeff Parker]

I like this as presented. I don't even mind the OOF reed on the left.

[Norm Dulak]

Norm here is the same image but at f16

Nice Jonathan. That's a substantial improvement in wing sharpness.

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Jonathan, I like the f16 version best. I could take it with or without the extra stem. I might try to selectively sharpen the portion of the wing that is closest to us so that it appears less out of focus.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Jonathan. This is one of your best, IMO. Love the soft light, good head to tail sharpness (I don't mind the softness in the near wingtip), and I like the diagonal of the perch (looks like an Equisetum sp. to me). The water drop on the tail is a plus. The wings are in an odd, but interesting, position for a dragonfly which also helps to make the image unique. I don't mind the OOF stem on the left - I think it adds to the image rather than detracts. For me, it's a close call between the two versions, but I think I prefer the OP. This is very well done. :cheers:

[Arthur Morris]

Pane 1 is the winner for me. I like this one much better than the second post. This one pops off the screen. BKGR is more interesting too.

[Bob Miller]

I vote for the OP! Just lovely! I also don't mind the oof reed. .......it seems to give it a bit more depth

[Ken Childs]

Hi Jon, I also prefer the OP. The stem on the left doesn't bother me but the dark band on it does so maybe a little cloning is in order. Overall, this one looks great! :S3:

[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks very much everyone for your input and interest in the shot. I am really pleased I have convinced you that sometimes a little faint detail as opposed to a featureless background can enhance the subject:5