Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Variegated Meadowhawk

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7
    Threads
    2
    Thank You Posts

    Default Variegated Meadowhawk



    Nikon D300s Sigma 150-500mm @ 500mm, f/14, 1/400s, ISO 500, no flash, handheld and manual exposure.

    Taken in Door County, Wisconsin with the fading light.

  2. #2
    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    14,112
    Threads
    820
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Paul:

    Lovely background colors, good dof on the wings.
    There is quite a bit of noise in the BG, unusual in the D300s at this ISO. Did you need to bring up the exposure in post?

    The 'blurry" effect of the eye is a bit distracting. I know there are sharp areas all around it, so it isn't a focus issue, but still stands out.

    Cheers

    Randy
    MY BPN ALBUMS

    "Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy" Sir Isaac Newton

  3. Thanks Paul Sparks thanked for this post
  4. #3
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7
    Threads
    2
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thank you Randy. The noise might be from cropping, as I didn't need to correct the exposure at all. The eye bothered me as well, but I've noticed that in other dragonfly photos and I'm not sure what causes that.

  5. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    1,991
    Threads
    192
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Lovely colorful capture, Paul. I think there is a little too much room to the right, and maybe too little to the left. Since you say this is a crop, that may be an easy fix. I'd consider cropping as a vertical if possible. A slightly different angle would have given you a sharp tail.
    Re. the eye: this is a general characteristic of dragonfly eyes. They are slightly translucent, with the colored spots lying somewhat deeper in the eye, giving the impression of being slightly OOF. In addition to that, the AF systems of most cameras I know have a tendency to catch on to the thorax, probably because this is the "lumpiest" part of the dragonfly. It appears that this was the case here as well. When I'm shooting dragonflies, I tend to use MF for this reason.

  6. Thanks Paul Sparks thanked for this post
  7. #5
    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Bemidji, Minnesota
    Posts
    5,801
    Threads
    818
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Paul and welcome to the Macro Forum! I like the golden light and the pose. You have some good comments above to consider. I would agree with applying some nr to the background to smooth it out. You have good sharpness within your DOF, but you might try some additional selective sharpening on the eye to see if that helps. The whites look pretty bright to me - if they are not blown, you might try toning them down a little. Overall, you have a strong image and I think a few tweaks will make it even better! I hope to see more of your macro work!

  8. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Memphis, TN
    Posts
    1,873
    Threads
    320
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Paul,

    A pleasing image overall with good suggestions for improvement mentioned above and I don't have much to add other than to suggest checking for sensor spots - I think I see a couple in the BG. Still, a nice image - TFS.

    Allen

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics