Monopod Canon 7D Canon 180mm macro ISO 400 1/1000 sec f11
Taken at a local pond, not my garden pond this time, I have deliberately left the OOF grass top right.
All C&C welcome.
Nice image Jonathan.
The image shows good detail and is nice and sharp. I'm not sure about the OOf grass at the top as combined with the grass stalk creating a lead in line I find It attracts my attention.
On my monitor I see a small light patch on the background about half way between the dragonfly and OOF grass that can probably be cloned if its not just me seeing it.
Great image though that gives me something to learn from.
Thanks for the comments Ian, I was torn with this and other images of the same subject. The background is pond water it is that colour becasue all the local dogs (including Barney) love to go in for a dip to cool off. The area on the right is a complete fudge I took a brush the colour of the water and brushed the whole are becasue there were various grass stems there. I left the bit at the top becasue I think sometimes the images can look a little too clean.
Well, you certainly seem to have this dragon/damselfly photography thing down, Jon! Excellent sharpness. Couldn't you have had your model take a couple steps forward to keep its feet out of the seed head? I also see Iain's light patch--appears to be resting on the stem. Since you already did major reconstructive surgery on the BG, I'm in favor going completely clean. Did you consider cropping from left to put subject's head closer to RoT line?
I absolutely love the composition here, Jonathan! The OOF grasses at the top do not bother me at all ( I would have probably cloned them out if this image was mine because I am a neat freak, but looking at the image as it is, I really really like it- the grasses give context and also suggest movement).