Wandering Percher (Diplacodes bipunctata) Ash Island NSW
Wandering Percher (Diplacodes bipunctata) Ash Island NSW Australia
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM with 12+20+36mm Tubes stacked ISO400 F8.0 1/640 flash 18 February 2012 7.26am
Taken on Wagtail Way on Ash Island during a fruitless search for 3 Yellow Wagtails a rare avian migrant to this Ramsar
Salt Marsh area.
Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock
Hi Rod. This very colorful dragonfly gave you an excellent pose. You have good head-to-tail sharpness, good comp, and a clean background. The flash has produced rather harsh light - I would suggest trying to tone down the white/light colors in the legs and on the perch. If this was mine, I would clone the plant stubs to the left and right of the perch that intrude at the bottom of the frame. A couple tweaks will take this strong image up a notch or two.
Hi Rod, Steve covered my thoughts pretty well. The only thing I will add and this is completely a matter of taste would be to remove the one thread of web that looks like it's coming off the dragon's leg. I like the threads on the perch but that one keeps pulling my eye away from the DF. Next time out you might want to back off a little on the strength of the flash or maybe use a diffuser.
Beautifully focused and I like the composition, for me the gossamer threads are fine, I like a little natural detritus here and there. The only thing I would say is what has already been mentioned, i.e. the flash looks a little too apparent. I often find fill in at -1.66 to -2. works well.