Dragonflies

[botspur]

We had stopped for lunch and a cool drink and afterwards to kill a bit of time I tried my hand at some macro photography, I should have started with an easier subject. Anyway these are my efforts.


This one has some blown areas so I decided to try an isolate red effect as an experiment.

[jstp]

Hi Clive,

They are stunning, I am a fan of selective colouring, a bit out of the norm I know, and that red dragonfly is just spot on.

Cheers

J

[botspur]

Hi Jason, many thanks. I was suprised at how well the red selection came out as a first attempt.

[Flurry]

I love these images!!!!

[Geoff F]

With 'real life' insect photography, Clive, patches of over exposure from shiny bodies is one of those facts of life.

Sometimes I use a mixture of adding suitable colour plus a little clone or healing tool work but usually I just accept that it is part of the scene.

[botspur]

Hi Ginny, thank you.

Hi Geoff, I agree with you in sometimes accepting things the way that they are; as that how it is in the field.

[Geoff F]

Just as a matter of interest, I have posted a couple of examples plus methods that I sometimes use for improving over exposed areas on insects.

Shiny patches on insects - edit or leave?

But too often, this messing around ends up with a worse mess than just leaving things alone.

[botspur]

Excellent post Geoff.

[jprzybyla]

Well done Clive. Good exposure, nice detail. Yesterday I shot some dragonflies because they were available as my wife and I walked along the trail in a nature preserve. Botswana and Florida are thousands of miles apart yet the dragonflies appear alike.

[jprzybyla]

Clive, here is a couple from Florida...

[botspur]

Well done Joe, really very good. I have no idea of the Latin names of my pictured dragonflies. I much prefer identifying birds (easier).

[jprzybyla]

Same here Clive...to me they are just dragonflies. Geoff seems to know a lot about insects, maybe he can identify them.

[Kris V]

We had stopped for lunch and a cool drink and afterwards to kill a bit of time I tried my hand at some macro photography, I should have started with an easier subject. Anyway these are my efforts.


This one has some blown areas so I decided to try an isolate red effect as an experiment.

I prefer the first one - No offense intended, but selective colouring just doesn't do it for me.
That said - I love the composition and sharpness! So far, I have never managed to get a good shot of a dragon fly.

[Geoff F]

Same here Clive...to me they are just dragonflies. Geoff seems to know a lot about insects, maybe he can identify them.

European dragonflies might be something that I would attempt to identify but African or American species are beyond the scope of my literature.

However, I know someone who may be able to help with a wide range of species.

http://www.wildabouttheworld.com/forum/

I use the UK version of this site. And there are alternatives in other European countries.

Dragonflies are certainly an ancient species and, apart from size, aren't that different from species which flew around when dinosaurs grazed the earth - or ate each other!

[jprzybyla]

Just a thought Geoff, maybe they are all the same...they all look so similar. Good website, thanks for posting.

[Bobobird]

Lovely