C&C please - DIF

[Bobobird]

This was taken in the summer and only processed today (that is how busy I am).

I processed the shot with my normal workflow and thought that being long that a 16:9 crop would work well.

Q1 - does the crop work

Normally I would then leave the image for a couple of hours and review it again to see if I missed anything. The center band of light appeared like a tunnel through which the dragon was flying through but the right side of the crop was relatively dark. So I lightened up the right third a bit so that it would appear like he was flying towards hope at the end of the tunnel. The "smile" on his face sort of giving the assumption some credibility.

Yeah, trying to get a bit artsy here.

Q2 - does that assumption make sense?

Q3 - anything else that you think looks off in anyway?

Thanks for all input.

PS - hmmmm, "smile" looks like a frown!

1/800, 5.6, ISO 1250, 300mm.

- click image for larger view -

[kdoc856]

I like the crop and the tunnel- they complement each other. There's no real sense of him moving through the tunnel though. I'm wondering if a play with a motion blur filter might add anything?

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Kevin. I did think about that but felt that the blurred wings were good enough. Will look into the good suggestion.

Thanks John - hmmm, was expecting a bit more then that...

[DanK]

Great shot. Dragonflies in flight are extremely tough to get. I don't think I have ever managed one. I think the tunnel is fine. The background is very nicely blurred and doesn't distract. I probably would have cropped tighter. In general, bug shots look better with more empty space in front, but I think there is too much. I'd probably also crop a bit off the top to get the bug less centered.

The face is slightly OOF, but there isn't a lot to be done about that, although you could try sharpening only that area a bit.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Dan - this is a 50% crop so I have plenty of empty space to play with. Will try moving the df off center and make a tighter crop. My only worry is that it will make the oof top of head more obvious.

Agreed top of face is a bit off but cannot do much about it, perhaps should have used f8. Next summer for sure. Minor selective sharpening of just the top line should work. Will see.

[DanK]

perhaps should have used f8

I often shoot at f/13 when chasing bugs. Makes for a less blurred background but helps compensate for how big a klutz I am.

[FootLoose]

Nice shot, Bobo, the background colours are a good complement to the colours in the insect itself. The right side of the tunnel does not look brighter to me (maybe my m/c). Immediately in front of the head is about the same as behind the tail, and the it transitions into a mustardy colour as it approaches the rhs - which makes it appear subtly darker to me. I wonder if a soft gradient applied between the head and rhs would help achieve the affect you are after?

[pnodrog]

Bobo I am just amazed you manage to get it in focus at f5.6. Everything works for me and I like the crop and its position within it.

[tbob]

I think this is brilliantly done. There is little or no probability I could ever do this. I have a hard enough time shooting insects sitting on things. Or dead.

A minor suggestion. Maybe try blurring or smudging the dark area/light circle above and to the right. Would have to try and see it if improves the image to any degree.

[Bobobird]

I often shoot at f/13 when chasing bugs. Makes for a less blurred background but helps compensate for how big a klutz I am.

Agreed for bugs that are sitting of something where a blurred background would not make sense. The probability of getting all the bug in focus without stacking is what I do most of the time f11-f16 usually.

But for flight a totally blurred background is needed to make the bug stand out. This shot was at iso1250. Going tighter on the f would have shot the iso through the roof.

So it was quite a bit of compromises made.

For difs - 1/800 is my usual goto speed as that leaves the wings with some blur. Same principle as shooting propeller planes.

[Bobobird]

Thanks L.Paul - anyone who says I don't need to anything is someone I like but with the jury at the opposite side of the fence it would be prudent to go the other way.

Thanks Greg - good point. I missed that. Gradient is a great suggestion.

Thanks Trevor - missed the light circle as well. Good catch.
About bugs - I can never create a good landscape. So we are even.

Sometimes I wish that there was a bit of Sharon's vision in this dumbhead.

Be back later incorporating the suggestions.

I will try something else as well - lighten everything so that the tunnel of light disappears but then there would be no implied story.

[John 2]

Given how difficult this sort of shot is this has turned really well. Colours are right including the complimentary BG. I agree that the motion in the wings is sufficient movement. Might have been hovering for all anybody would know. Maybe a small crop from the area in front of the insect but for me that's all. Excellent image.

[Bobobird]

Thanks John. I would hazard it and say that it is impossible to grab a DF in flight, the best best is to follow it around and wait for it to hover just enough to acquire focus and shoot. Even then it is difficult but doable.
Yes, in this one he was hovering.

[DanK]

For difs - 1/800 is my usual goto speed as that leaves the wings with some blur.

Thanks. That is a very useful piece of information.

[Bobobird]

Thanks. That is a very useful piece of information.

In that case would add that AF does not work with them and IS will interfere. So it is Manual all the way.

[Mike Buckley]

There is little or no probability I could ever do this.

There is actually a very high probability that I could make this photo. However, that would be only if dumb luck in the absolutely most strict sense of the phrase came to be, especially the first word of that phrase, which happens to be "dumb."

I love the motion of the wings and the aspect ratio. The display of the subject (other than the unsharp head) is so good that something seems to be missing in the background for me. If I had the same strong sense of what I am looking for when closely examining a photo of clear glass, I would know what is missing for me in your photo. Sadly, I don't have that strong sense because I'm not used to reviewing the style of images that you make.

So, I will have to settle instead for being in awe of them.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Mike for saying something (and not saying something)

I am reviewing the shot right now. Looks like a fresh start with the pp with all the suggestions in mind.

[Wavelength]

Excellent

[Bobobird]

Thanks Nandakumar.