PRO+

chuckeggen

Photo

NIKON D800

settings

Aperture f/9.0 ISO 1600 Shutter 1/250

upload_date

Aug, 2013

Views

1569

Likes

+803

Awards

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Featured

Superb Composition

+149

Top Choice

+88

Absolute Masterpiece

+70

Outstanding Creativity

+29

Peer Award

+21

Superior Skill

+20

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Exceptional Contrast

Jaw Dropping

Genius

Great Find

Virtuoso

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Superb well-focused closeup - its wings are a bit worse for wear. Congratulations.

great shot

Great shot!!
Congrats!!

Very nice and neat capture. like the detail and DOF. Congrats on the feature.

Great composition and sharpness, congrats on your feature!

Wonderful capture.Congrats!

awesome macro shot! Congratulations on your Feature!

Platinum

Great macro.Congratulations!!!

Good shot :-)

Great Shot....

PRO+

fantastic capture

Love this ")

amazing bravo

Unusual perspective. The light is just great. It seems to permeate everything and makes this photo really special.

Great Shot.. Very Well focused. Lovely Macro Image

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Profoto D1 500 fill, D800, 70-200mm 2.8 VRII.

4th of July Car and Fireworks Celebration

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at a waterfowl refuge that backs up to my home in Connecticut. It's literally my backyard. In the summer Dragonflies are abundant and always provide an option when the local fowl aren't active. The pond offers a wide range of subjects from feather to fur. I've photographed several species of waterfowl and some four legged friends such as beaver, raccoon, a very friendly red fox, and deer. I've spotted a bobcat on two occasions however the fading light made a photograph impossible.

Time

Having a nature studio just steps outside my backdoor allows me to visit all times day and night. This particular photo was late afternoon I believe. I remember hoping to catch a Great Blue Heron that frequents the pond each day around that time.

Lighting

I was fortunate the sun was setting and just high enough above the horizon to illuminate the wings. While it is backlit I think that adds to the photograph. Full disclosure, I didn't plan that, he just landed on twig at the right moment. Don't you just love wildlife and natural light. We're at the mercy of what's presented and sometimes it works out.

Equipment

This was shot with the Nikon D800 and Nikon 80-400mm f/4 - 5.6G ED VR AF-S. Settings ISO 1600, 1/250th sec, f/9, 400mm with VR on. Camera was handheld.

Inspiration

As I said above I wanted to photograph a Great Blue Heron but he took the day off. I think most photographers are simply inspired to take photos of something so when things don't pan out as we planned we just look for opportunities. That's the wonderful thing about this digital world. Shoot away and delete later if it's not interesting. I'm intrigued by light whether natural or flash. Often my eye catches something that otherwise would be drab but comes to life via light revealing contours and contrast. I love watching dragonflies and dream of catching one in flight. As they land I'm always watching for an opportunity and while I have many photos of them not all are interesting. This one just struck me as being different and most importantly, I liked it.

Editing

Today I believe most photographers do some post processing and I'm no exception. Fortunately there was very little to do in this photo. I'm not a Lightroom fan preferring to use Adobe ACR as a start point and decide whether Photoshop is needed. In ACR I did use the Highlight slider and curves to bump the shadow side and bring back contrast but that's about it.

In my camera bag

Wow, tough question. It really depends on what I'm doing on a particular day. Out for the day I'll have my D810 and D500 with the Nikon 24-70mm on the D810, Nikon 70-200mm on the D500 in my Lowepro backpack. Traveling for work I'm always in a quandary. "What will I want when I"m there?" I try to compromise with a mix of wide zoom and telephoto zoom. That typically equates to the Nikon 14-24mm, Nikon 24-70mm, and Nikon 80-400mm. As far as bodies go, D810 and D500. If room allows I'll carry the D5 as well. I always have a couple of speed lights and if I'm not flying I'll even carry my Benro Travel Flat tripod. This and more fit into my Think Tank Airport Security Rolling Bag.

Feedback

In the United States dragonflies can be found almost anywhere. They may be more prevalent near some body of water but it's not required. Dragonflies aren't near as skittish as most insects and if you're patient enough you might be able to coax one into landing in your hand. I have found that they like lighter, contrasting colors. A piece of white paper on my deck seems to be a helipad for them. Finding them is easy. Finding one sitting still is not too difficult either. It's finding one sitting with a decent backdrop that becomes the challenge. Longer focal lengths, larger aperture, and extended distance to the background will certainly make for beautiful photos. On a bright sunny day look for shade to prevent blowing out the highlights. If you find dragonflies in your backyard, find a stick, stick it in the ground in an open area, identify your background or use something to make your own. Sit down and be patient. They'll actually fight over the stick at times. Happy shooting!

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Behind The Lens

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