Head of Trithemis aurora.Female.
Macro of the head of Trithemis aurora. Female specimen.The massive bulbous eyes of a dragonfly wrap around its head like an astronaut’s helmet, giving it a 36...
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Macro of the head of Trithemis aurora. Female specimen.The massive bulbous eyes of a dragonfly wrap around its head like an astronaut’s helmet, giving it a 360 degree view of the world.
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May, 2016Views
247
Likes
Awards
Winner in Get Close REALLY Close Photo Challenge
ShawnAHodder
April 27, 2017
Fantastic Clarity and focus especially on the face and eyes. Thank you for participating in my Challenge "Get Close Really Close"
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken at my home where I have a pond.Time
The picture was shot around 11.30 am.Lighting
The dragonfly was constantly returning to perch on the same spot of this twig. The sun was high in the sky, but falling slightly at an angle. There was no need for using a flash.Equipment
I use the Leica V-Lux 4 with a DCR 250 close up lens attachment. This is one of my favourite cameras as it's light and not cumbersome to use especially when one has to hold the camera steady for a long time. Focusing is by moving the camera forwards and backwards till the subject is tack sharp in the view finder.Inspiration
I have some interest in dragonflies as they are attracted to the plants in my pond at home. This gives me easy access without having to travel out of the house.Editing
To obtain this magnification I did some cropping. The cropping is limited as the camera is not a full frame model, the sensor is 1/2,3”-CMOS with 12.8 MP.(effective 12.1 MP). To qualify for a submission to National Geographic Your Photo, the picture has to be at least 1,700 pixels. I submitted this picture both to NGYP and Viewbug. Post processing is limited to sharpness and definition. No burning or shading. The saturation was adjusted to bring out the true colours of the subject.In my camera bag
I usually carry this camera and the DCR 250 lens in my bag besides having a cleaning cloth and a small blower.Feedback
One has to know one's subject well. I notice that dragonflies usually return to the same perch. So it's a matter of keeping still near the target area until the subject lands. Often the subject lands in a position that is not appropriate for a shot. So it's having a lot of patience to wait till it does! Take as many shots as you can as you can always delete those that do not meet your expectations. Shoot in RAW as this gives you more information for processing.
