Dragonflies and Damselflies

AlanF

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Two pics of a green-eyed hawker. slightly different, slightly different focus point (no stack, single pic).
I have my favorite. Which is yours? Thanks in advance for your comments.

#1:
View attachment 190809

#2:
View attachment 190810
For shots like those, I look for the head and tail being in sharp focus. So, the 2nd one for me as well as the focus on the tail and body is more obvious.
 
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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
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Prefer sharper focus on the nearer wing, so second.
... the 2nd one for me ...
I prefer the first one. The focus on the eyes.
Thanks to the three of you for the replies and comments.
Like Clicks choice my fav is the first one, for the same reason. I like seeing such detail of the compound eye and the hairs at the neck.
But as for the other reasons it was really hard for me to chose.
Thanks again.
 
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AlanF

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Thanks to the three of you for the replies and comments.
Like Clicks choice my fav is the first one, for the same reason. I like seeing such detail of the compound eye and the hairs at the neck.
But as for the other reasons it was really hard for me to chose.
Thanks again.
For me, if the head is facing towards you, then that clearly has to be the focal point, and the focus behind that isn't crucial, and the gradual loss of focus can be effective in emphasizing the head. But when the head is facing away, a misfocussed tail looks messy to me. Your Red Damselflies are really good in that respect.
 
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Maximilian

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For me, if the head is facing towards you, then that clearly has to be the focal point, and the focus behind that isn't crucial, and the gradual loss of focus can be effective in emphasizing the head. But when the head is facing away, a misfocussed tail looks messy to me.
Fully got it - already at the first time. And I was really on the fence. And in a lot of cases Iwould have been with you.
But to me a sharp thorax is also important. As well as the roots of the wings, if they are so prominent as shown here.
I did a lot of overall comparison as well as pixel peeping, which I normally don't like. And still I am so-so.
But thanks for giving me ideas to think about :)
 
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AlanF

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Fully got it - already at the first time. And I was really on the fence. And in a lot of cases Iwould have been with you.
But to me a sharp thorax is also important. As well as the roots of the wings, if they are so prominent as shown here.
I did a lot of overall comparison as well as pixel peeping, which I normally don't like. And still I am so-so.
But thanks for giving me ideas to think about :)
I added an extra sentence to my previous post as you were replying. Erik uses focus stacking to get everything in sharp focus. I just try hard to get as much as possible in focus in one shot and bin loads of shots.
 
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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
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... I just try hard to get as much as possible in focus in one shot and bin loads of shots.
Same approach here. And your comments and all the other great pictures help me to improve. (y)

... Your Red Damselflies are really good in that respect.
Thanks for that, too.
The vertical one is so-so IMO. I would have preferred focus closer to the head.
If it just sopped raining... more than 70 l/m² since Saturday :rolleyes: Maybe some sun on Wednesday...

Edit:
I very much appreciate the rain, as it was much too dry this spring and as it is good for the habitat of this threads protagonists ;)
But I also want to go out again to practice...
 
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HenryL

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AlanF

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