Photographer's Comment: I guess it's my year for being the voyeur in the private lives of insects . . . but hey, if you do it in public, I'm gonna watch at the very least. "Odonata" is the order of insects to which damselflies belong.

Tags: wildlife nature mating damselflies damselfly macro insects insect

Viewer Comments:

By vdtconsult (2007-08-01 07:30:22 ): I WAS kidding about you hating me - that's what this forum is about - learning by critique. Certainly it is a fabulous shot and YES you were really lucky and skilled enough to see it. I didn't say it was oversharpened, someone else commented on that and I was expressing my opinion that the shot was so terrific that it didn't matter. Good, bad, or indifferent, I belong to a club and I'm used to having my images judged - and whether I agree with the judges or not, I have learned a great deal. So, as a result, my mindset sometimes tends to be in the "judge" mode and I go a bit beyond the aesthetics of an image. It is a really GREAT shot.

By fotostalker (2007-08-01 02:12:47 ): Thanks, ALL, for your comments. I was certainly blessed that evening to have been shown this awesome moment . . . Peace, Dan.

By fotostalker (2007-08-01 02:11:40 ): Gail, a tad over sharpened as I blindly clicked through an action sharpening step without thinking about the fact that I had already sharpened the print tiff . . . manipulated otherwise, no, just "standard" digital darkroom stuff.

By fotostalker (2007-08-01 02:09:25 ): Jill, I'm curious why you'd think I'd hate you for expressing your opinion? I've gone back and forth about the hot spot and am not sure exactly what I'll do with it if anything . . . as for the blurred wings, that's the "hazard"(?) of shooting macro in the wild in a pretty stiff breeze . . . I was just happy that I didn't miss the moment and that those wings were the only unintentially OOF part. Oversharpened just a tad, yes, as I had sharpened the tiff and clicked throught the sharpening step in my PS PWS conversion action without thinking about it . . . the print tiff is not so obviously sharpened but a good crisp image -- well, except for those lower wings ;o)

By vdtconsult (2007-07-29 03:42:14 ): You got a really good one here Dan. Doesn't matter if you oversharpened, the dof is great, colors are great and the lighting is great. Can I just nitpick? Please don't hate me. The hot spot on the stalk joint is distracting - noticed it this morning; I'm still noticing. And I know, this is just a bit too much - but the wings on the bottom bug are, do I dare say it, a bit blurred. But fotostalker, you have just earned your name.

By DougWilkening (2007-07-28 23:42:32 ): And they form the shape of a heart (upside down). How sweet!

By GailV (2007-07-28 18:21:32 ): I think you must have manipulated this in some way--like oversharpening perhaps. At any rate, your treatment works to enhance th photo. The lighting is nice also.

By smokeydawg (2007-07-28 13:54:05 ): Great close up of the action Dan! Light is wonderful as is the detail in the subjects and their wings along with the leaf. Nice comp also. Just well done!

By Akitka (2007-07-28 07:25:33 ): a wonderful macro and an apt capture of the moment =) thank you for sharing!

By BeatriceFriedli (2007-07-28 00:48:06 ): great macro shot ! kudos !

By somagni (2007-07-27 22:51:56 ): That is SO cool! I love the color and the composition is just perfect. I've never seen such a graphic display of insects mating before - you learn something new every day!

By clwhitney (2007-07-27 18:44:33 ): The lighting, color, and details are great. I like the composition of the angled leaf and 2 damselflies.

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