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In His Clasp


In His Clasp
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Prince (PDP) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11751)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-06-04
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50 mm 2.8 EX Macro, Digital ISO 200, Hoya skylight (1B)
Exposure: f/16, 1/125 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Sexy nature [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-06-05 13:56
Viewed: 1260
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

This is a pair of Common Blues in the act of copulation. The male's abdomen is to the left and the female (drab form) is shown in the grip of her partner. Unlike Dragonflies whose males grab the female either directly behind or sometimes by the head, damselfly males clasp the female by her thorax - this can be seen in the photo.

This couple were found by water but more often than not the coupling takes place away from water. The copulation takes around 20-30 minutes and has three stages.

The first involves removal of sperm from the female, the males genitalia are structured so that sperm may be, for want of a better word, scraped out of the female. The second stage is sperm transfer and the third is a passive stage where the couple wait for the sperm to reach the spermathecae (her sperm storage capacity).

After the copulation is complete the eggs may be laid alone or in tandem. The eggs will be laid at the surface of water or else the female will lower herself down into the water on a suitable support and lay her eggs on submerged vegetation.


I hope you like it.

I have the full shot of them both if anyone is interested it can be seen as a workshop image.
red45, Runnerduck, pgmoni, naki, gerhardt, liquidsunshine, marhowie, dew77, AndyB, TAZ, slrnovice2, Signal-Womb, JeanMichel, Comandante, extramundi, Luc has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To extramundi: QuestionsPDP 2 06-10 17:25
To livios: ThanksPDP 1 06-10 16:15
To Fisher: Hi MikePDP 2 06-07 22:06
To red45: WorkshopPDP 2 06-06 08:53
To gerhardt: ThanksPDP 1 06-05 16:29
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • pgmoni Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 337 W: 96 N: 561] (2315)
  • [2005-06-05 14:00]

A great macro. The contrast is excellent and the composition very striking. The dark featureless BG is also a big plus. Another job well done.

An incredible shot, such detail. Excellent dof and sharpness.
The blue is exquisite.
Thanks for posting.

Great macro. Paul.
You catch a nice moment. Good details, nice POV, well composed and a nice WS.
Great work, my friend.

Excelent closeup, Paul.
Well done on the composition and details.
Well presented and very interesting. TFS.
20D tomorrow, :)

Mike

Great shot Paul!
Good idea with this close-up. Perfect details, POV and composition.
I like it very much.
Well done!

  • Great 
  • naki Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 421 W: 27 N: 783] (2688)
  • [2005-06-05 15:24]

No Paul, you better not to post the workshop. It's better than this crop. So I'll critic about the workshop.
Amazing moment you captured Paul. What an interesting place to copulate. One may think that they have fantasies too. Excellent composition with sharp details and magnificent colours.
Excellent work Paul.

  • Great 
  • CTP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 774 W: 6 N: 1107] (3183)
  • [2005-06-05 16:30]

Hi Paul,You have a very interesting looking damselfly here:)I like the details you captured.Well Done.TFS
CT

Hi Paul!
Just PERFECT DETAILS! Just superb photo. Congrats!

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2005-06-05 17:40]

Hello Paul,

Great macro shot! Very sharp and superb colors. Good POV & DOF too. This is good. TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

  • Great 
  • moemf Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 117 W: 0 N: 160] (699)
  • [2005-06-05 17:46]

Striking pic. Vivid colours. An incredible close-up. Great PoV and sharpness. Very Nice!!

  • Great 
  • Ina Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 118 W: 6 N: 102] (759)
  • [2005-06-05 22:19]

Fantastic clear and detailed picture of this damselfly... I like colors and composition very much... TFS... Ina...

VERY interesting capture my friend! A superb photo and an excellent note. Great work!!

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-06-06 2:10]

Amazing work Paul!
DOF,details,sharpness are wonderful.Very well done!
TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2005-06-06 2:30]

A great capture Paul,
Superb colours and detail,excellent DOF.
You've composed this shot very well.
Great stuff,well done.

Très belle macro Paul, j'aime beaucoup.
Bravo !
Nico.

Beautifully sharp close-up of a special moment Paul. Your composition is great and your home made fill in flash works really well. Great detail and great capture :) TFS

Excellent "action" shot Paul, considering the light this is well handled. Love the WS image also. Interesting read.

Regards Steve.

Nice shot Paul,
Well captured, good detail and colours. This is the perfect capture, nicely composed. Great DOF.
Thanks for posting

This is a perfect shot, Paul, and a great moment captured as well. On the photographic point of view, I admire the way you display the light (your home made diffuser, I guess), producing also a darker BG enhancing the general contrast. The exposure parameters are ideal too, hence no motion blur and a very good DOF. Well, my friend, this is professional work to me. I only wish to master these shots one day as well as you do! Congratulations.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2005-06-07 3:32]

Superbe composition macro-photographique où l'on voit bien la fixation entre le mâle et la femelle. Jolies couleurs, bon point de vue et bonne netteté.
Very interesting & well done macro shot !

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2805 W: 75 N: 7845] (26275)
  • [2005-06-07 3:58]
  • [+]

Perfect close-up Paul! I've never seen Damslflies copulation from so close distance. Details and sharpness are incredible! Of course I willingly watch picture of all this scene - maybe you could send it as a workshop Paul. Superb post.

PT

Hello Paul!
This is a magnificent macro.Colors,details and framing are perfect.thanks for sharing.

WOW Paul amazing action capture. The details and DOF is outstanding. I love the full WS view and the DOF there is really impressive. I don't think I have ever seen the "grasp" so close up before. Stunning work.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16850)
  • [2005-06-10 13:43]
  • [+]

Paul, another very nice macro depicting a great moment.

As usual, great sharpness and composition.

Colors are very nice too.

I added your picture to a theme of mine.

What a great quality you achieved. It looks very natural. Did you use diffuser? What flash are you using, the one in the cam or external? A Dslr is flying over my mind, so I want to know more :D
Regards.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2058 W: 316 N: 4403] (14711)
  • [2005-06-11 0:36]

Hello Paul!
Personal assessment of the photo: excellent.
Strong visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Thank you very much for sharing.
Have a good weekend!

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