Nailing a Darter

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Nailing a Darter
Photo Information
Copyright: Paul Prince (PDP) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2966 W: 366 N: 3849] (11733)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-15
Categories: Insects
Camera: Olympus C-5060WZ, Hoya skylight (1B)
Exposure: f/8, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Odonata: Dragonflies and Damselflies [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-08-20 4:12
Viewed: 1060
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Here is a close in view of a male Common Darter – Sympetrum striolatum. Now, I spent some time with a few of these on the weekend. Perhaps the most interesting (maybe disturbing to some) observation for me was when they eat. I watched one dart out and land again, it has caught something small and began to eat it. You must believe me when I tell you I could hear it eating, munching and crunching. It was very funny, very much like sitting next to someone who is eating a bag of crisps! You may also be interested to know that this one was having a poo while I took this photograph, if anyone is interested in a picture of dragonfly-doings I will post it in a workshop this evening.

I like this close up as it is possible to see how fragile looking these are, the dragonfly is viewed along it’s wing and the union of head and thorax can clearly be seen, as can the front legs and where they join to the thorax. I hope you like viewing this!

Common Darter, a small to medium dragonfly with abdomen length of 25-30 mm. Males have brown thorax and a dull red abdomen with black median stripes on the last two segments. There is a slight ‘waist’ between abdominal segments 3 and 5. The legs are black and yellow.
AndyB, japie, carper, Darren, gerhardt, TAZ, RAP, Robbrown, Callie, nwoehnl, milloup has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Robbrown: WS and pooPDP 1 08-20 20:01
To Lourens: AbdomenPDP 1 08-20 19:22
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Critiques [Translate]

Fantastic macro Paul. I am amazed about the level of detail.

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1595 W: 32 N: 1363] (3978)
  • [2004-08-20 4:54]

Another nice macro from you Paul.
Nice sharp detail,great colours and DoF.
A good informative note too,very well done.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1996 W: 107 N: 1897] (5103)
  • [2004-08-20 5:27]

This guy looks like he wants to pull out the nail - good luck to him! Excellen shot woth wonderfull DOF andSharpness.

Another great one Paul, Very good macro with great deptails and great colours too, very good cropping you did, great job

Great macro Paul.
Very good sharpness with good details, and very nice colors. Great Dof and composition.
WEll done.

Very nice macro here, Eyes are sharp, which is most important and the DOF is sufficient here to allow us to see other details well too. The colors and exposure are good as well. Would be nice to see the full length of the darter, but then we wouldn't be able to get so close to the face/eyes, which are the real stars of this photo. Good shot.

Paul,I must admit that I'm jealous of your photos! 8 megapixels can only do so much in JPEG in addition to post processing.. I need to venture into that file format your using...

Pual you are keeping the standard, no argue there. This is another brilliant Macro. Fantastic!

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2004-08-20 12:31]

Wow ! Another great macro ! good colors and excellent details !

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-08-20 12:53]

Debería copiar y pegar la critica de ayer o anteriores Paul... tus imágenes de estos bichos, son prácticamente perfectas.
Bien hecho.

It would have to copy and paste criticizes it of yesterday or previous Paul... your images of these tiny beasts, are practically perfect.
Well done.

Absolutely a brilliant macro, Paul. Just a pity about the amputation of the tail.

Paul, This one is beautiful. The amount of detail and the sharpness are very very very good.
It makes me wonder If I should have cropped my shot of the dragon fly on a pole II to a similar enlargement.
Greetings, Jan

Intresting shot Paul so much details in the head, I found the shallow DOF with the wings crossing the picture a distraction so thought to try a rare WS. I vote you post the other too.

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1252 W: 106 N: 2656] (7475)
  • [2004-08-20 16:12]

Paul nice close-up here. You should consider A Raynox close-up adapere, you can get to count his eyes! BTW, Your balsam is fron NAm and capensis means from the Cape, but why, I do not know - I cheched at the botany depeartment!

Well, one more time it is a stunning darter macro, Paul. Outstanding detail and color on the anatomy of the "guy", and nice compo with the diagonal piece of wood. Very nice one.

Amazing sharpness, you can just about count the individual cells on the eyes and the hairs on his neck ;-) Also, you sure used those F-8 and placed the focus just where it should be.

great macro, I like the sharpness this dragonfly, and level of details.

magnifique couleur et netteté

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