Photos: Earth >> Europe >> Denmark >> West >> Aarhus >> Aarhus

Register

 

I feel pretty, oh so pretty

<< Previous Next >>
I feel pretty, oh so pretty
Photo Information
Copyright: Bente Feldballe (milloup) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 538 W: 48 N: 628] (1704)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-09-09
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Tamron 28-300XR, Hama Close-up +2
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/200 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2004-09-10 17:29
Viewed: 1316
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Now, this is one disgruntled Southern Hawker male "up close and very personal" - a good deal more personal than he liked. But at the time the shot was taken he was - so to speak - tied up a bit. Or rather, I held one of his wings in a firm grip to persuade him to hang around for the photo session..
Yesterday, a friend and I together with our two dogs went to the woods south of Aarhus to visit a field just outside the wood where I saw lots of large dragonflies around this time last year. Back then the field had waist deep vegetation in most parts, mainly dried out, and the DFs had a field day picking up insects off the vegetation. Sadly, the vegetation had been cut back early this year, and I saw only a couple of DFs in that particular location. I was beginning to think I wasn't getting anything interesting at all, when, almost at the end of our walk, this chap suddenly flew by and landed low down on a leaf and in excellent light. I grabbed the camera and got down on my knees (on a gravel path, ouch!) to creep up on him for a few shots. It was windy, and the leaf was being buffeted by the wind, which made it quite difficult, and as it were, most of the shots turned out unsharp. After a while I fitted the +2 lens and crept closer (more ouch!). Got a few shots of his head while he was still clinging to the leaf, and as he didn't budge, I then stretched my hand out slowly and grabbed hold of his wing. This is the result, and all I can say is, he was lucky I'm not a hungry spider. With me, at least, he was later released to fly another day and mate another female ;-))
I do know, that I ought to have gone higher than F-13, but I wasn't sure I'd get a shutter speed I could handle with just one hand, so this is as good as it got.
I took this from a page on British dragonflies:
Southern Hawker, Aeshna cyanea
A large species, appearing a striking array of greens, yellows and blues in the male, but no blue present in the females. Very pronounced greenish antehumeral stripes, a large yellowy-green triangle on the second abdominal segment and tail bands joined, blue in the male, green in the female, make it relatively easy to identify.
Very much on the north eastern limit of its national geographical range, there is a definite stronger presence of this species in the south of the county. It is common in southern Britain but largely absent from upland areas. It is a very confiding insect and frequently 'investigates' people who walk into its territory, allowing excellent close-up views.
It is unusual that it often flies when conditions seem unsuitable, early morning, dusk and cool, cloudy, sometimes rainy days. It often moves well away from water and will create a territory along a suitable hedgerow for example. Breeding areas cover a wide range of ponds, lakes, canals and ditches.
Treatment: Crop, contrast +10, saturation +10, USM and resize.
Robbrown, RAP, Jax, extramundi, ellis49, carper, petertee, danbachmann, PDP, Callie, TAZ, mogens-j, elroyie, gerhardt, poppygan59, Riz, Esox, Lourens, nofer has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Callie: Wiles of womenmilloup 2 09-12 09:10
To Jax: Sore kneesmilloup 1 09-11 18:40
To petertee: Holding the wingmilloup 1 09-11 08:52
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

"I am ready for my close-up Mr. de Mill"
Very nice and clear Bente, the eye detail is starting to show the lens detail very nicleyI think possibley you could of squeezed another F stop out of it and kept a steady image. buti dont think you would of gained a lot maybe a few more hairs in focus but thats all.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-09-10 18:35]

Impresionante primer plano Bente... realmente.
Los detalles de los vellos y las texturas en el insecto son maravillosos, al igual que los colores.
Interesante el contenido de tus notas.
Gracias por compartirla.

Impressive close up Bente... really.
The details of the hairs and the textures in the insect are wonderful, like the colors.
Interesting the content of your notes.
Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • Jax Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 91 W: 0 N: 153] (490)
  • [2004-09-10 19:24]
  • [+]

Up close and extremely personal - you suffered for your art but got a great shot for us to share. The detail is amazing, texture and colours spot on. Well done. I can recommend Savlon cream for gravel rash ;-)

What a potrait, very close and detailed, is a pity the finger, for the rest impressing.

so..so..so close!!!!
Very nice and clear.

This is what I call close up Bente.
This not macro , this is micro.;-)
Very nice colors and good sharpness.
Great note.
Very well done.

For the note three points, for the close upp 1 point, not for the quality, that very good, no for the finger. I personal don't like fingers on a photo holding an insect high. But together with the note it is very nice, good job Bente.

Amazing picture, fascinating note(s)- in storyline and information. How do you manage to consider photographic technicalities when you have captured such a wonderful creature? I would be afraid its wing would be damaged if I held it too long - not that I would ever dare to grab one 8-)

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11733)
  • [2004-09-11 8:17]

Great close up Bente, although I'm not over happy about keeping them prisoner! Superb detail and colours well done. Did he make parole, or was it a full pardon? ;-)

Great work.

Bente, Appreciate your quickness and ingenuity to get this macro shot. Reminds me of some of the tactics I've used to prod an insect into the frame..Hey, You can always talk to Paul about the duck-tape thing! ;-)

Bente, what happened to the good ole "wiles of women" to hold this guy captivated by two blue orbs? Very nice one here. I see he wiped his moth,but forgot to shave.
He looks a bit like a Gnu, same blunt nose that was bashed in a bit some time during his evolusion.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2004-09-11 11:45]

Quelle macro ! Toujours plus près des libellules semble être la devise ces jours ;-)
Well done !

Excellent shot Bente - so your trip to Moesgaard really paid off ;-). Great colours, lots of details and excellent composition - Congratulations.

Superb macro with excellent details and very good colours.

I told Paul the other day... any closer and you will have to perform an autopsy. You have got really close Bente. This detail is amazing. Great work done here. Thanx so much.

Bente
This is a great macro. you should be proud of this one. Great job with one hand.

Excellent macro, Bente. The details of the head are lovely to see. Well worth getting your knees sore. Well done.

  •      
  • Esox Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 287 W: 27 N: 352] (948)
  • [2004-10-06 15:06]

What a close shot!
Very nice colours and sharpness.
Love it!

Well, I don't know about the "pretty" so much - but the image is excellent!! Good work!!

Very good colours, and nice composition.
Well done.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2309 W: 324 N: 4312] (16848)
  • [2004-12-18 9:55]

Hey, Bente, quite a macro we have here. Colors and composition are great.

Congratulations.

Lívio

WOW! So close! He's almost bursting out of the screen! Lovely details.

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 489 W: 0 N: 935] (7943)
  • [2005-05-23 15:21]

This is a monster with beautiful colors. Very interesting perspective.It's a pity to see fingers in this wonderful macrophoto.
Nevertheless, well done.

regards,
Zeno.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF