I'm after dragonfly - nature's little helicopters - and they can be surprisingly easy to photograph, purely because they so are fiercely territorial. An individual, such as this Common Darter (Sympertrum striolatum), will usually have a favourite perch over water, such as a small branch or reeds, and will repeatedly return to its chosen spot after flying off to hunt, or patrol its area and ward-off would be threats (such as other dragonflies). All the photographer has to do is focus on that spot; wait, and fire the shutter at the appropriate moment. Easy-peasey.
Well, maybe not that simple, as successful images do require suitable lighting and positioning of the camera, which is not always feasible. In my book the wings and body should be parallel with the plane of focus, unlike here, where I am forced to focus on the eye and stop the lens down to get a bit of depth of field happening. The alternative is to get wet feet, and risk driving off my subject, and in wildlife photography that is a no-no. Still, I'm not shooting for text book illustrations, so I'm not too worried. At this time of year I am just pleased to be shooting anything.
300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor with TC-14EII converter. 1/800 second at f/8. ISO 640. Monopod
© 2012
4 comments:
Really? I would hate to shoot 'text book'. In my book, if you are shooting with a whole load of prerequisites in your head then you are missing your own personal encounter with the subject. The point being, for example, that your dragonfly was where he was and you were where you were. And I disagree: I don't think there is a universal "successful image". It is personal. Or it should be personal. And if it wasn't personal then it would make the world of photography a very dull place indeed. Beauty, eye, beholder and all that.
Some of my most enjoyed photographs are those where I have not been in the right position or I haven't got suitable light, but maybe I am not communicating with a professional photographic audience (bar yourself, of course). Regardless, I am glad I have photographic flexibility and don't have to worry about such things. It makes the whole process much more enjoyable for me.
Thank you for your thought-provoking post.
I agree with Nic . Photographs are but a moment in time , captured on film ( or other media ) . They are personal , often bringing back memories , good or bad . They should please the photographer, never mind the rest of the world .
Thank you, Nic. Although I strive to get the best shot possible at the time, there are many occasions when getting things "just so" is not feasible, as with the dragonfly shot. Not the end of the world, by any means, and there is, as you so rightfully point out, the fact that the dragonfly and myself met and shared the same space in the Universe.
However, it is always nice to be able to the what is accepted as the technically perfect shot, just to add a further dimension to the shoot, although this may not necessarily produce the most aesthetic photograph.
Dusty: The good thing about photography is that it is whatever you want it to be, but if images are published then you have to think about that audience.
Me? I can take it or leave it.
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