24 carat gold

[Bobobird]

Wish now that I had cut the ISO and let the background go really dark but...

[AB26]

Cannot agree with you Bobo. A dragonfly without wings??? That is what a dark background would give you. Maybe if it was completely green.
How do you get them so sharp? At what distance do you shoot them?

[Geoff F]

Easy to slightly tone down the brighter background areas.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Andre. Shooting distance depends on the lens being used. This time was using the zoom so was constrained to it MFD of about 40" though this particular one was a bit further off. Sharpening - dragonflies have relatively clean lines and very little work is needed to get them sharp in post. Usually all I do is a bit of selective details sharpening, adjust for colour and contrasts, and a final selective sharpen.

Thanks Geoff - that could be done but will leave it alone. Hopefully will get another shot at him on my next visit to that place. He will be a secondary target - will be hunting for the hummingbird moth. A really really hard one to catch.

[Soozie B]

What brilliant colours this dragonfly has. All he needs is a clasp on the underside and most women would wear it as a piece of jewellery with pride.

Fabulous capture Bobo

[jeeperman]

Very nicely done Bobo. I have to agree with Andre, to much darker and you would lose the wings, at least most of the fine detail in them.

[Bobobird]

Thanks Paul.

A re-edit

[jeeperman]

Now you could go one step further and flip it horizontaly, for me it is a better lead in.

[Bobobird]

That is the easiest piece of pp advice I have had to do.