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KJSummerfield — 'Say Cheese'
Published: 2006-07-31 22:23:33 +0000 UTC; Views: 810; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 35
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Description
Smile for the camera ...
Fullview Please..
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Comments: 59
Absolutely perfect Dragonfly capture, happy looking creature indeed!
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Great work man....
Please also check this picture out from my girlfriend man. I think its realy worth watching....
[link]
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Cheers
I will certainly go and check the gallery out..
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--
'If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization'.
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lol his face looks like cheese, doesn't it. I always admire when someone gets a shot of a dragonfly, it usually takes soooo long to finally get them to stay put...
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This dude was very flitty...
They do have favourite perches though (much like birds of prey...).
Basically watch and identify the places then its a case of waiting as you know it will return...
Then it's a case of sneaking up on them and getting the shot..
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Diagonally, as you've once told me, right? Or is that more for animals?
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Diagonally?...do you mean as in facing into the frame ???
If so, then yes..That is one form of compositional 'trick' to render a shot more pleasing to the eye...
Sometimes though you can pull off shots were it wouldn't be done..For instance I have one shot where I have a young starling looking literally up at the sun...Its back facing the camera..I like that shot. It was taken during the first long period of dry weather we had. The ground was solid and hard and the sun scorched down on everyone and everything..Looking at the young bird through my human eyes I thought how hard it was for a young fledgling to survive...I took the shot...Compositionally it is off centre ..But its not really facing into the frame...The shot was not so much about the species or even the fact that it was a bird...It was more about the plight/situation of the animal..(Shot found 'Here'
I have seen some excellent shots of animals facing out of the frame but there has always been another element of interest (for want of a better term) that keeps the eye dragged in..
(my shot of the mating butterflies for instance, obviously both face outwards but the point of interest in that shot is the act/ union of the creatures..)
With this particular shot I could have attempted to take the shot from above directly above, in front or even attempted a shot from behind ...
Different views need different compositional strategies though..
From above for instance I possibly would have attempted a closer shot..
From behind I would have looked for a focal point in the background to try and create a second point of interest etc..
I was always taught to first learn the rules of composition and then break them..
So at the end of the day there are compositional 'rules' that you can look to follow...But then, they are also made to break when the time is right and the moment/desired shot dictates...
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wow, thanks for all that info! It's nice to know even though it wasn't exactly what I was saying... 
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Approaching diagonally is a tactic used with certain animals yes...
Birds, foxes etc...The animal/ bird sees it as less of a threat..
It should be done singly ..ie..no one else with you...
If you do have a friend with you whilst approaching then you should try and stay in single file with the animal only seeing one of you...SO if approaching diagonally the friend would be beside you..
I have found that animals tend to be more frightened when they are approached by teo human shapes standing side by side, and have heard others over the years say this as well..
Using available cover like a tree line is far better/clumps of long grass etc is a far better tactic though..Keeping silent and moving slowly but purposefully...
Also staying low to the ground, not breaking the horizon, staying downwind etc (And not wearing deoderant etc whilst out stalking
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Thank you very much, that really does help a lot!
P.S. My my deoderant doesn't have a smell, it's one of the best becuase it's all natural and all it does is kills whatever makes the smell. Just thought you ought to know. lol
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Ooooooooooops...sorry...
My mistake..
No with butterflies/dragonflies etc it is very much mainly approaching them slowly and silently, causing no vibration if at all possible to the plant they are on or surrounding plants..
Also, not letting your shadow cast over them...With most butterflies/dragonflies this is a definate way of getting them up and moving..
Another tip is to try and photograph the daytime insects in the morning or late evening as they are in a sort of slow state, becoming very docile...(especially butterflies ..).
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okay thank you!! That's REALLY good to know, I think it'll really come in handy... and I definitely trust what you say, seeing as you're kind of the expert with this stuff.
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Expert???Hardly...
Just someone who loved to huntdown and then watch insects,animals and birds as a kid and never really grew out of it..
Thanks for the kind words though and I'm glad to be of help..
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Well fine, then you're not an expert but at least you know what you're doing. haha
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Another great capture!!!!!!!!! excellent detail on the head and face, i must budget for a macro lens, what lens do you use?
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No macro lense...Just Close up/macro filters...
I am using the Fuji S5600 at present....
It's a decent camera and I certainly have no major complaints about it..but I am really pushing it to its limits at the moment...With its smallest aperture being F8, sometimes I cannot get a good enough DOF for these macro/close up shots...
I may start shooting film again soon on the old slr's...just so I can get the smaller apertures...
I really am going to have to start saving for a DSLR I think..
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well your certaily doing very well with the camera you got and especially the Apeture limitations
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you're muchly welcome, KJ
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good stuff matey; are you sure it wasn't the laughing gas you got him with that made him smile 
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I told you....It was the sausages......
Your to blame......Damn those sausages....
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Nice shot
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Another smiley face in a world I never see.
Great shot Kelvin & the colours are ace
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It sure is..
Thanks...
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