Hello Reader !

It buzzed by like a speeding bullet.

Up and down. Left and right… all around it went.

Too fast for this old man to lock on with my Nikon in hand.

And then as luck would have it, it stopped on a dime.

Right on a lily pad bloom.

But there was one problem…

…it was fifty feet too far.

Even for my short Telephoto lens at 200mm.

And I couldn’t get closer.

I wasn’t about to wade in the cold marsh water.

Even if I could, I’m sure the dragonfly wouldn’t have waited.

So I did what I could… and took the shot.

And failed….

​

I followed the “Rule” of Thirds.

Lined it up just right.

But no rule can rescue a photo with poor light.

So, I switched to vertical… and gave it another go…

​

Better? Maybe a little.

But the teeny tiny star of the frame still gets lost in the “sea” of distractions… or the marsh, in this case.

Everything else is louder. Bigger. Brighter.

It was not meant to be.

Fast Forward a Year Later

Same marsh. Same boardwalk.

Tammy and I were walking just before sunset.

And the light?

The light was a delight!

Soft, golden, wrapping everything just right.

Sometimes I think Mother Nature likes to show off.

And as luck would have it…

…another dragonfly!

Same species. Same color.

But his time…

…it landed a mere 20 feet away.

And I was ready.

With my new 180-600mm super telephoto lens and my 1.4x teleconverter locked on…

…I raised my gear, focused, and boom…

​

…a spectacular image. Wouldn’t you agree?

This time, the star fills the frame.

Its wings... its eyes and body all in clear view.

A close-up that feels both crips and intimate.

And that soft, elegant light?

Absolutely delicious!

So yes, one of these photos is better than the other.

But why?

Let’s break it down.

• One has soft, elegant light that enhances the mood and reveals the dragonfly’s intricate detail.
• The other? Harsh and flat, with no story to tell.
• One is clean and composed., balanced and clear.
• The other is cluttered, off-balance, and unclear.

Same subject.

Same place.

Different light.

Different outcome.

Oh, and yes, a different lens helped too!

​

Chris Parker

Parker Photographic

​

​

269 WALKER ST V5718, Detroit, Michigan 48207-4258
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​