Dragon flies

[msol]

Since this was taken against a bright blue sky, the dragon flies where too dark. So I used the Photoshop CS's shadow/highlight to improve it. I still think the dragon flies should be a bit lighter, but then it became too un-natural. Further I used USM on a mask created from the edges of the blue channel.
What do you think about composition, and the amount of shadow/highlight improvement?

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=3081843&outx=600&oq=0[/url]

[martcol]

Hi Marc

Great gymnastics there!

I love the shot but it feels that your post processing has sucked some of the life out of it. I think the bright blue background, despite the fact that it emphasises the lace pattern of the wings, somehow drains the subject. The thing that stands up most against that are the leaves. The shot was good (makes me blush, but good). With the composition I would play with cropping a bit. In my imagination this would have been better with a deeper, darker background or more out of focus foiliage.

Still, yet another shot I wish I had taken!

I always enjoy your posts even if Idon't comment.

thanks

Martin