Bryan

How about a diagram, and some maths to back it up?

1/250s 𝑓/2.8 ISO 200 Normally I would use f/4 but because I was in P mode it drifted open - probably fortuitously. It was light to medium overcast which limits my options with the fz300.
I have to admit the composition wasn't planned. I sit on the corner of a dam because there is normally one of that species hunting around there. If he is closer to me, I get that separation. But he doesn't have to be much further away and I get all the reeds.
I wasn't going to post another dragonfly shot but the iridescent colours of this shot captivated me. Depending on the light, their eyes change colour and those two blue spots on his face and green stripes on his body are not often visible.

I kept waiting for the next track... A little difficult to listen to for 2 hrs 20...
I hope his off key music isn't a reference to my oof pics... 😩

They certainly remind me of the circa 1970's "Hueys"

Gotta love those eyes AnnieNg. Looks like one switched on pussycat...

They are obviously all good, but I loved the turtle with the dragonfly. The birds' murmuration would have been good to see too.

Thanks Alan

Spring blossoms

Thanks for your comments Pete. I have a crop basically exactly the same, but chose the original because I liked the few bits of grass in focus and reflecting light. But I see how they are a distraction from the main subject and the tunnel effect is more pronounced.

It works for me.

But if I may put out a different thought. At the start you said no comments during submission. I sorta thought I would like to make the odd comment on some pics but the decision was ok.

But now the thread gets closed after voting so there is no opportunity for discussion about a particular pic after the comp...

Not that I want the thread full of comments, and I agree now that during submission, comments should be at a minimum (because some don't know the rules), but I would like to be able to occasionally discuss a pic after winner announced.

Possible? Any thoughts?

Too true...

It reminds of a cat I had years ago. There was a local clothing store that used those translucent slightly stiffer plastic bags that wouldn't fold up too well. She would play with it and invariably open it up and get inside it, going crazy jumping around and rolling over amusing herself and us greatly.

There is more to the story of that cat which I'll save to another day...

and the gag is??? 😉

Thanks for that. I am up north and in quite a rural area. Where I walk in the bush the birds are far less accustomed to humans but I do get the odd shot. Last spring I saw a whole heap of small wrens and honey eaters I had never seen before (but I am not from this area). I saw a Purple-backed fairy wren flying one day. Awesome iridescent colour on the top of his wings but not so visible when perched - it has a similar shade of blue around it's head as the Superb fairy wren. Patience is certainly required for birds as they come and go quite a bit. I have found a wetlands to explore about 40k's away so must get over there. Below is I believe a juvenile, brown falcon that flew over me and came back around and perched on a small tree less than 10mtrs away. I was too surprised to actually get a really good shot but was happy for the opportunity...

fotoword,

I have never seen a native pigeon with those nice colours in it's wings, but I may not have looked hard enough.
Neither have I got close enough to a Superb Fairy Wren to get enough in frame to make a decent shot even with 600 efl.

Where in oz are you?

Bryan

The reason the 2nd grew on me was that the oof foreground frame was like a portal down the back of a garden, the dragonfly being the vehicle in a child's magical fairy tale.
Dragon Master makes me wonder if it's time to move onto something else...😏 It is good to see the different species, the main motivation of day after day at this close by dam being to capture one in flight, large in frame, in sharp focus and with a decent background. I have discovered a wetlands sanctuary near one of the local towns and had a quick visit today. Unfortunately there's a sign saying no dogs (amongst 20 other red crossed circles) and I didn't see any birds from outside although there must be some...