Animals Showcase ⇒ Follow-up to "Tension" - a skimmer water bug

[LindaShorey]

Casting a very big shadow at the arboretum

[Psjunkie]

Great catch Linda....

[minniev]

Casting a very big shadow at the arboretum

Nicely spotted and captured, Love the way the tension marks show up as shadows. Very cool capture. I think it might have even more impact with a crop on the left to focus more on Mr Bug and his unusual shadow. .

[Duck]

Marvelous! There is a great interplay of light on dark/dark on light within this image.

As for cropping... there is no easy answer to any suggestions as it's all rather subjective. For me, considering I am a big fan of symmetry, I would like to see them more horizontally leveled with equal spacing around them. That would place the dividing line of the rock at an angle. Or rotate the image so the line of the rock is straighter vertically, placing the bug and its shadow on a diagonal.

Either way, placing one element in a static pose will likely enhance the dynamic pose of the other.

Just my two bits.

[LindaShorey]

Thank you all for viewing and commenting! I like the diagonal crop idea, Duck. Will go back to play with the original, or maybe I have another already that is closer to that.

[St3v3M]

Thank you all for viewing and commenting! I like the diagonal crop idea, Duck. Will go back to play with the original, or maybe I have another already that is closer to that.

It's amazing how fast one idea can lead to another here. A post, a suggestion, another, and a chance to make adjustments. I love it! S-

[uuglypher]

You're on a roll, Linda,
Surface tension and water refraction have played roles in three of your latest images...each fascinating in its own specific way.
Do I see a "body of work"in the offing?

I've seen images of water striders and related refractive phenomena before, but this is one of the best...if not THE best I've seen.

With a little thought the deformations of the water surface, thanks to surface tension, are perfectly explicably consistent with the refractive patterns projected underwater.....quite in contrast with the complexity of the refractions in your image of shallow water passing over pebbles.

Dave

[LindaShorey]

You're on a roll, Linda,
Surface tension and water refraction have played roles in three of your latest images...each fascinating in its own specific way.
Do I see a "body of work"in the offing?

I've seen images of water striders and related refractive phenomena before, but this is one of the best...if not THE best I've seen.

With a little thought the deformations of the water surface, thanks to surface tension, are perfectly explicably consistent with the refractive patterns projected underwater.....quite in contrast with the complexity of the refractions in your image of shallow water passing over pebbles.

Dave

I'm definitely enthralled by these subjects, Dave, and hope to capture a few more interesting ones to share. I appreciate your comments very much!

[Charles Haacker]

I love him. Her. Whatever. Terrific shot! I think water striders are some of the most fascinating critters there are.

[LindaShorey]

I love him. Her. Whatever. Terrific shot! I think water striders are some of the most fascinating critters there are. (OK)

Thank you, Chuck! I have a lot of blurry, under-exposed shots from the main part of the pond (man-made, at the arboretum). Tomorrow I'll go above the waterfall and check the sunny area first :)