Hummingbird Clearwing (part 2)

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Hummingbird Clearwing (part 2)

July 27, 2013 by Mike Powell

Is photography an art or a science? One of the reasons why I enjoy photography so much is that it engages me on both levels—it speaks to my inner artist and to my inner geek.

Growing up, I remember watching Olympic figure skating and I was struck by the fact that the skaters received two sets of scores, one for “artistic impression” and one for “technical merit.” In many ways, I use a similar internal scoring system for my photographs.

Some of my photographs rate high on one scale, but fall short on the other. Every now and then, though, one of my images stands out, with high marks all around, like this shot of a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe).

I posted an earlier photo of this remarkable insect and I thought it was really cool that I was able to get a close-up with the wings open and frozen in action, a somewhat impressive technical feat. This image, shot from a bit farther away, gives a better view of the moth in action and is a more interesting pose. The background, which I recall was evergreen bushes, is uncluttered. Even the flower cooperated by following the “odd rule” of composition, with three clusters of tiny flowers.

It’s hard to be objective when analyzing my own work, but I know that I like this image a lot.

Posted in Art, commentary, Flowers, Gardening, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography | Tagged brookside gardens, Canon 50D, Hemaris thysbe, Hummingbird Clearwing, Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, Tamron 180mm macro, Wheaton MD | 14 Comments

14 Responses

on July 27, 2013 at 7:05 am | Reply caleephotography

It’s definitely a 10, Mike! Everything in this picture is Perfect 🙂 Well done!!!
- on July 27, 2013 at 7:20 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Camilla. I’m not sure that I deserve a 10, but I am glad that you like the image.
on July 27, 2013 at 8:38 am | Reply Ed

Great shot, I like to think its a melding of both. Each compliments my need for leaning more cool stuff..:-)
on July 27, 2013 at 9:03 am | Reply dragonflywoman

Great shot!! I can see why you were so excited to see and photograph this.
- on July 27, 2013 at 9:05 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. It was a real challenge to get a good shot, but with lots of persistence and lots of shots I was fortunate to get this one.
on July 27, 2013 at 9:29 am | Reply New Hampshire Gardener

i try to think of the people out there who might have have never seen what appears in my photos, but I tend to lean more to the artistic side, I think. This shot is excellent, no matter how you look at it.
- on July 27, 2013 at 9:33 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for sharing your views. For me, I aspire to be artistic, but realize that my techie side comes out really quickly when I talk about gear and settings and such.
on July 27, 2013 at 2:04 pm | Reply Vanessa Lee Thomas

I like it a lot too!
on July 27, 2013 at 4:46 pm | Reply lylekrahn

That’s a good way to think about it – using both sides of the brain. I think it’s a great shot too but even if I didn’t, if you like it then it’s a success.
on July 27, 2013 at 5:56 pm | Reply Sue

This is just a stunning photo. The color, position of subjects, clarity — just a beautiful shot. I don’t think artistically (in setting up or even selecting a photo), but definitely can appreciate the artistic efforts of others.
- on July 27, 2013 at 7:15 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sue. Photography is broad enough to encompass a broad range of approaches. You might not think consciously about the artistic side of things, but many of your shots display a real sense of composition and beauty.
on July 26, 2018 at 7:39 am | Reply blhphotoblog

Very, very nice Mike.
on July 27, 2018 at 12:18 pm | Reply Arkenaten

Simply outstanding , sir!
- on July 27, 2018 at 5:05 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I took that photo quite a while ago, but coincidentally I saw a couple of these hummingbird moths earlier today when I was out with my camera.