Minimalism

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Minimalism

August 18, 2013 by Mike Powell

Some of my favorite images are almost minimalist in their approach, like this shot of a male Common Whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia).

The composition is simple, the color palette is limited, and there is a pretty good amount of negative space. The subject is not unique and unusual—its name even indicates that it is “common.”

I managed to capture some of the details of the dragonfly, though, like the “hairs” on the legs (click on the image to see a higher resolution view), though the image is not super sharp. The shadow of the wings on the green leaf adds an additional touch of visual interest to the image.

The photo is not spectacular and showy, but I find a real beauty in its quiet simplicity.

Posted in Art, Dragonflies, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Common Whitetail, Common Whitetail dragonfly, dragonfly, Huntley Meadows Park, Plathemis lydia, Sigma 135-400mm telephoto zoom lens | 7 Comments

7 Responses

on August 18, 2013 at 9:32 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

There are many “common” plants that are really only common among botanists. I wonder if the same is true with dragonflies, with some only common among entomologists. In any case, I like that photo!
on August 18, 2013 at 11:50 am | Reply lylekrahn

Quiet simplicity is a powerful tool for a photographer.
on August 18, 2013 at 2:20 pm | Reply Ed

Excellent shot, I find in bug and wildflower pics, simple is better..:-))
on August 18, 2013 at 2:26 pm | Reply Sue

Love the background color, its so rich. What is back there that has been blurred out?
- on August 18, 2013 at 5:17 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sue. It’s the brownish water of the marsh in the background.
on August 18, 2013 at 2:46 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

I did stop to enlarge the issue, it is really stunning.
- on August 18, 2013 at 5:18 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Charlie.