As a nature photographer, I am used to living with compromises. Unlike some other kinds of photographers, I don’t have the luxury of waiting for perfect light or photographing only perfect subjects. I can make a few adjustments or move about a bit to improve my composition, but most of the time I deal with imperfections of one sort or another.
Every once and a while, though, I’ll take a photo that doesn’t require any substantial adjustments or even cropping–it looks just like I imagined it would. That was the case with a recent image I captured of a female Eastern Amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I like the way that I captured the subject, I like the curved of the vegetation on which it is perched, and I like the background. It’s a bonus that I didn’t need to crop.
Perfection is elusive in any pursuit—this is about as close as I can come to it in my photography.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” – Aristotle. You have captured the marvelous perfectly! I know that Benjamin will agree. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Thanks for you continuous support and encouragement.
Congratulations. It’s nice when nature does something pleasant for us.
That must be very satisfying! Well done Mike!
That’s a cracking shot Mike!!
Thanks, Camilla.
Nice Mike! The smoothness of the background really sets off the tiny Dragonfly!
It’s a beautiful shot. I’d agree with perfect.
A friend said a while ago “It must be hard to be such a perfectionist.”
And of course it is.
Very pleasing shot Mike. Not a lot of compromise on this one, it’s perfect.
Well done, Mike! A lovely sight.
Wondrous!! Good job, indeed.
It looks like she’s saying “you want my wings up a bit? How’s this?” You might have to send her a copy, Mike. That’s a great image.
Thanks, Dan. Sometimes it almost feels like I am communicating telepathically and the subject seems so cooperative, but that is only occasionally the case, alas.