I recently saw a dragonfly outside my house, so I thought this was a good idea for a project that pushes my limits.
This is the result. Any form of criticism, comments and improvement ideas are welcome!
Like the grass, textures and materials. But, there is a weird, ghostly human like shadow dead center on the vertical axis that draws all the attention. It took some time to begin to see the dragon fly and the frog and then I keep going back to the ghostly image. Really interesting though, especially if it was intentional as a haunted pond.
Yeah… my first reaction was: “wher’s the dragonfly?” (I still don’t see it.)
Let’s talk “photographic composition” for a second. Bulls-eye in the center of the frame we are presented with a “black” cross. Exactly symmetrical to this black cross (at 8:45 AM and 2:15 PM) we have two curiously-symmetrical “white” spots. Surrounding both are areas of visual complexity within which my eye has yet to see a dragonfly.
I suggest that you do some online research about a few compositional maxims. The first of these would be the “rule of thirds.” The second of these would be the important role of what I shall call, “light spirals.”
Your eye immediately zeros in on the brightest and most contrasty area of any image. From there, your eye wants to follow a semi-circular path and to wind up more-or-less where it started … along the way having been introduced to all of the salient parts of the picture. (Specifically including: “the dragonfly,” of course, but also the story that you wish to convey about that insect.)
By the time that I, the viewer, “at a glance” have regarded the entire picture, I want to feel satisfied that I have indeed absorbed all that you intended to convey.
As your image stands now … and I would say an identical thing with regards to a painting or a photograph … this “compositional promise” really just isn’t being upheld as the viewer is well-conditioned to expect.
Now, let me be very quick to say that your technical execution is stunning. “Absolutely yes, that is grass, and that is a pond!” (I shall reserve judgment about the still-missing dragonfly. 
) But, purely-compositionally, right now it (pardon me) falls flat.
“Yes, it is fine. Technically, very fine.” But I am so sure that it will soon be so much “better, all around.”
Thank you very much! I actually tried to arrange what I want to be the focal point regarding the rule of thirds. I just didn’t pay attention to the light. Also I wanted to have it look a bit like the light is obstructed by trees to make it more interesting.
I think brighter lights and darker shadows would look good, with some reflection of the sky in the pond.