photoartflightMale & Female Blue Dasher Dragonflies
Posted on August 22, 2019
We went to a local park to see what we could find. Found a few Blue Dashers by the ponds, but most were looking the worse for wear. Then I concentrated on Butterflies that were around. When photographing Dragonflies I usually shoot multiple images at different focus points. This is to keep a smoother background and still get more of the dragonflies body and wings in somewhat sharper focus. It also depends on if the dragonfly cooperates and does not change position or flies off. The featured image I only had time for 1 shot so the tail is softer. The others were 2 images, so somewhat more depth of field.
Female Blue Dasher Dragonfly – f/8, 1/80 sec., +0.33 Exposure Compensation
Male Blue Dasher Dragonfly – 2 image handheld stack to retain more image sharpness from head to tail and still keep a smoother background. Canon 300mm f/4 Close Focusing lens, with 1.4X Teleconverter shot @ f/11 – 1600 ISO
Dragonflies From Davidsons Mill Pond Park
Posted on July 10, 2019
Some Dragonflies from a recent walk at Davidsons Mill Pond Park. Featured image is a Blue Dasher (male). All images captured with a Canon 1D MkIV with a 300mm f/4 lens & 1.4X Teleconverter.
Another Blue dasher – Male
Eastern Pondhawk – Female
Eastern Pondhawk – Female
Eastern Pondhawk – Male
Slaty Skimmer Male
Common Whitetail Male
Widow Skimmer – Female
Eastern Amberwing – Male
Calico Pennant – Male
Widow Skimmer – Female
Widow Skimmer – Male
Dragonflies From Davidson’s Mill Pond Park
Posted on June 30, 2019
We went to a local park to look for Dragonflies or other investing subjects to photograph. It seems like it is a slow start for dragonflies at this local park compared to other years. But we did manage to photograph a few different types. It was still fun to see what we could find.
Blue Dasher – male
Eastern Pondhawk – Female
Eastern Pondhawk- Male
Common Whitetail- Male
Slaty Skimmer – Male
Widow Skimmer
Posted on September 17, 2018
Some more Dragonfly images from Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, shot in the beginning of September. Probably the last dragonfly images for me this year because of work. We found them around the small pond that is near the entrance along the roadway. I was hard pressed to find a few dragonflies to photograph there for the blog.
Golden-Winged Skimmer
Posted on August 18, 2018
While I was at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge I photographed a lot of dragonflies. Some I have not noticed before. It is fun to find some that are different from my usual local varieties. I really liked these Golden-winged Skimmers. Besides their main color which really stands out, the wings look really cool also. Some images are focus stacked images, combined in Photoshop.
Spangled Skimmers
Posted on August 16, 2018
We found quite a few Spangled Skimmers At Davidson’s Mill Pond Park when we went to look for and photograph Dragonflies. It gave us opportunities to get a variety of angles and views of the Spangled Skimmers as they darted around the small pond there. Looking them up online it seems they like Well-vegetated ponds and lakes or occasionally slow-moving areas of streams. Also they are more prevalent in Summer while others are around starting in the Spring.
Widow Skimmer
Posted on July 23, 2018
We went to Davidson’s Mill Pond Park to photograph Dragonflies. Here are a series of images of Widow Skimmers. Shot with a 400mm lens, extension tube and then a 1.4x teleconverter in that order. It allows for closer focusing plus enlarges the image some on the sensor, since my subjects are not by the shoreline. You try to get any advantage to get your subject closer or bigger in the frame.
Teneral Dragonfly??
Posted on July 20, 2018
Going through old images I have not worked on before, I found this series on what I think is a Teneral Dragonfly that must have recently emerged a little before I spotted it. The wings looking very crystalline like and it did not seem able to fly yet. I have seen a quite few when I had my own pond and was always fun to see and photograph. Not sure exactly what kind it is but it stayed where it was for quite a while before I moved on. Images taken with a Canon 400mm f/4 DO lens with extension tubes since it was closer than the minimum focus of the lens. 1/50th sec @ f/8 ISO 400.
Exoskeleton Next to Dragonfly
Blue Dasher Dragonflies Showing Signs Of Wear
Posted on July 17, 2018
These Blue Dasher Dragonflies (males & females) are showing signs of wear already this season. Their wings have tears and missing areas.
Common Whitetail Dragonflies
Posted on July 10, 2018
We saw quite a few Common Whitetail Dragonflies while we were at Davidson’s Mill Pond Park. Here are a few images from the many we saw. It is interesting at the small pond, which you can walk almost completely around, you tend to see many of one or two types in certain areas but not many in other areas. It seems certain types like certain areas. Then you see really large dragonflies constantly zooming around the center above the Lily pads. Overall they are fun to watch. I guess I should post a few different photo subjects and take a break from dragonflies.
photoartflight 