photoartflightBlue Dasher Dragonflies
Dragonflies are one of my favorite subjects. I usually use a Canon 400mm f/4 DO lens with an extension tube, a 1.4X Series III teleconverter, and then another extension tube. This combination, with the extension tubes actually magnifies the image on the sensor. These were probably 8 to 10 ft away, but still filled the frame. I also use a flash with a Better Beamer flash extender to light them. The combination of the extension tubes and teleconverter totally confuses the metering, so I manually figure out an f/stop by trial and error. But it works for these kind of shots and I am not right in their “faces”.
photoartflight 
Absolutely gorgeous, details are awesome!
Thank You! It is fun to watch them buzzing around an area. Once they get used to you, you can get some interesting shots.
What excellent dragonfly closeups.
That’s quite a lineup of equipment you described to get so optically close.
Thanks! Taken years of experimenting! But it works. And you can find subjects in ponds you cannot get close to!