photoartflightUnicorn Clubtail Dragonfly Warming On Rock
Posted on July 29, 2020
I found this Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly sunning on a warm rock. I usually never see Clubtail dragonflies in any of my places I go to photograph Dragons & Damsels. These images were taken with a Canon 400mm Canon DO lens with an extension tube and a 1.4x teleconverter on a Canon 7D. The wings on the bottom of the image look like there are 2 sets of wings on that side because of the shadow of the wings on the rock. 
Female Blue Dasher CloseUp Portraits
Posted on July 17, 2020
Two close-up images of female Blue Dasher Dragonflies. I use a variety of techniques to get very close to Dragonflies. The featured image was captured with a Sigma 150mm macro with a 1.4X teleconverter on a Canon 7D. Luckily they sometimes get used to me and allow me to get very close.
Female Blue Dasher Closeup Image – 400mm Canon DO lens, Multiple Extension Tubes & 1.4x Teleconverters, Fill Flash because of light loss with multiple extension tubes & Teleconverters.
Female Great Blue Skimmer Dragonfly
Posted on June 28, 2020
I was photographing dragonflies at a local park when I noticed this female Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly off to the side. I quickly switched from the usual dragonfly subjects and got a few images of this one before it flew off. I was using a 400mm lens with an extension tube to be able to focus closer for Dragonflies. All images were taken @ f/11 giving a little more depth of field yet still have smoother cleaner backgrounds.
Dragons & Damsels Panoramas
Posted on June 19, 2020
Panoramas are not just for landscapes! I enjoy shooting panoramas for a variety of subjects. Plus they look interesting when you print them very large! Here are a series of multi-image Dragonfly & Damselfly Panoramas. I was using Canon & Panasonic Cameras, with a variety of lenses. The featured Blue Dasher Dragonfly image was 5 handheld images taken with a Canon 300mm lens, with extension tubes @ f/9, 1/250th sec. Then assembled and blended in Photoshop. When shooting panoramas handheld, I tend to overlap even more just to be safe & that I got enough overlap to blend nicely. I may not need them, but it helps if you do need more images when assembling them. The images below have some details on exposure & images shot per panorama.
Eastern Forktail Damselfly, 4 image panorama, Panasonic GH2 with adapted Canon FD 200mm Manual Focus Macro lens, blended in Photoshop.
Blue Dasher, Female – 400mm DO lens with extension tubes, Canon 1D mkIV, 3 image panorama, f/11, 1/250
Eastern Forktail Damselfly, 3 image panorama, Panasonic GH2 with adapted Canon FD 200mm Manual Focus Macro lens
Great Blue Skimmer Dragonfly Detail Shots
Posted on May 14, 2020
One of my favorite subjects are Dragonflies & Damselflies. The trouble is l have a wide variety of favorite subjects! This series was shot a few years ago at a somewhat local tree covered stream in Mahwah NJ. I could not get real close because of the stream they were over so I used a Canon 400mm DO lens with extension tubes. This enabled me to get somewhat frame filling images with a very smooth background. With the extension tubes I lost quite a bit of light so I used a Canon flash for filling in the shadows somewhat. Also because of the extension tubes, I had a limited depth of field that gave me extremely soft smooth backgrounds.
The Featured image was shot at f/8, 1/200th second @ ISO 1250, 2 images for a focus stack to get detail in the left wing, with an exposure compensation of -1.33 because of the fill flash. This also made the background a little darker
Image taken @ 1/60 th sec., f/11, -0.67 Exp. Compensation, ISO 1250
Image taken @ 1/125 th sec., f/8, -1.33 Exp. Compensation, ISO 1250
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.
Original X-Wing Fighter.
Posted on April 19, 2018
While I was photographing this Slaty Skimmer, it reminded me of the X-Wing fighter in the original Star War movies. I wonder if the Star Wars X-Wing fighter was drafted from dragonflies. I guess we will never know.
