photoartflightBlue Dasher Dragonflies – 400mm With Fill Flash
Posted on June 21, 2020
This is a series of Blue Dasher Dragonfly images taken with a 400mm DO lens, but I also used an on camera flash with a Better Beamer Flash extender to help fill in the shadow details on the dragonflies. Also for some I set the flash so I was slightly overexposing on the subject dragonfly. This way when I compensated for the correct exposure on the dragonfly, the background would be darker and a little more dramatic.
Mating Blue Dashers
Green Darner Dragonfly Laying Eggs In Small Pond
Posted on May 29, 2020
I was photographing this female Green Darner dragonfly that was busy laying eggs in a small pond. It spent a large amount of time doing this so I had plenty of time to photograph the activity. It covered a very large area in this fairly small pond. The featured image is a 2 image panorama to get the reflection of the Darner in the image also. The Darner seemed to be spreading the eggs in a very wide area around the small pond. I was using a Canon 400mm DO lens & some images were shot with an extension tube to focus this close on the female Darner dragonfly when it came too close for my minimum focus distance.
Dragonfly Closeups
Posted on September 7, 2019
I was going through some older backup hard disks and found a series of Dragonfly Closeup images. So I thought I would add them to the blog.
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Recent Dragonfly Images
Posted on September 1, 2019
Here are a few images of Dragonflies and a Damselfly from a few local parks in our area. Most were shot with a close focusing 300mm f/4 lens with either extension tubes to get closer or 1.4X or 2X teleconverter. A few I used a Canon 400mm f/4 DO with Extension tubes and 1.4X teleconverter. The featured image is a female Eastern Pondhawk that was quite cooperative for extreme closeups. Image taken with Canon 7D, handheld, 300mm @ f/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 400.
Blue Dasher extreme closeup – 2 image focus stack Canon 7D, Canon 300mm f/4 IS, 1.4X teleconverter, w/extension tubes
Blue Dasher extreme closeup – 2 image focus stack Canon 7D, Canon 300mm f/4 IS, 1.4X teleconverter, w/extension tubes (f/11, 1/200 sec, ISO 400)
Damselfly – multi image stack, 400mm f/4 DO with extension tubes, f/8, 1/50 sec, 1600 ISO, camera on tripod
Female Eastern Pondhawk- f/11, 1/320 sec, 300mm f/4 w/ 1.4X teleconverter
Slaty Blue Dragonfly, f/11, 1/160 sec, +1/3 exp. comp, 300mm w/ 2X teleconverter, Single image, flew off before focus stacking images
Slaty Blue Dragonfly, f/10, 1/320 sec, 300mm w/1.4X teleconverter, effective 420mm
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
It Is Dragonfly Season
Posted on June 14, 2019
Some of my favorite photo subjects are Dragonflies and Damselflies. Here are a few Dragonflies to start with. The featured image is a photo of a female Calico Pennant. I was using a 300mm lens that has a close focusing capability, with a 1.4X Teleconverter for a combined focal length of 420mm.
Blue Dasher Dragonfly – Female
Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly – Female
Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly
Posted on August 27, 2018
Eastern Pondhawks are one of my favorite dragonflies to photograph. Love the green colors of the immature males and the mature females which make them really stand out. You often see the males warming on the ground early in the morning.
Front Side View
More of a Side / Rear View
A wider view similar to featured image
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.
Kingbird With Dragonfly Meal
Posted on August 6, 2018
I was photographing a Great Blue Heron along the Wildlife Drive, when this Kingbird landed to the right of me. I noticed it had caught a Dragonfly for a meal. I think the dragonfly was an Eastern Amberwing. The Kingbird was not close so I tried to get a little closer and I managed to get a quick shot before it flew off.
