photoartflightTwelve-Spotted Skimmer Wing Detail
Posted on June 16, 2015
The Twelve-Spotted Skimmer has an interesting wing, between the textures and the color patterns of white and black spots. If you are photographing them, they fly off to get their meal and usually return to the same perch so be ready to capture more images.
Twelve-spotted Skimmers
Posted on August 9, 2014
We have a large number of Blue Dashers at the pond, but it is fun to find other kinds of Dragonflies that are also there. The Twelve-spotted Skimmer is another dragonfly that seems to always be around, both a male and female. The Blue Dashers usually chase them off their perches and they swirl around, then come back and land. When they are feeding on bugs, it is non-stop taking off, grabbing their meal and landing to eat. So you can get a lot of shots of them in different positions, angles and most importantly, different backgrounds.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly
Posted on July 16, 2014
I found this Twelve-spotted Skimmer resting on a tall grass by the pond. I liked the side view, showing the shape and body details of the Dragonfly.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
Posted on June 26, 2014
This Twelve-spotted Skimmer has been hanging around the pond. It does not sit still for long, darting back and forth, chasing bugs and the Blue Dasher Dragonflies. It is constantly grabbing bugs and going back to roost and eat, then off to get another one. It seems to spend the night higher up in an evergreen tree. Then I was trying to get it flying back and forth. I am out of practice for these, but it is a start.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Canon EOS1D MkIV, Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO, Canon Extension Tube 25mm, Canon Series III 1.4X Teleconverter, f/7.1, 1/640 sec., ISO 800
For the flying photos I opened up to f/5.6 to try to get a little bit more shutter speed for the fast moving dragonfly. I also shot with a -0.33 exposure compensation to also boost up the speed a little more, then opened up the shadows in Camera Raw. I usually use a little fill flash with a Better Beamer for this, but did not have a flash with me. A little out of practice, but it was fun to try. Also manual focus is more reliable for these small subjects, moving in and out of grasses, etc.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Flying. Canon EOS1D MkIV, Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO, Canon Extension Tube 25mm, Canon Series III 1.4X Teleconverter, f/5.6, 1/320 sec., -0.33 exp. compensation, ISO 800
Twelve-spotted Skimmer flying away. Canon EOS1D MkIV, Canon 400mm f/4 IS DO, Canon Extension Tube 25mm, Canon Series III 1.4X Teleconverter, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, -0.33 exposure compensation, ISO 800
