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I love to photograph dragonflies. They’re beautiful and extremely photogenic in the right circumstances. Photographing them is also a challenge that makes every successful image an accomplishment worth attaining.
A dragonfly’s near-360 degree field of vision means that it is impossible to approach one without it becoming aware of my presence. That means that I can almost never walk right up to a resting dragonfly and photograph it. Getting within range is a matter of slow movement to gradually decrease the distance between me and the subject. Raising a camera to eye level must be done with great care. Above all, I must not let my shadow pass over the dragonfly. That’s a recipe for the insect to take flight.
Getting within shooting range is only one item in the array of issues that I must deal with when photographing dragonflies. My camera/lens/flash combination is heavy (about 4 kilograms). I must stabilize everything by supporting it on a monopod (think of a tripod with just one leg). I must adjust the monopod to give me the right height. I have to calculate the flash exposure. I must get the insect in sharp focus, no mean feat given that the depth of field that I am dealing with is well under a millimeter.
The other day I found a Flame Skimmer resting on a perch at the edge of a man-made pond. The perch was right at water’s edge. The insect’s proximity to the water prevented me from approaching it from the side. My only avenue of approach was from the rear. I spent a good two minutes inching towards the dragonfly. My effort was complicated by the fact that it was stifling hot that morning and there were biting flies attacking me. Fortunately, it was overcast and I did not cast a shadow that I had to worry about.
I successfully approached the insect closely enough to make this image.
The image is well worth the effort involved in making it. The truth is that I am addicted to insect photography. The difficulties involved in making an image like this one make the prize all the more valuable.
Image made with a Canon R5, Canon EF 180mm f3.5 L macro lens, illuminated by Canon Ring Light, supported by monopod, M setting. ISO 160, f10 @ 1/160.
Sonoran Images 