Neon dragons at 1.6x

[Dalantech]

I tried all of my extension tubes (36mm total) on my Canon 100mm lens. Since the lens's focal length drops at maximum magnification I'm getting about 1.6x life size. The working distance to the dragonfly is around 12 Cm (~4.7") -and yes, the critter is alive and well. I've been shooting this species all summer so I know that if I can find one that is actively feeding from a perch then I can get close to it. I just have to move slowly

Canon 20D in manual mode, F11, 1/250, ISO 200 -I tried to strike a balance between exposure, depth of field, and image quality. MT-24 macro flash set to -1 1/3 for most of the shots (I had to make minor adjustments as I changed angles). Minor post processing and no cropping -I shot in RAW but most of the photos would have worked right out of the camera if I had been shooting in high quality jpg.









C&C always welcome

[ohenry]

All of your dragonfly and damselfly shots are great. I'm just impressed that you can get as close to them as you do without them flittering off before you have the chance to get the shot.

[Dalantech]

All of your dragonfly and damselfly shots are great. I'm just impressed that you can get as close to them as you do without them flittering off before you have the chance to get the shot.

Depends on the species, time of year, and what they are doing...

In the early spring the male dragons emerge first and wait for the females (the females don't show up for at least another two weeks, sometimes longer). The males will stake out territory around the lake, and as long as I move slowly they will eventually let me get close. I shot a lot of Black Tailed Skimmers during May of this year, but unfortunately they like to perch on the ground...



When the females emerge the males get nervous and they don't stay put. I managed to catch a few females within hours of them transforming from nymphs -but didn't get a chance to shoot an emergence (they normally make the change at night or in thick reads to avoid predators). You can tell that this one isn't very old because its color hasn't changed yet.



Now it's almost impossible to shoot the males unless I add a 1.4x teleconverter to my macro lens or use a telephoto. But occasionally I catch a male and female pair mating -seems that I can sneak up on them if they are "occupide"...



The Violet Darters (the dragons at the beginning of this thread) are a little different in behavior. When the males and females pair up they leave the lake, so I haven't had a chance to film them mating. Also if I can find one that is actively feeding I can get close to it -takes a little time and patience but it's possible. There are a couple more species of dragons at the lake that I haven't even shot yet -can't get closer than 2 or 3 meters from them before they take off...

[Capt. Jacknife]

This month's OP has an article by Mike Stensvold titled Motion Control (pp. 72-74). On page 73 he has a dragonfly in flight that he shot at 1/640 then again at 1/500. I noticed all of your photos have them perched. Have you tried to catch them in flight? What were the results?

I hate to admit it but your shots are so-o-o much better than mine.

[Dalantech]

This month's OP has an article by Mike Stensvold titled Motion Control (pp. 72-74). On page 73 he has a dragonfly in flight that he shot at 1/640 then again at 1/500. I noticed all of your photos have them perched. Have you tried to catch them in flight? What were the results?

I've taken a few, but I'm usually out shooting with a 100mm macro -and it's just not long enough for shooting anything in flight unless I'm very close to the subject. Normally when people shoot insects in flight it's with a 200mm or longer lens.

I hate to admit it but your shots are so-o-o much better than mine.

Practice, practice, and more practice. I've been shooting dragons and damsels about 3 times a week since the beginning of May...