Dragonflies - Communal Thread

No idea what it is, just spotted it whilst out birding ... 15-20 feet away :)


Dragonfly.jpg
 
Hi @Graham - Keeled Skimmer and what looks like a Common Darter (the yellow stripe on the legs is a clue, Ruddy Darters have completely black legs).
 
Brachytron said:
Hi @Graham - Keeled Skimmer and what looks like a Common Darter (the yellow stripe on the legs is a clue, Ruddy Darters have completely black legs).
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A big thanks Mark [emoji106]
 
Making a heart...

DSCF3425Adj-5x7 (web).jpg
 
The Emperor dragonfly had already hatched & flown when I found its larval skin, called an exuvia.

2016_06_05_1874_web.jpg
 
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Damselfly of some sort?

Damsel.jpg



Four Spotted Chaser?

Chaser.jpg
 


An evocative shot rather than a species shot.

Somerset Levels. It was hot and the Dragonflies were either hyper active chasing around or settled at long distance. Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata), Ham Wall.
 
Beautfiul Demoiselle male.jpg Beautiful Demoiselle female.jpg Male and female Beautiful Demoiselle ~ Found at Edern # Lleyn Peninsula, along the edge of a wood, there was not any water at all lots of them were flying around the leaves of trees.
 
Hi,
Really not sure on these 3.
At a guess I would say that photo 2 and 3 are the same although M and F,
South of France.
Damselfly 3.JPG Damselfly 4.JPG Damselfly 5.JPG

Thanks for your help.
 
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Gaz J said:
Emperor Dragonfly.

Never really tried this before. Its very difficult!!. Anyone got any tips? Ended up using manual focus to get me in the ball park and then tried to bump the AF with the tracking sensitivity turned right down on my 1DX.
Click to expand...

I have been doing inflight dragons for a while and still learning. It is very addictive.

I usually go for 300-400mm. 300mmf4 is good for me as it is light and sometimes with a 1.4TC but have used a 70-200mmf2.8 with 2TC as well. I prefer to use my 1Div but have tried with other bodies but the key is to have good noise control. I have never bothered with AF as prefer manual. A mate of mine can get his 7Dii and 100-400mmii to focus but is will go for the contrasty bit ie the tail.

Start by finding a dragon patrolling it teritory an Emperor is a good one to start on and Chasers are the most difficult and a good clear background is hard to find but does help. They will patrol up and down a bank or pond so pitch up at a turning point or to one side if you want head on shots.

Camera settings I use are Manual. Shutter 1/800 for wing blur to 1/1250 for less blur. F6.3 will get a reasonable DOF but you will need higher if head on shots if you want all the tail in focus. Auto ISO but keep an eye on it I really don't like going too high, as low as possible if you are cropping shots. Dragons don't start flying until it is wams so the sun is usually high which can cause highlights in their eyes.. I make sure my diopter is focussed. then Manul focus on something about the distance from where the dragon will be. I now keep my left eye open and track the dragon only closing it to make sure I have focus. After a bit of practice I can now track a dragon through the viewfinder using manual focus. As they have a lot of contrast over a pond or distant back it is reasonably easy. I don't tend to go for high frames per sec either gut press the shutter when it looks sharp IS helps in 1 or 2. Head on shots are my favorite now but are a bit tricker but worth it for the smile

​
Happy Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr
 
PINNACLE said:
I have been doing inflight dragons for a while and still learning. It is very addictive.

I usually go for 300-400mm. 300mmf4 is good for me as it is light and sometimes with a 1.4TC but have used a 70-200mmf2.8 with 2TC as well. I prefer to use my 1Div but have tried with other bodies but the key is to have good noise control. I have never bothered with AF as prefer manual. A mate of mine can get his 7Dii and 100-400mmii to focus but is will go for the contrasty bit ie the tail.

Start by finding a dragon patrolling it teritory an Emperor is a good one to start on and Chasers are the most difficult and a good clear background is hard to find but does help. They will patrol up and down a bank or pond so pitch up at a turning point or to one side if you want head on shots.

Camera settings I use are Manual. Shutter 1/800 for wing blur to 1/1250 for less blur. F6.3 will get a reasonable DOF but you will need higher if head on shots if you want all the tail in focus. Auto ISO but keep an eye on it I really don't like going too high, as low as possible if you are cropping shots. Dragons don't start flying until it is wams so the sun is usually high which can cause highlights in their eyes.. I make sure my diopter is focussed. then Manul focus on something about the distance from where the dragon will be. I now keep my left eye open and track the dragon only closing it to make sure I have focus. After a bit of practice I can now track a dragon through the viewfinder using manual focus. As they have a lot of contrast over a pond or distant back it is reasonably easy. I don't tend to go for high frames per sec either gut press the shutter when it looks sharp IS helps in 1 or 2. Head on shots are my favorite now but are a bit tricker but worth it for the smile

​
Happy Hawker by Martin Billard, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Thanks Martin.

I will try some of these ideas the next time I'm out. Hadn't thought about auto ISO. It's only my second time trying for them in flight so it's a bit of a learning curve. But I love a challenge.

Thanks again
 
wezza13 said:
A brilliant series there, Paul. Well taken (y)
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, i have a few more Damselfly moments now.
This 1st image was taken at a local lake, but all the rest where shot in my back garden/yard. Im not sure of the species of them either???
Some images have been cropped, whilst others are not cropped.
Cheers Paul.

Damselfly macro/close up. 4th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard.(uncropped). 9th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 9th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard.(uncropped). 8th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 10th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr
 
Graham said:
Hi,
Really not sure on these 3.
At a guess I would say that photo 2 and 3 are the same although M and F,
South of France.
View attachment 66656 View attachment 66657 View attachment 66658

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Hi Graham, #2 is a female Orange Featherleg (Platycnemis acutipennis). # 3 is a male White-legged Damselfly (P.pennipes). #1 has stumped me for now. It is. An immature female Coenagrion, but which one I am not sure, I'll have to get back to you.
 
Brachytron said:
Hi Graham, #2 is a female Orange Featherleg (Platycnemis acutipennis). # 3 is a male White-legged Damselfly (P.pennipes). #1 has stumped me for now. It is. An immature female Coenagrion, but which one I am not sure, I'll have to get back to you.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mark for your ID, So much to look for :banghead:
Could No. 3 be
Cercion lindenii - Goblet-marked Damselfly ?
 
Several more Damselfly images.

Cheers Paul.

Female White-legged Damselfly (uncropped). 16th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Female White-legged Damselfly. 16th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 10th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Right in on the Damselflies eye here...I used both the Raynox 250 and 150 stacked together for this shot, also the home made Pringles diffuser...Image is cropped some.

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 10th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr
 
Testudo Man said:
Several more Damselfly images.

Cheers Paul.

Female White-legged Damselfly (uncropped). 16th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Female White-legged Damselfly. 16th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 10th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr

Right in on the Damselflies eye here...I used both the Raynox 250 and 150 stacked together for this shot, also the home made Pringles diffuser...Image is cropped some.

Damselfly antics in my garden/yard. 10th-June-2016. by Testudo Man, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Loving # 1
 
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