Cool Critters

Dragonflies are very cool. They flit and float through the air, and usually return to the same perch over and over again. That makes it fairly easy to get good shots. When you see a dragonfly, stop and watch where it lands. Once you see its favorite perch, be patient, stay put, and be ready to shoot.

Look for a good background, one that will be rendered nicely soft and non-distracting with shallow depth of field. Take some test shots to make sure your histogram looks good, and then you are ready to capture some beauty shots of these amazing creatures.

You can photograph dragonflies with either a telephoto zoom, or a macro lens. A telephoto zoom is a better choice, partly because it allows you to keep a greater distance from the insect. With any form of wildlife, you do not want to do anything that will frighten it or cause it to change its normal behavior.

When focusing, it is best to focus on the head and its huge eyes. If the rest of the dragonfly goes slightly out of focus, that is OK.

Even at this time of year, unless you live in an extremely northern area, there should still be some dragonflies around. If not, hang onto this blog entry so you can be prepared in the spring.

TECH SPECS
1/1250, f/5, ISO 200. Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens on Canon 5D Mark III. Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Always maintain a kind of summer, even in the middle of winter."  --Henry David Thoreau