There are often a few moments in the early morning when the world seems completely at peace. The waters are calm and reflections are almost perfectly mirror-like. Sometimes there is enough light to take photographs, but even when there is not, I enjoy getting up early simply to savor those moments.
This past Monday morning, when I arrived at a small pond at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed the beautiful reflections and my attention was drawn to a stick protruding out of the water. As I zoomed in on the stick, I noticed a damselfly perched on it. Damselflies belong to the same order of Odonata as dragonflies, but usually are smaller in size, often 1 to 1.5 inches in length (25–38 mm).
I decided to take some shots of the stick and the perching damselfly and as I was doing so, the damselfly flew away. I managed to capture the image below as the dragonfly was returning to its perch.
An expert on a Facebook forum identified the damselfly for me as an Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum). Most members of the bluet family of damselflies are colored with various combinations of blue (as the name suggests) and black, but some family members are also orange or red. I shake my head and smile every time that I use the curious word combination “orange bluet.”
This image is somewhat atypical for me in the sense that it is not a close-up portrait. Most of the time I try to use my telephoto zoom or macro lens to capture as many details of my subject as I can. In cases like this, though, I am content to capture an image that evokes the mood of the moment. There is a kind of minimalist simplicity in this photo that really appeals to me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
//There are often a few moments in the early morning when the world seems completely at peace// 👌👌👌👌😊
I love the combination of spare form in the reflected images with the details that show in the damselfly itself: pulls me in as a viewer.
This is a magical moment captured in a photo. The reflection of the stick and damselfly is exquisite. Benjamin will love the name Orange Bluet and this amazing photo too. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
Wow! Capturing the damselfly in flight requires a great deal of talent. I am impressed. I love the composition too with the reflections and strong lines.
Beautiful photo, Mike. It’s hard to tell which is real.
Great photo, Mike. It’s hard to tell which is which.
I like that one. It’s perfect in its simplicity.
Really interesting photo Mike. What is the white line along the water?
I am not sure what that is and wondered the same thing myself. I don’t know it it was caused by some debris or vegetation or maybe even by birds or fish/
Mysterious!
Very nice reflection image, Mike!
I love everything about this shot, Mike! The minimalistic setting, the reflection, the light, and of course the damselfly itself. Wonderful 🙂
Thanks, Camilla. I can take credit for only a few elements that make this image so cool. I was happy that I was able to take advantage of the situation when it presented itself to me.
👏🏻