What’s your strategy for beating the heat? One of the favorite approaches here in the Washington D.C. area is to stay indoors with the air conditioning cranked up. For a wildlife photographer, though, that is not really an option. My subjects manage to survive in the heat of the day and I need to be other there if I want to photograph them.
Birds seem to be most active early in the day and late in the day, when temperatures are usually coolest, but many dragonflies seem to thrive in bright, direct sunlight. How do they do it? How do they regulate their body temperatures?
If you have ever observed dragonflies on a hot summer day, you may have seen some of them perching in a hand-stand like position, like an Olympic gymnast. This is often referred to as the obelisk posture. The abdomen is raised to minimize the surface area exposed to the sun and when the sun is close to directly overhead, the vertical alignment of the dragonfly’s body suggests an obelisk, like the Washington Monument that I see every time that I venture into the city.
Here are a couple of shots of a Lancet Clubtail dragonfly (Gomphus exilis) that I spotted this past Monday at Jackson Miles Wetland Refuge, only a few miles from where I live. Unlike some clubtail dragonflies, like the Dragonhunter that I featured recently, the Lancet Clubtail is pretty small, about 1.7 inches (43 mm) in length. What I find to be particularly stunning about this dragonfly are its deep blue eyes, which seemed to draw me in.
Initially the dragonfly had its abdomen at an angle, but gradually it kept raising it higher until it ended up in an almost perfect obelisk pose. If I were a judge at the Olympics, I would give this dragonfly a perfect score of 10.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I love the beautifully fine wing shadows.
I too was drawn to the shadows of both the wings and the body. I think they add interest to the shots. It’s almost like the dragonfly is at the center of a natural sundial.
Yes it is, what a neat thought!
Great photo, Mike. But, I had to laugh that the ad that was paired with this post was one for “Knee Pain”
I like that juxtaposition. I used to be a marathon runner and my knees complain a bit from time to time now.
I read the post and then enlarged each photo for Benjamin. He examined each, then laughed and said : “The dragonfly doesn’t want to burn his bum on the hot rock!” Looking at the second photo he noted the position of the hind legs and said : “His blue eyes are so cool, I think he’s trying to see his shadow.” Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
I love that second image, Mike. The angle of the dragonfly’s posture mirrors the curve of the rock and the dark edge on the left seems to echo the dark tones of the dragonfly body. I also love that the light has picked out some of the wing cells white. It really emphasises that stained glass feeling of the wings. Superb shot.
Thanks so much, Laura. You always do such a lovely job of putting into words what you like about a particular image and that kind of feedback really helps me see my own photos in a different way. Quite often, I have noticed, your eyes seem to be drawn to colors and shapes, which is not all that surprising, considering your background as an artist.
I am glad you find my comments of interest.
I am trying to nurture a creative side of myself that has been dormant most of my life and your perceptions really do help me.
Well you definitely have an artist’s eye for colour and composition.
I agree with all that Laura said! An Awesome shot. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words.
You are welcome. 🙂