You never know for sure when a dragonfly will let you get close. Although some species tend to be less skittish than others, each individual dragonfly seems to have its own sense of “personal space.” Some will let you get really close and may even perch on you, but others will take flight or keep their distance as soon as they detect your presence.
On a recent trip to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I was able to see eye to eye with this handsome male Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa). I love the wonderful symmetry of looking straight into the multi-faceted eyes of a dragonfly, as in the first photo below, though I will admit that it really limits the depth of field in the image and does not let you see much of its body. For the second photo, I moved a little and shot if from a slight angle.
I tend to prefer the first image. What do you think?
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It’s hard to choose, Mike. There are aspects of both that I like. But they are both great shots!
Thanks, Dan. I think you know my writing style well enough to realize that I have set this up as a kind of false dichotomy–it’s never really an either/or proposition when I ask folks to choose. If I personally didn’t like a photo, I probably wouldn’t post it.
I’ve never seen a bad one here, Mike.
Benjamin says : “I love both pictures!” Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Thanks, Benjamin (and Ellen). Why choose when you can have both? 🙂
Nice! I always like “head on” shots of dragonflies! Sort of “eye to eye”
I have a friend who has a science background and I think he is more drawn to shots that display the entire body of the dragonfly. I tend to like the more artsy kinds of shots from unusual angles.
I agree with Dan. And together they make a nice profile of this dragonfly.
Hard to choose, Mike! Both are nice shots. May be the eye to eye of the first one wins for me.
As is usually the case, I go back and forth on the photos and love them both.
Looks like a little airplane.
Some dragonflies remind me of the old World War I biplanes and bring to mind Snoopy and the Red Baron.
I was in Texas this past week and I was at a pond and they were super skittish. But, then at the pond/fountain in front of my hotel, they were not at all and I was able to get within 8 inches of them. Sometimes closer when my focus would allow (no macro lens). It was thrilling!!
You never can tell. I will usually take pictures from a reasonable distance and then gradually move in as close as I can, periodically stopping for a few more shots.