What is your favorite dragonfly? Most people would have trouble answering a question like that. If they do happen to notice dragonflies, they generally have not looked closely enough at them to identify species—at best they might be able to say something like, “I like the big green ones that I see flying overhead” or “I like the little blue ones that perch on the reeds.”
Most of you know that I somewhat obsessed with dragonflies (and those who know me well might question my use of the qualifier “somewhat” in the first half of the sentence). I love the beauty and aerial agility of these flying insects and I spend endless hours searching for them for months on end.
How do I choose a favorite dragonfly? It’s kind of like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. There are different things that I like about different dragonfly species.
If I were asked the question directly, I would probably say that the Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum) is my favorite dragonfly. I absolutely love the striking combination of the turquoise blue eyes and the striking red body. Blue-faced Meadowhawks are also special to me for a personal reason—I was awarded second place in a local photo contest several years ago for a macro shot of a Blue-faced Meadowhawk. (Here is a link to the 2015 posting Second place in a local photo competition that shows that prize-winning entry and tells some of the back story of the image.)
Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I photographed my first Blue-faced Meadowhawk of the season, a handsome male with bright coloration. Even if you are not a big fan of dragonflies, I hope that you can agree this little dragonfly is strikingly beautiful—welcome to my world.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Now THAT is one amazing dragonfly! I would be startled to see one of those! Congratulations on the award and this nice shot. However do you do this?
There is no real secret, Molly, other than having a lot of patience and persistence. I like to spend a lot of time outdoors and I have learned some of the habits and preferred habitats of different dragonflies. As I have gotten more into photography, I notice that my observation skills have improved so that I am “seeing” more.
Great capture, Mike, with wonderful detail! No favorites for me, at least not in the dragonfly category. They are all fascinating and I am happy that I’ve learned more about these gorgeous insects as I’ve photographed them. And I’ve learned a tremendous amount from your images and experiences capturing them.
Thanks, Ellen. I really enjoy shooting subjects like these with my Tamron 180mm macro lens. It does not have image stabilization, so I have to be a little careful not to let my shutter speed creep too low, but it gives me a little more stand off distance than my 100mm macro lens and still captures some great detail.
Good morning, Mr. Mike! We are having a Benjamin Binge, he is spending 3 days while his parents are away. He agrees that this is a beautiful dragonfly, but can not say it is his favorite one. Benjamin says : “Every dragonfly is my favorite, they are all the bestest one!” Thank-you!
Why choose when you can love them all. I like that philosophy.
I love all your dragonfly photos.
Thanks, kenne. During the summer, dragonflies are probably my favorite subject to photograph and we are blessed in my area with a pretty good variety of species.
That is a pretty one. Nice shot!
Nice Mike! That is one Cool Dragonfly!
My favorite dragonfly is the one in front of my camera and cooperates and stays still long enough to get my focus stacked series. If I had to name one it would be the Blue Dasher! Mainly for the memories of photographing them at my pond at my old home. Spent countless hours there!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Reed. “Favorite” is one of those words that can mean a lot of different things to a different people. For some, it might mean a quick view of a once-in-a-lifetime species, while for others it can be associated with memories of familiar species.
Really is neat looking.