I love the stunning red-orange coloration of a male Needham’s Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula needhami), especially when the sunlight dances across its gold-tinged wings, as it did on Monday morning at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Generally I prefer an uncluttered background for my subjects, but in this case I think the soft patterns of the grasses in the background enhance the image more than would have been the case with a uniform single color.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great image, Mike. I think the soft background does add to this picture. I find my eye drawn to those beautiful wings.
What a poser! Gorgeous, brilliant photo!
Nice Mike! Really nice colors in that dragonfly! Nice Shot!