Do you like a fun photo challenge? Try taking a photo of a dragonfly as it zooms on by you.
Here’s an image I captured on Tuesday of a Common Baskettail dragonfly (Epitheca cynosura) in flight at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland. In case you are curious, Common Baskettails are about 1.6 inches in length (41 mm).
So how would you go about getting a shot like this? I would say that the key requirements are patience and persistence. The first thing that I usually do is observe the dragonfly’s flight path and try to determine if there are particular places where it tends to hover or turn around. This particular dragonfly was flying low and not too far from the shore of a small pond.
Focusing is the biggest problem. Some photographers like to pre-focus on an area and wait for the dragonfly to fly into that area. Others will rely on the auto-focus capabilities of their cameras. I have had almost no success with those techniques. What I usually do is put my camera’s focus into manual mode and literally change focus on the fly as I attempt to track the dragonfly in the air.
I like to use my Tamron 180 mm macro lens, because it gives me a decent amount of reach and frees me from worrying about zooming in and out. I have found that simultaneously zooming and focusing manually while tracking the dragonfly is like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time—it is theoretically possible but tough to accomplish in real life.
If you click on the image and view it in a larger size, you will see that I was fortunate to get my focus just about right for the middle of the dragonfly’s body. The shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second was fast enough to freeze most of the movement of the wings.
Needless to say, I took a lot of shots and my success rate was very low. Perhaps this is not your idea of a “fun” challenge. In that case, I would encourage you to find some area of your life and challenge yourself to do something that is difficult. Even if you are not successful, I think even the effort will help you to grow, especially in self-knowledge and self-awareness.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
You only need one good photo (like this one) to make it all worthwhile, Mike.
One of my friends likes to remind me of that very thought, Dan. I think that is what motivates most wildlife photographers to keep shooting in an eternal quest to get better shots.
I’m just always amazed when people tell my daughter how “lucky she was to be at the right place at the right time.” Most people don’t consider the effort to get to the right place, the time spent waiting for the right time and he pictures that never got published.
The only statement that irritates me more than “You are so lucky” is “That is a great photo so you must have an expensive camera.” Both of those betray a lack of understanding and a profound ignorance about what it takes to capture these kind of images. Normally I try to smile and say thanks and refuse the temptation to go on a rant.
Well, Mike, rest assured that this guy understands how much “Mike” is in each photo.
Wow! What an absolutely incredible photograph. Well done, Mike!
Thanks, Laura. It’s fun to push the limits a bit–birds in flight are difficult enough, but normally a couple of times a year, I’ll try to capture dragonflies in flight.
Excellent Mike! I’ve tried a few times but with little success but it is fun.
Thanks. As I noted, the chances of success are small, but it is a nice sense of accomplishment when it actually works. The ideal scenario is when a dragonfly actually hovers for a second and gives me a fighting chance, like this Migrant Hawker did in 2018 when I was visiting Brussels in 2018. (https://michaelqpowell.com/2018/09/07/migrant-hawker-in-flight/).
I have tried a few times and it isn’t easy. Nice shot!
Thanks. It’s always fun to try–the stars have to align and the dragonfly has to cooperate, but it can sometimes be done.
That is an amazing shot, Mike. Your skill and persistent patience wins the day!
Thanks, Eliza. I am fond of telling people that persistence is often more important than gear and sometimes even more critical than skill. The typical response is often a look of total incredulity.
You are back in your favorite arena!! Good job on all of the last three shots.
Thanks, Molly. You have noticed my obvious excitement about the reappearance of dragonflies.
What a remarkable photo! How well the dragonfly “floats” in the foreground, and the shimmering wings are magic against the dappled background. I accept your challenge for “something different”. A couple of days ago I bought my first watercolour paint set, 3 brushes, a small sponge, and postcard-size watercolour pad. Each “page” is a real postcard. If you send your postal address to my email, I’ll post you my first attempt. Not sure WHEN I will get paint to paper but the promise will help to ensure it DOES happpen 😉
I sent my address to your gmail account. Best wishes with watercolor, Liz. I need to re-start watercolor myself after letting my efforts go dormant the last few months.
Thank you Mike! I wouldn’t imagine myself doing much over the winter period either
[…] hoping that I too might spot a Harlequin Darner. I saw a good number of dragonflies, including the Common Baskettail that I captured in flight, but as the day progressed, I began to wonder if I would ever find a […]