Do dragonflies have noses? That sounds like a crazy question, but it is the first one that came to mind when I looked at the image that I had captured of a dragonfly in flight this past week at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. I could not immediately identify it, so I consulted with experts in a Facebook group and learned that it is a Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha). This species has a protruding forehead—it’s not a nose— that is reminiscent of the long nose of literary character Cyrano de Bergerac.
The species in the second shot is a Prince Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura), a species that I have featured multiple times in this blog. During much of the summer, I can usually spot one or two Prince Baskettail dragonflies patrolling over the pond at the same wetland refuge and I love trying to capture shots of them in flight. What makes this image distinctive, though, is not so much the dragonfly, but the background. There were ripples in the pond and the way that I shot and processed the image turned them into a wonderfully abstract background.
When I post photos like these, I often get questions about how I am able to capture images of flying dragonflies. Luck and persistence are the keys to getting shots like these. I use my 180mm macro lens and focus manually as the dragonflies zoom by, because the dragonflies don’t fill enough of the frame for my auto-focus to engage quickly and accurately. I have found that is almost impossible for me to use a zoom lens in this task—I get overwhelmed when I try to zoom, track, and focus simultaneously.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great images, Mike. I do like the background on that second shot. I am amazed that you can focus that fast.
Thanks, Dan. These dragonflies fly in a somewhat repetitive pattern, mostly parallel to the shore (but not very close to it). As a result, I am focusing within a fairly narrow range. Still, it is a challenge to make adjustments to the focus while tracking the subject and trying to keep it in the viewfinder. Even under the best of circumstances manual focusing on a digital camera is tough.
Nice Mike! It is a challenge to photograph dragonflies flying!
Amazing. I don’t think I could do this with manual focus. Beautiful creamy background.
Outstanding camera work Mike! Love that second image and the ripples in the background.
Thanks, Wally. I’d love to take credit for the background, but it was mostly a happy happenstance when I was focusing on keeping the moving dragonfly in my camera’s viewfinder.
In-flight action and a very cool background. Always impressed by your keen eye (and dexterity).
Thanks, Andrea, for your kind words. I am not sure I am especially dexterous, but I am awfully persistent–if I keep waiting and shooting I can often get pretty good results.
Don’t get too frustrated! We need your photos to remind us of the wonders out there!
Thanks for your kind words. The more I look, the more I see–nature is like that.
Greetings Mike, for the first time ever from your side of the pond! Love your pics & hoping I might catch a few dragonflies around Jackson Hole… when we finally get there! God bless
Yikes. Are you moving to the US or are you just visiting?
Just visiting Tetons & Yellowstone. Today were a bit jet lagged but already enjoying butterflies and raptors. Good to see some of your American wildlife up close.