A little amber

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A little amber

September 5, 2019 by Mike Powell

I guess that the main subject of this image is the tiny male Eastern Amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera), but I must confess that I was equally drawn to the curving shapes of the branches sticking out of the water during my recent trip to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. Normally I try to fill as much of my frame with my primary subject by using a zoom lens or by moving closer, but in this case I actually moved back in order to be able to capture more of the vegetation.

I really like the way that the warm amber color of the aptly named Eastern Amberwing stands out against the muted tones of the rest of the image. The style of this image is different from most of my shots (assuming that I have an identifiable style), but I enjoy mixing it up from time to time by shooting from different angle or distances.

Posted in Art, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife | Tagged Canon 50D, Eastern Amberwing, Eastern Amberwing dragonfly, Fort Belvoir VA, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, male Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera, Tamron 180mm | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on September 5, 2019 at 11:24 am | Reply Wally Jones

Very pleasing composition, Mike. It’s almost a reflex for me to zoom in as tight as possible on an insect, but, like you, I’ve been trying to be cognizant of the surrounding environment, too.

Like the curves of the branch and overall pastel background.
on September 5, 2019 at 11:40 am | Reply rugby843

I love this image
on September 5, 2019 at 2:45 pm | Reply Ellen

I confess that upon viewing the photo and before reading the post, I thought it was the refection of a fish under the water on the lower right hand side, even thinking the leaf to be an eye and the other an open mouth. Reading the post quickly dispelled that theory and the enlarged photo image confirmed it! I’m glad that the little Eastern Amberwing was never in danger of being eaten. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
on September 5, 2019 at 4:20 pm | Reply Ms. Liz

I like it!
on September 5, 2019 at 4:33 pm | Reply Dan Antion

That photograph is stunning, Mike. Showing your artistic side. I like it.
on September 5, 2019 at 6:15 pm | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

Nice!
on September 7, 2019 at 9:44 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Gorgeous composition and unusual colors. This one is just great!
on September 16, 2019 at 5:03 pm | Reply Ellen Jennings

Very nice, Mike! Inclusion of the whole twig definitely works for this image.