Dragonflies are remarkably uncooperative—I can rarely get them to perch in places where the light is good and the background is photogenic. I love photographing butterflies in patches of colorful flowers, for example, and have often thought that it would be cool to shoot a dragonfly in a similar environment. Alas, dragonflies don’t seem to be attracted by nectar and pollen. I have repeatedly been frustrated by dragonflies that zoom past flowers and refuse to stop.
This past Wednesday, though, an emerald green female Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis) that I had been chasing surprisingly set herself down in a patch of bright yellow flowers. Moving as stealthily as I could with a racing heart, I managed to get close enough to the dragonfly to capture this image before she flew away.
When I am walking about with my camera, I try to be ready for the unexpected and on this occasion my persistence and quick reaction paid off.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Paid off indeed!
It must be very satisfying for you to have this capture. I love the shot!
It is at least momentarily satisfying, Liz. It’s hard to describe, but often I get so caught up in going after my next photo that I forget to take the time to enjoy the ones that I have already taken.
That makes me laugh for some reason, perhaps imagining a kind of self-imposed treadmill experience!
Yeah, it’s kind of like that–a sense of restlessness that keeps wildlife photographers constantly in motion, always hoping and searching for something more, a kind of eternal quest. From the outside I suppose it sounds a little compulsive 🙂
Great capture, Mike!
Very Nice Mike! I like how the Pondhawk is surrounded by the yellow flowers!!
Thanks, Reed. It was the look that I imagined in my head and I was happy that the dragonfly was cooperative enough to let me capture the image that way.
It’s always fun when the pieces come together! Practice and being ready really do pay off. Nice capture!