On Friday, temperatures in my area soared to 84 degrees (29 degrees C), which I thought might trigger the emergence of new dragonflies. However, when I arrived at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, a nearby park with a small pond, the only dragonflies that I could find were a half-dozen Common Baskettail dragonflies (Epitheca cynosura) patrolling over various parts of the pond.
I walked around the perimeter of the pond multiple times, searching in vain in the undergrowth and in the vegetation at water’s edge. Periodically I stopped and attempted to photograph the dragonflies in flight. Their flight paths were somewhat predictable, which gave me hope, but the dragonflies varied their distances from the shore and changed their altitude unexpectedly.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from the photo excursion. As a frame of reference, Common Baskettail dragonflies are about 1.6 inches (41 mm) in length, so I think you can appreciate the challenge of photographing one on the fly.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Excellent!
Superb, Mike! Not easy to do by any means!
Thanks, Pete. It’s tough, but not impossible. I have found that it takes some combination of patience, persistence, and prayer. 🙂
Great captures. What is the brown background?
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Thanks, Mitzy. The brown background is the surface of the pond over which the dragonflies were flying.
Nice Mike! Great shots of them flying!
These photographs are amazing, Mike. Wow! The detail is incredible, especially given the speed at which these beasties move. They look like sleek biplanes.
“Sleek biplanes”–what an apt visual image. Thanks, Laura.
Great flight shots, Mike! Even with a predictable flight path these are tough shots—many, many deletes in my experience.
You definitely know the drill, Ellen. It is tough because the dragonflies are moving in multiple dimensions simultaneously. For example, in the first shot, the dragonfly was moving laterally from left to right, but was also moving closer to me. I have found that my camera can’t focus quickly enough, so I tend to resort to manual focusing, which has its own set of challenges. 🙂
Oh the detail on those wings! You are a master with that camera. I would likely fall in the pond!
Haven’t you done well? Amazing photos, almost feels like I’m there watching their wings glisten in the light as they dart around!
https://youtu.be/AF66glMc0Gc Take a listen to this! My first thought was you trying to capture photos of dragonflies!
Impressive takes, Mike. Quite challenging, I would imagine.
Nice work, Mike. I have a hard enough time getting a good shot when they are perched. 🙂
Thanks, Steve. It’s a real challenge, but at least when the dragonflies are flying over the water, I am not having to fight to keep the background clutter away. It’s harder when the dragonflies are flying over land, like those in this posting from a few years ago. https://michaelqpowell.com/2018/09/29/fine-lined-emerald-dragonflies-in-flight/
Yes, a busy background is less pleasing than the ones you caught here. Looking forward to more action shots.
You may have to wait a bit, Steve. I usually try to capture dragonflies in flight only a few times a season. To a large extent it is dependent on the species and the location–not all dragonflies patrol like that and many never return once they fly away.
Worth the wait I am sure. Meanwhile, once our dragons and damsels show themselves I’ll see what I can do. Here’s an oldie. It’s a lot easier in the early am when they hold still. 🙂
Wow. That’s a spectacular shot of a Clamp-tipped Emerald, a species that I have observed once or twice in the air but have never photographed. It’s of course nicest when a dragonfly perches, but if not, I feel like I should press the issue and try to catch them in the air. Here’s another fun in-flight sequence for you. https://michaelqpowell.com/2019/06/12/catch-and-release/
At one point I considered purchasing the Canon 400 f/5.6 because of its reputation for in flight shooting but never followed through. As much as I enjoy photographing insects I have enough other interests that I decided against the 400. I may try doing them with the 100-400 later this season.
This is a real success story, and one to be proud of. You must have been practically dancing in the street (like Martha and the Vandellas) when you had a first look at your results!
I like the original Martha and the Vandellas version of the song, but I seem to recall that there have been numerous versions by other artists which have been equally memorable. As for the results, I was pretty happy with them. So many things have to work together to get a decent shot and I took several hundred shots. That may not sound like a lot, but I was generally shooting only one or two shots at a time because I was focusing manually.
I can’t get over how you capture these speedy creatures so beautifully in flight! Funny to think that this one has a name that includes the word common,
– to me it looks so colorful and uniquely patterned!
I often have the same reaction to the use of the term “Common” in the name of a species. It is the same with birds, of course, with some bird called “Great,” while others are called “Lesser” or “Least.”
Yes, exactly! I remember thinking the same thing when I learned the name of the very handsome, black-masked warbler, Common Yellowthroat.