One corner of the pond at Ben Brenman Park was covered with so much duckweed on Sunday that it look almost solid, like a floating carpet of green lentils. As I was scanning the surface of the water for frogs, which sometimes hang out in duckweed, I spotted a dragonfly buzzing low over the water. When it finally landed, I captured this image of what turned out to be a male Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis).
This image really appeals to me for artistic reasons. I like the different colored branches that cut across the frame; I like the texture provided by the duckweed in the background; and I like the color and the angled pose of the dragonfly, and its wonderful shadow as an added bonus.
I am drawn in by the image’s simple composition, as is frequently the case with my favorite photographs. Photography, I’ve found, is often most effective when it is reduced to its most basic elements, as I tried to do in this image of a dragonfly and duckweed.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Love your description, …the elements of the photograph. Content, Composition, Lighting Elements, Interest, Ethereal – all words that I think most of us subliminally attribute to our hobby’s personal satisfaction. M 🙂
Thanks. Sometimes it is enough to just capture the subject, but at other times we set our sights so much higher. Technical perfection is admirable, but I really like it when an image has an artistic, creative feel that somehow reflects my interpretation of the “reality” that was in front of my camera lens.
Mike, kindly pardon the extended poetic metaphor…I think that somewhere in the halls of dragonfly fly kingdoms, these lovely creatures viy for a chance to be photographed by your attentive camera. Really great explanation of your photo and a gorgeous capture.😊
Thanks for your very kind words, Suzette. Sometimes I actually do feel like I am having portrait sessions with my dragonflies. One of the cool things about spending so much up-close time with these beautiful little creatures is that I am able to see them as individuals–not simply as members of their species. I can see the specifics of their eye color or the condition of their wings.
Thank you Mike for sharing your respect and appreciation for nature. Have a great day.🦋
The picture could be a painting!
Green lentils ! Thank you. The perfect description of Duck Weed.
This is another real contender for a terrific jigsaw puzzle.
I actually had that same thought, Gary. The large expanse of duckweed would make the puzzle quite challenging.
Very interesting blog post 📯.
I just published my most recent works on my website do go check them out, they might be a form of inspiration or you might just love to see them, thank you and happy blogging
Great textures!
Thanks, Molly. You highlighted one of the cool things that I like most about the shot–the textures. A smooth background is good, but a textured one that is not distracting is even bettter.
[…] He seems to follow me everywhere! His interest in dragonflies, butterflies, flowers and nature in general keep me intrigued with his blog. Until he gets to the snakes. Then I tune him out. Yuck. https://michaelqpowell.com/2020/09/04/dragonfly-and-duckweed/ […]
Interesting post!