Most of the dragonflies that I spotted during my most recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge were common species that I have been seeing for months. Some photographers are driven to search for rare and exotic species and ignore the everyday ones. I am usually content with trying to capture the beauty of the ordinary ones.
In the first photo, I love the ways that the shadows of the wings of this female Common Whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia) create the optical illusion that the dragonfly has extra wings. In the second photo, the female Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) is quite beautiful herself and the stunning background enhances that beauty.
The final photo shows a pair of Eastern Amberwing dragonflies (Perithemis tenera), the smallest dragonflies in our area. I love the way that the two dragonflies are reflected in the water.
Beauty can be found in the rare and exotic species, but I think that these images demonstrate that beauty can also be found in ordinary things. When we slow down and look closely, we discover that beauty is everywhere.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
If the ordinary ones are beautiful, I wonder how the rare ones will be 🙂 ?
Some of the rare ones can be even more beautiful, like this one (https://michaelqpowell.com/2022/08/06/blue-eyed-darner-dragonfly/) or this one (https://michaelqpowell.com/tag/fine-lined-emerald/). 🙂
Mike, your last sentence and a half I think is quotable and if don’t object, I may use it in my blog, for it is almost the theme of my retirement life and blog: “… beauty can also be found in ordinary things. When we slow down and look closely, we discover that beauty is everywhere.” Pura vida!
Feel free to use it, Charlie. I have used variations of the same idea multiple times on my blog. I have repeatedly had friends marvel at my photos of familiar places and ask me how is possible to see these things. I nod sagely and slowly ask them how it is possible that they do not see these things–a Zen-like response. 🙂
A great set of captures, Mike, each with a great feature, aside from the subject! Shadows and reflections are among my favorites in nature. Glad you are still seeing plenty of action.
Thanks, Ellen. It seems like there is always something to shoot and the only challenge is to try to capture the available subjects as well as I can.