I love the abstract feel of this image that I captured last week at Occoquan Regional Park. The shapes and colors in the photo are much more important than the details of the subject, which I think is a Needham’s Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula needhami). From this angle, dragonflies often remind me of the biplanes of World War One, like the Sopwith Camel that was sometimes featured in Snoopy comic strips.
Photography allows for such a wide range of approaches to express myself creatively. I can be geeky and technical, as I usually am, striving to capture the minute details of my often tiny subjects or I can be as “artsy” as I choose, focusing on capturing and creating moods or feelings with the basic elements of light and darkness, of colors, lines, and shapes.
Professional photographer’s are sometimes advised to create a signature style and to stick with it. I am proudly an amateur, who captures images for love—the root word in “amateur”—and I defiantly refuse to stick to a single style. My photos and words help you to see the world through my eyes and hopefully my unbounded curiosity and enthusiasm about the world are evident in my postings. If you meet me in person, you’ll see that the “me” in my postings is not a social media persona—it is genuinely who I am.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Seeing this dragonfly balanced perfectly on an arching piece of brush is exquisite. Was there even a breeze ? At least the Sopwith Camel has a wider landing gear. Great capture Mike.
Thanks. As I recall, John, there was not a breeze. I have had enough dragonflies perch on me to know that they weigh very little. The fact that each of a dragonfly’s four wings can be operated independently makes it very maneuverable, so the narrow “landing gear” doesn’t seem to be a problem–I think they land more like a helicopter. 🙂
Now if someone could capture the landing in slow motion that would be a sight. And for now I will settle for the expert description !
Maybe we now know were the inspiration for biplanes came from 😉
Neat shot!
Thanks, Louella.
I’m glad you follow your heart in your photography and feel sure your images are better for it.
Thanks, Susan. There is always an element of subjectivity in evaluating any type of art, including photography, and I realize that not every image that I post will appeal to everyone, but I am ok with that. I know, for example, that pretty flower photos will generate more positive response than shots of snakes and spiders. Tastes vary and I would argue that diversity is what makes a group of people stronger and more interesting.
That is def a cool angle to view the dragonfly’s wings…I like the abstract quality.