Dragonfly and aster

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Dragonfly and aster

September 12, 2023 by Mike Powell

I don’t often see dragonflies perch on flowers, so I was delighted when this female Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) decided to rest for a moment on an aster plant in bloom last week at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.

I decided not to crop this photo to show the dragonfly better, because I really like the sweep of bright color on the left side of the image and the more muted out-of-focus colors on the right side. I am growing to love this type of environmental portrait, which goes against my normal approach of trying to fill as much of the frame as possible with my primary subject.

Posted in Autumn, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Flowers, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife | Tagged Blue Dasher, Blue Dasher dragonfly, Canon 7D, female Blue Dasher, Fort Belvoir VA, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, Pachydiplax longipennis, Tamron 18-400mm | 11 Comments

11 Responses

on September 12, 2023 at 6:00 am | Reply 100 Country Trek

We see these dragonflies here on my flowers. I love your image. Anita
- on September 12, 2023 at 10:27 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Anita. I love it when dragonflies land on flowers, but, as I noted in my posting, I rarely see it happen. Mostly they perch on stick-like vegetation at the edges of the ponds.
  - on September 12, 2023 at 10:29 am 100 Country Trek
    
    Thanks
on September 12, 2023 at 7:21 am | Reply Molly D

Environmental portrait is just lovely!
- on September 12, 2023 at 10:25 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Molly. Both the dragonfly and the flowers are wonderful examples of God’s creations.
on September 12, 2023 at 9:01 am | Reply K.L. Hale

Mike, I appreciate this views, too. The beauty of both~the dragonfly and the aster~are magical! Although I just use my phone, the setting I use allows me to “mute” the background, and like you, I don’t crop everything so that I can see a bit more beauty around the subject. I took a close up of a grasshopper on a beautiful flower on a “coffee” trail in a historical area of my city. I think of you when I take nature photos! Well done!
- on September 12, 2023 at 10:29 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for your kind words. It is so sweet that you think of me when you take nature photos. I encourage everyone I know to take photos, irrespective of the camera or phone that they use to capture the images. Gear is not as important as most people think–seeing is more important.
  - on September 13, 2023 at 7:18 am K.L. Hale
    
    You’re welcome, Mike. It’s my pleasure! Yes, you and one other photographer are the ones I follow consistently. I love your words, “Gear is not as important as most people think–seeing is more important.” Beautiful!
  - on September 13, 2023 at 4:22 pm Mike Powell
    
    Thanks. One of my favorite quotations comes from American photographer Dorothea Lange, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
on September 12, 2023 at 10:54 am | Reply long4h2o

I love the new look composition.
on September 12, 2023 at 3:30 pm | Reply nliakos

Beautiful, Mike. She looks like she’s smiling.