Blue Corporals (Ladona deplanata) are an early-season dragonfly—they appear in April and are usually gone by the beginning of June. I was therefore happy to spot some Blue Corporals in mid-May during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Blue Corporals perches frequently on low flat surfaces, often on the ground, so they are sometimes hard to see when the ground is cluttered, as it often is at this time of the year.
The dragonfly’s “corporal” stripes on his thorax are really visible in the first photos, so I could immediately identify his species. A short time later I was surprised when I saw a Blue Corporal land on a rusty bit of metal sticking out of the water at the edge of a small pond—I haven’t seen Blue Corporals flying over the water very often. I think this might have been a fence post or some kind of marker, because it appeared to be attached to some concrete.
I was absolutely delighted to be able to captures the texture of the rusty metal and the orange-blue complementary colors make this image particularly eye-catching.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
So amazing! Great photo, Mike. I don’t know how you capture such spectacular photos of so tiny a subject as dragonflies. Well done!
Thanks, Suzette. I don’t really have a “secret” way of capturing images of dragonflies, but I am really patient and persistent. I like to move slowly and my eyes are constant scanning for interesting subjects. I love a quotation from photographer Dorothea Lange who stated that “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” Knowledge and experience help me to “see” much better and to react quickly enough to capture a photo.
Great quote and wonderful point about patience, and persistence. Thank you Mike. Have a great day.
Love the final image with the complementary colors of the blue dragonfly (so pretty) and rusty metal (also love some rust)!