While walking early in the morning at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, I spotted a delicate damselfly perched on a plant. Its folded wings shimmered with tiny droplets of dew. I quickly reached for my camera, excited to capture this fleeting moment.
Wildlife Notes
I love photographing insects covered in dew. The water droplets act like tiny lenses, catching and reflecting the morning light. They create a sparkling effect that adds beauty to an already graceful subject.
This isn’t my first dew encounter. I once photographed a pair of mating grasshoppers covered in dew (see my post here). Each time, the moisture adds a short-lived magic that vanishes when the sun climbs higher.
Damselflies are fascinating insects. They rest with wings closed and often perch low among grasses near ponds and wetlands. The dew reveals fine textures on their wings and bodies that are usually invisible in dry light.
Photography Notes
I took this photo with my Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF 100–500mm lens. I used the full 500mm reach and crouched to stay parallel with the damselfly’s body. Morning light can be challenging, but the diffused glow from surrounding vegetation softened the highlights.
Camera Settings:
- Focal Length: 500mm
- Aperture: f/8
- Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec
- ISO: 2500
- Exposure Compensation: –0.3
Capturing insects requires patience and a gentle approach. I always wait quietly for them to settle into a pleasing position and take care not to disturb them. That still moment in nature often becomes the most rewarding part of the experience.
A Fleeting Morning Scene
The dew-covered damselfly reminded me how brief these moments are. Within minutes, the droplets were gone, leaving only memory and photographs. Encounters like this make early mornings at Sequoyah NWR so worthwhile.