While taking an early morning stroll at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma a few days ago, I came across a beautiful damselfly perched on a plant. Its wings were folded delicately on its back and its body glistened with droplets of dew. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos, thrilled to have encountered this short-lived scene.
As a nature photographer, I love capturing insects covered in dew. The water droplets add an extra element of visual interest and beauty. The droplets act like tiny lenses that reflect and refract the light, creating a sparkling effect.
This isn’t the first time I’ve photographed a dew-laden insect. A while back, I captured a pair of mating grasshoppers and one of the grasshoppers was coated in dew. That was an equally serendipitous photo opportunity, which I wrote about here [Dew-Covered Mating Grasshopper].
There’s something about the delicate, temporary nature of dew that makes photographic subjects like these damselflies even more magical to me. The dew evaporates so quickly under the morning sun. You have to be ready in the right place at the right time to catch that glistening, dreamlike look.
I find damselflies themselves to be fascinating subjects to photograph. Their intricate wing patterns, and slender bodies make for wonderful close-up images.
Photographing insects requires patience and care. I use my lens to get up close while still keeping a respectful distance from the insects. I’ll wait as long as needed for an insect to land in a photogenic spot. And I’m always conscious not to disturb or harm them.
Part of the reward of wildlife photography is having the chance to observe delicate creatures up close. That quiet time spent watching and photographing damselflies allows me to appreciate the small wonders of nature. I’m so glad I was able to capture the beauty of this dew-drenched damselfly on an Oklahoma morning. It was a fleeting moment of magic.
Steve Creek, Wildlife Photographer
Image Information:
- Date: 9/26/23
- Time: 8:24 AM
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
- ISO: 2500
- Aperture: 8
- Shutter: 1/800
- Exp. Comp.: -0.3
- Program: Manual