I photograph lots of Dragonflies during the summer here in Arkansas. I try to get different angles so that you can see up close how these insects look.

Face to Face With Dragonfly
Face to Face With Dragonfly
Eye to Eye With Dragonfly
Eye to Eye With Dragonfly

Many dragonflies are territorial, especially males. Some protect a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against other types of insects. More than likely, if I discover one in an area, it will stay in this area.

A specific perch can offer a nice perspective of an insect-rich feeding ground to a dragonfly. If you find a perch like this you can sit near it and wait. I have done this several times and have gotten nice photos.

I have no clue what type of Dragonflies these are. If you can help with the ID please post a comment below or on Facebook.

How I Got The Shot – Face to Face With Dragonfly

I was on a photo walk at my place near the Ouachita National Forest here in Arkansas. The first Dragonfly let me get close to get this shot. When I first approached it, it was facing sideways to me. When I moved closer it flew but came back facing me. I was able to take several photos before moving to the next one. The second one did the same but it never turned sideways.

My Fujifilm X-T3 Camera has a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro. I use a BlackRapid Camera Strap to carry this camera and lens.

Camera Settings For First Dragonfly

  • AV Mode
  • Back-button Focus
  • Auto White Balance
  • Multi Metering
  • Single Point, Continuous Auto Focus
  • Aperture f8
  • ISO 1600
  • Shutter speed 1/1100 of a second
  • -1.0 exposure value
  • Focal Length 400 mm

Here are a couple more Dragonflies I photographed this summer here in Arkansas and Oklahoma:

  1. Dragonfly On Dew Covered Leaf
  2. Male Widow Skimmer Dragonfly