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.
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: