Damselfly

[Steve S]

[Peter Ryan]

Hi Steve,

We see a lot of bugs here but I like this shot. Three is a good number. I would have like it if the tail on the middle one did not touch the lower damsefly but the tones in their body match the rock and background and the blue stands out. It is also nicely sharp. Well done.

[revi]

With the abdomen of the middle one curved like that, there isn't a viewpoint from where it wouldn't touch the lower one... (they are busy with/for the next generation)

edit: also, note the colour difference between middle and lower damselfly

[Dave Humphries]

With the abdomen of the middle one curved like that, there isn't a viewpoint from where it wouldn't touch the lower one... (they are busy with/for the next generation)

How delicately put

Steve, great shot, I know from personal experience; you have to be in the right place at the right time (which also usually means a long time) to get a nice clean composition of this kind of activity. I have some 'yet to be processed' shots of Damsel flies, some like this, but none with this clean a view.

Cheers,

[Donald]

That is a quite amazing image. Don't know how long the 'Activity' lasts, but the patience to work for this shot and then to produce such quality is, for me, jaw-dropping. Quite amazing.

[carregwen]

I have to hand it to you for the patience - I just don't have it. Excellent shot.

[Geoff F]

The second male is just waiting to see if he can replace the connected one. I saw some recently where several males were attempting to push the 'lucky' one to one side.

And if you are really fortunate, the female will bend her abdomen to touch the male and their bodies form a 'wheel' shape.

I did manage a few photos recently but just couldn't get a suitable angle where everything was in sharp focus.

They can actually fly well while in 'tandem' and will stay like that for several minutes.

[Geoff F]

It's a rather poor quality photo, windy with wrong direction light, but here is the Damselfly 'wheel'.



Not so much patience as luck!

[rick55]

It's a rather poor quality photo, . . . .

It's good to see what poor quality is. By the way, that sound you hear all the way from the US is me destroying my 100mm macro lens with a hammer.

Seriously, I can see that it isn't as spectacular as the one you posted to start this thread, which is incredible. But this is an extremely good shot: I'll certainly accept less than perfect lighting and some distraction in the background to get such a rare image. Fantastic, Geoff.

Cheers,
Rick

[Dave Humphries]

OK, I'll show you poor quality, I'm sure I can do it better than Geoff



Only the 'action' and the reflection makes the shot of some interest.

BTW, he didn't drown her, despite what looks like a good attempt, they flew around coupled some more after this.

The other odd thing is looking at him (bluey), you'd be forgiven for thinking he only has 3 wings, and all the other 6 shots looked the same, only in this one is it clear from he reflection he has all 4 and that his 'front left' is present.

Nikon D5000 + Nikkor 70-300mm VR: 1/750s f/8 at 300mm iso400

[Geoff F]

Yes action shots like this are so difficult. By the time I have decided on the correct exposure and focused, it's too late anyway!

That rather looks like a Common Blue Damselfly to me, Dave. Sometimes the female will actually dive completely underwater to find a suitable egg laying spot.

[Steve S]

Thanks guy's , glad you liked the shot. It really wasn't that difficult, prob. just good timing. I noticed they kept landing on the same rock, so i moved into position and waited a few min. and they landed in the same spot again, for a 1.5 meter shot.

I don't take too many shots like this, but the 300 preformed quite admirably. I may have to get an extention tube for it to get in a little closer.

[Geoff F]

Yes, I started macro photography with a Canon 70-300 plus a 25 mm tube. It worked quite well except for a slight loss of light levels. And, of course, a really stable tripod.

If you do disturb a Damselfly or Dragonfly, it is always worth remaining still for a few moments because they often return to the same spot; and sometimes a little closer.

[Dave Humphries]

If you do disturb a Damselfly or Dragonfly, it is always worth remaining still for a few moments because they often return to the same spot; and sometimes a little closer.

Absolutely, that's how I get so close, over about 10 minutes inching closer each time it flies around, to the big ones I have posted recently.