Dragonfly

[Steve S]

This is a full color image. I had some strange light on the background(water) , which made it look like a black and white image.







Since the background looked black and white, i did a b&w conversion as well................

[teokf]

I like both the images

[Bobobird]

I have tons of such shots with similar backgrounds but have always found the colour version always works better. Same feeling here.

[jeeperman]

Very nice image Steve. I too like the color version best. Although the B&W is fairly nice itself.

[RockNGoalStar]

How strange! It really does look like you've desaturated the background... ...It's a very cool shot though

I often wonder about how peoiple get these shots of dragonflies. I've never really tried myself, but do you set up and focus on a particular branch and wait? or do you chase them and wait for them to land?

[Steve S]

I like both the images

Thank you steven.

I have tons of such shots with similar backgrounds but have always found the colour version always works better. Same feeling here.

I agree bobo , I like the color version better as well.

Very nice image Steve. I too like the color version best. Although the B&W is fairly nice itself.

Thanks Paul, color for me as well.

How strange! It really does look like you've desaturated the background... ...It's a very cool shot though

I often wonder about how peoiple get these shots of dragonflies. I've never really tried myself, but do you set up and focus on a particular branch and wait? or do you chase them and wait for them to land?

Thanks tommy.

A little understanding of their behavior is all that is needed. They will often land on the same stick over and over again. Sometimes if they don't land facing the direction I want, i will spook them off the stick and wait for them to come back (just a few min. usually). When they return , they are often facing a different direction.

You can also place sticks in the water for them to land on. Just find a good area with a buch of them buzzing around . Give them a few sticks to land on, and your in business.


What i do, is find the sticks that are being used and then choose the one's with the good backgrounds . I also choose the one's that i can get close enough to fill the frame. ( 5 feet for my 300mm lens.) If there isn't anything available , i will place some sticks in the areas i like.

[pat3pee]

Steve,
Great colours on your dragonfly. The other day I was out in a boat, far out to sea, and was witnessing a couple of these entertaining us on the the master bed +++ And there was even a beetle coming to interfere with the couple at one point.

Patrik

[jprzybyla]

Nice work Steve, I have found the same thing you describe to Tommy regarding them coming back to the same perch/stick.

[Steve S]

Nice shots patrik, yours look like a mating pair of damselfly's.


Thanks joe, they like their favorite sticks.

[pat3pee]

Thank you Steve for your "damselfly" information. This forum is great not only for photographic learning but also for learning more about the objects we photograph. I read up on damselflies and now I can understand that the photos I took of the pair was not copulating but in fact one holding down the other until ready and it also may have been two males, thus the inaction
Patrik