Common Blue Dasher dragonfly

Many of the dragonflies we saw today had ragged wings (this one had just a little bit of wear and tear). With macro shots, you have to make a decision what you want in focus most of the time, particularly with objects that aren’t relatively flat (for instance, if you shoot overhead on top of a daisy or parallel to a sunflower, you’re going to get a wide range of the image in perfect focus). In the case of this dragonfly, I focused on the body and the head. That meant the wings were going to be less in focus. Photography really is all about decisions like these and sharing your vision of the world.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Common Blue Dasher dragonfly

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Common Blue Dasher dragonflies

Ready yourself for an onslaught of Common Blue Dasher dragonfly shots (last week I inundated you with Slaty Skimmer dragonfly images from Kenilworth)…quick trip to McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, MD with my friend Michael Powell (visit his nature photography blog here). We may have avoided morning traffic by leaving later, but we sure did endure some increasingly hot weather. We started at a different parking area than normal—this area had a large pond and a gazillion (no exaggeration) Common Blue dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) perched on every stick I passed by! I like this image because it shows another dragonfly way out of focus in the background in stark contrast to the sharply-focused one in the foreground.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

And now for something completely different…

And now for something completely different—a “dragonfly tree” in silhouette! Common Blue Dasher dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis), photographed at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, MD.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

The studio effect

With the sky full of clouds and very washed out during the heat of the day, doesn’t this look like I invited this Common Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) into my studio for a portrait session against a white backdrop? Pretty awesome and unexpected effect!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Michael Schwehr, The Dragonfly Whisperer

This afternoon I went with my Michael (Schwehr) and our friend and neighbor (the other Michael—my photography student) to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens to photograph flowers and insects. I eventually got separated from the two Michaels and they headed to one of the ponds on the property. Michael (Powell) was photographing this Common Blue Dasher dragonfly on a leaf and when he was done, Michael (Schwehr) put his finger out to see if the dragonfly would hop on it. To his surprise, it did. It flew away a few times and returned to his finger each time! A couple walking by came over to see what the two Michaels were doing and took a photo of the dragonfly. The husband extended his hand to see if the dragonfly would land on him, but it kept coming back to Michael (Schwehr), earning him the nickname “Dragonfly Whisperer” from Michael (Powell), who also shot these images of the whisperer in action. Hey, Cesar has The Dog Whisperer show…reckon there would be any interest in a Dragonfly Whisperer show?

Photos © Michael Q. Powell