A Much-Buffeted Damselfly Ischnura ? elegans

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Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

A Much-Buffeted Damselfly Ischnura ? elegans

Post by Harold Gough »

I was wading in the brook at the end of my garden, looking for a dragonfly I knew had a territory there. I did get glimpses but no photographs.

There had been sunsihine but that had changed to overcast and there was a constant, much-gusting breeze.

I had noticed this small damselfly which was perched, motionles (relative to the leaf), on a leaf of a shrub and it was clearly waiting for the sun to reappear. The leaf on which it was resting was constantly moving up and down and/or towards and away from me. Even during the few moments when the leaf was still, I couldn't seem to get the body and the head in good focus at the same time, to my satisfaction, at the same time, although they were in line.

I took many shots, discarding many at the scene and more after downloading. This is the best of them, shot at just under life size.

I believe it to be a female of Ischnura elegans, closest to the form infuscans.

Image

E-P2, Leitz Wetzlar Elmarit 60mm macro 1/80 f8, iso 400, hand held.

Harold
Last edited by Harold Gough on Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

DQE
Posts: 1653
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:33 pm
Location: near Portland, Maine, USA

Post by DQE »

What a beautiful creature!

Dragons and damsels are so elegant...I wish I could figure out how to stalk/approach them. I'm convinced that regular dragon photographers have magic powers.
-Phil

"Diffraction never sleeps"

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

DQE wrote:What a beautiful creature!

Dragons and damsels are so elegant...I wish I could figure out how to stalk/approach them. I'm convinced that regular dragon photographers have magic powers.
Phil,

What is needed varies with species and with circumstances. The female Hawker I wanted to photograph was very interested in what I was. So long as I made no sudden, large moves or gestures, she seemed relaxed in my presence. Darters (the small dragonflies) love to perch on, e.g a stiff, dead flower stem and will usually return to it frequently, if you position youself within shooting distance. The larger damselflies do much the same (I am still learning). Essentially, if you become "part of the furniture", and remain boring, you should get a good level of success, including the occasional 1:1. Once you are in really close (50-60mm) you can often get quite a series of shots of the same individual. (Don't fiddle with buttons- the lack of a film advance lever is one of the advantages of digital).

Mostly, my problem is finding them when they are not active in the sun, in duller weather.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

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