dragonflies - posting pics at last!

[Madweasel]

Hi all,
I've finally got round to posting some of my own pics (needed my wife to show me how to do it!). All of these were taken this year in my own garden, where I have a wildlife pond that the dragonflies like. Emperors, Broad-Bodied Chasers, and Common Darters emerge each year, and we are visited by Southern Hawkers and this year Migrant Hawkers (which I earlier mistook for Brown Hawkers).

My photography of dragonflies in flight has improved through the summer as I've got to grips with my 30D. Close-ups are taken with my old manual-focus Tamron 90mm f/2.5, and all the flight ones are with the 70-200 f/4L, manual focus, with a high ISO (usually 800-1000) and a shutter speed around 1/2000 - 1/4000.

All are natural light and they have been cropped from the original to varying degrees, which is why some may look a little grainy. The one I chose for my avatar is here, but that was one of my first successes and I think some of my later efforts are better. I'd be interested to know what the experts who post here think.

1. Newly-emerged male Broad-Bodied Chaser:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_001.jpg

2. Female Emperor, laying eggs to keep the pond stocked with those voracious nymphs!
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_002.jpg

3. Common Darter - my avatar pic:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_004.jpg

4. Migrant Hawker - I don't know if I'd seen one before, because it's only by the photo that I've been able to identify it:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_007.jpg

5. Migrant Hawker, making a high-g turn! See how he keeps his head level, though his body is viewed from the top:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_008.jpg

6. Southern Hawker, gliding:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_010.jpg

7. Southern Hawker, turning:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_014.jpg

8. Common Darter, against the light:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i192/garlicpickle/Canon/Dragonfly_012.jpg

Cheers,

[racketman]

very nice lighting in the first two, feel i'd get wet if I touched the water on my screen. So thats an Emperor.

[Canonada]

Excellent shots. I know how difficult it is to catch critters in flight. I also like the guy sitting on the lily pad. Very good dof.

Joe

[Epluim]

Those are pretty fantastic. I am always impressed when people take pictures of bugs in flight.

[Standard Browser]

Great shots
Capturing these things in flight must be really hard. Never tried it my self cos they move too fast.
Never knew they kept their heads level when making a turn.
#2 & #3 are my favorites with #6 close

[Alex Paul]

Nice work Mark.....Alex

[LordV]

Good shots- esp on the in flight shots
Brian V.

[lcpete]

Hi
Really nice shots I love natural light shots
I wish we had dragonflies like that in our garden we have a pond but its probaly not large enough
Very good in flight shots too I have not managed one yet but I always have the macro lens on when looking for dragonflies and damselflies.
Pete

[MagicallyDelicious]

some great shots.

Love the detail in the wings!

[dpastern]

Nice series of images, my fave is #2. Good in flight shots. I saw my first dragonfly/damselfly yesterday (was too far away to clearly identify it), but was at a friends place for dinner, so couldn't go taking off taking pictures.

Dave