Dragonflies and Damselflies

[AlanF]

Beautiful and scientifically interesting series Erik. I have read that large insects like dragonflies have a million neurons. I came across quite a lot of interesting stuff trying to find the number of neurons.
https://listverse.com/2013/04/18/10-surprisingly-brutal-facts-about-dragonflies/
https://elifesciences.org/articles/26478
https://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news93682.html

 

[Erik X]

I came across quite a lot of interesting stuff trying to find the number of neurons.

Thanks Alan. Very interesting, that might explain a thing or two.. I will dig into the facts later
Thanks for the comment Click

 

[AlanF]

It seems that dragonflies have a tracking system that Canon learn from! They are highly involved predators.

 

[martti]

It seems that dragonflies have a tracking system that Canon learn from! They are highly involved predators.

I'd hate to have my 5D4 full of bugs after each outing.
Just saying.

 

[Erik X]

It seems that dragonflies have a tracking system that Canon learn from!

Cool stuff
I wonder what the small pearl-looking objects next to the nose are. And there is something looking like a single optical lens centered in the nose...
The metal pearls looks very much like the germanium lenses used on thermal imaging cameras but it simply can't be. Snakes has thermal vision but since there is no biological material that can act as lens for thermal radiation, they use a 'pit'-sensor which is is more or less a pinhole camera with extremely low resolution.

I read somewhere that dragonflies shake the retina behind the facets to improve resolution beyond 'facet-grid'. So it was quite fun to read the press release from Hasselblad about their new technique to improve resultion from a 50 Mp sensor to 200 Mp.. guess how they do it
https://www.wired.com/2011/05/hasselblad-squeezes-200mp-images-by-shaking-a-50mb-sensor/

 

[Erik X]

Anyway.. Flying makes you happy

F36A5872_DxO_full_1 by Erik Astrom, on Flickr

And the lady in red, isn't she a beauty? Kind of

[url=https://flic.kr/p/28e4sLG]F36A4477_DxO_full-1 by Erik Astrom, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[Click]

Nice shots. Well done, Erik.

 

[AlanF]

Anyway.. Flying makes you happy

by Erik Astrom, on Flickr

And the lady in red, isn't she a beauty? Kind of

by Erik Astrom, on Flickr

Keep at it Erik!

 

[applecider]

Erik I checked out your flicker pages and gave you some well deserved favs.

I'm really trying to do birds but these guys keep showing up instead.

This is a blue dasher eating a damselfly probably... based on other unposted shots.

The quality of the photos here is getting too good, I'm embarrassed to post my humble guns. Keep up the good work but post a thumb shot or a shutter cap every once in a while, please.

 

[Click]

Very nice shots, applecider.

 

[AlanF]

Gorgeous blues and greens!

 

[Pieter]

Great to see all these !!

Wandering Glider in flight

Mating wheel - Wandering Gliders

 

[Pieter]

Immature Black Meadowhawk - the wings are not yet fully transparent

 

[Pieter]

Dew-covered Meadowhawk


Emperor Dragonfly laying eggs.
I'll stop now - sorry for taking up all this space! I did a little book on dragonfly photography a few years ago - hence my enthusiasm ;-)

Used a 40D, 5D III, or 7D II, with the 100 f2.8 macro or the 300mm f/4L.

 

[Pieter]

OK one more: very young (probably just a few days old) and tiny nymph of a Meadowhawk, under water.

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Pieter. Well done.

 

[Erik X]

At a certain point, photos become magic. I think we are there..
Great shots Pieter and Applecider!

Oh, I think I'm running out of in-flight pictures, it has to be a sitting duck (or actually a couple) this time

[url=https://flic.kr/p/21v6qRB]F36A9350_DxO_full by Erik Astrom, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[Click]

Beautiful. Well done, Erik.

 

[Erik X]

Nordic Emerald. Nice green eyes..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/29JkM3G]F36A5096_DxO_full by Erik Astrom, on Flickr[/URL]

 

[Maximilian]

Immature Black Meadowhawk - the wings are not yet fully transparent

Lovely detail shot. Great work!