Dragonflies and Damselflies

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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First downy emerald DIF this year.
Last year they were really nasty and I didn't get much chances.
This year they were really nice but my skills had to wake up again.
Still pretty difficult light: ISO3200, 1/1250, f/8, I would have preferred to stay below ISO2000

View attachment 198230
The Green Eyed and the Downy Emerald are new ones for me. Well done!
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Apr 30, 2017
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I just wanted to check how a dragonfly at 1000mm will look like.
Common Darter (I guess)
RF 100-500 +2.X extender from about 3m away.
View attachment 198206
:D:D looks pretty good to me, just don't push the colors to much (on other hand it's your choice: if you like it that way - go on!).
 
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:D:D looks pretty good to me, just don't push the colors to much (on other hand it's your choice: if you like it that way - go on!).
Thanks a lot. I'll try to go close to what I see. I was told that looking through eye glasses that change the shade with light is no good for photography because the perceived color is not what it actually is. Perhaps that is the reason. I'll try to remember your advice. Thanks.
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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I went out today to catch some Banded Demoiselles in flight, and decided to dig out a DSLR for the job as it needs an AF that can pick out a very erratic and fast moving subject against a background and I wasn't sure mirrorless woud be up to it. Here are a couple of shots of one in full flight at just the right angle to have the tail and head in perfect focus. I am going to keep a DSLR for difficult dragonfly shots.

DSC_2197-DxO_Banded_demoiselle_flying-lssm.jpegDSC_2196-DxO_Banded_demoiselle_flying-lssm.jpeg
 
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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
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Nov 7, 2013
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I went out today to catch some Banded Demoiselles in flight,
Great shots again, Alan :love:

... decided to dig out a DSLR for the job as it needs an AF that can pick out a very erratic and fast moving subject against a background and I wasn't sure mirrorless woud be up to it. ...
But that was the question "we all" were waiting for. o_O :ROFLMAO: So please, next time take your R5 with you, too. ;)
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Using comments from Maximilian in the Bird Portraits thread and knowing the dragonfly species in the pond, I guess this nymph is that of an Emperor dragonfly (taken with the 500 Prime and x2 in post - I'll try the R5 for DIF soon, it didn't work last time for Banded Demoiselles but I got a great shot with the 100-400mm II of a flying Emperor last year. The R5 has definitely a better rate for swimming birds).

DSC_2176-DxO_Little_Grebe+Nymph_crop_cmc2_00x.jpg
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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R5 + 100-500mm for DIF. Well, I didn't get any Banded Demoiselles and will try again - they are very, very difficult. I did get Emperor Dragonflies. There were some hovering ones I didn't get where the R5 got stuck on the background and I think my 5DSR or Nikon D850 would have got. But, I got ones in real flight and the AF locked on against a cleaner background and didn't let go. Here's a selection, and I wasn't focussing on where I knew they were going to return etc, but these were real in flight pics309A5922-DxO_emperor_dragonfly_flying-lssm.jpg309A5942-DxO_emperor_dragonfly_flying-lssm.jpg309A6000-DxO_emperor_dragonfly_flying-lssm.jpg309A6027-DxO_emperor_dragonfly_flying-lssm.jpg.
 
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