Dragonfly Inflight Shots

[Tormentil]

Having nowt better to do on this 'orrible wet morning (the ironing can wait), I've been having a shufties through the Dragon/Damselfly Gallery and there's some great "inflight" dragonfly shots. Whats the best technique/tips for getting these?

Oh, and has anyone ever got "inflight" shots of damselflies ?

[ron1863]

Hi Ben, I tried to shoot some the other day and reckon you need lots of patience, a sunny day, a high shutter speed and lady luck. I sat for the afternoon at a moorland pool watching some four spotted chasers, they always rested on their own reed stem and hovered for a few seconds a couple of feet away from it before landing, the only problem was that they didn't always hover in the same place. I would get one in shot and just as I was about to take the shot they were off. The best shot I got was the back half of one. Still, there's always the next time.

[dmclean2]

Iv'e got some beauts at rest but never managed to get one in-flight, so to speak . I'll have to settle down beside a pond and patiently wait,
just like you ,Ron
We'll just have to keep on trying,
Duncan

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by dmclean2

Iv'e got some beauts at rest but never managed to get one in-flight, so to speak . I'll have to settle down beside a pond and patiently wait,
just like you ,Ron
We'll just have to keep on trying,
Duncan

Yes Duncan, if it's nice tomorrow I will have a try, but they are so very very fast.

[Ferret]

I watched and chatted with somebody at Barn Elms Reserve who was doing this very successfully a couple of years ago and made some notes even though at the time I did not have an SLR. He was using a Canon 20D and Canon 100-400 image stabilised zoom, the camera was set on shutter priority (Tv) with a shutter speed of 1/500th sec, it was a bright sunny day, he was using auto focus set on the centre focus point and the shutter button set to continuous shooting. He was using the camera hand held and picking a place where dragonflies were regularly hovering and then with the lens at its widest angle he would pick up and follow the dragonflies using manual focus until they hovered, he would then zoom in and let the auto focus take over while taking a burst of 5/6 shots. He had some stunning shots. There where of course a lot of unsatisfactory shots but his success rate was surprisingly high.
I now have this lens myself but unfortunately only the 350D body, this combination does not focus nearly as fast as the 20D, but I will still be having a go as soon as I have a day off when it is not raining or overcast.

[matt_xyz]

my best tip Ben is to wait until the Migrant Hawkers emerge later in the summer as these tend to hover a lot more than other species. They are therefore a lot easier to photograph in-flight.

I have had the best success using my 400mm lens (with an extension tube fitted to reduce the minimum focus distance). Other long lenses like the Bigma or 100-400 wouldn't need this extension tube. With a lens of this nature it then becomes just like photographing birds in flight, they're just a bit smaller that's all . So use AF-servo and try to keep your shutter speed up.

A small amount of fill-flash can also help in some situations.

I've also used my Sigma 150 but you tend to have to crop a bit as it's not easy to get the large in the frame.

Matt

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

........it then becomes just like photographing birds in flight, they're just a bit smaller that's all . ......

I aint mastered that yet Matt.

Thanks for all the advice folks. I'll certainly give it a whirl this summer, but don't watch this space.

[Tormentil]

Well, I had ago at getting a 4-spotted Chaser this morning. Failed miserably.
Even though it kept coming back to the same 'perch' and I had a rough idea of the area it hovered in, I found it hard to keep track of it.



I take my hat off to you people who'ved managed it. But I will persevere and one of these days I'll get one.

[Harry Eales]

I'd suggest a good digital camera with at least a 2 gig disc drive and a sack full of batteries. Your then 'loaded for bear' as our American friends say. A rapid fire button is also handy.

Putting up rushes or reeds as vantage or resting points points will help as you can get focus'ed in on them, and then wait for the D/flies to arrive.

Expect one reasonable picture for every 100 shot. lol. The experts don't tell you that, but they want you to believe they get good shots every time.

Harry

[Heart-shaped World]

Matt's taken the words from my mouth! Second best, so far, seem to be Southern Hawkers/Downy Emeralds and then tandem ovipositing Darters.
My back doesn't let me play this game for long though!