Dang they are fast

[WoodButcher]

I was hanging out with Scott (M38A1) and happened to have a camera handy, go figure. I had the 70-200mm lens on and there were some dragonflies hanging around. Of course it turned into a challenge. He didn't think my camera was fast enough to focus on them, nor could I track them. This shot is a crop of the image I got. Basically the middle section of the image. I had about a 50% hit rate. The ones with anything behind then it focused on the background. Clear sky and the hit ratio was higher. They were between 15 and 30 feet away and overhead.

The body is not super sharp, but I was amazed that there is wing detail. Click on the image to see it larger.

 

[Windmill]

Very good shot of dragonfly great in flight detail

 

[garfey]

Dragonflies are KOOL!

I got "caught" in a hatching once, on Fort Story in Virginia Beach, VA - hundreds of them, maybe thousands, coming out of the Sea Oats or sand or somewhere in the dunes. Unfortunately I was in a rush to get somewhere, as were all the other folk on the road, and many never made it inland.

Nice pic!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Oh man, good shot.

 

[M38A1]

While watching Rusty pointing at the sky trying to focus on these guys with his 70-200 and go-fast button on, I couldn't help but be reminded of this...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdNMrDeeVo"]Naval Gatling Gun In Action • The Phalanx CIWS - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SpiritAtBay]

Dragonflies are i deed very cool. Very cool that you could catch them in flight.

Interesting, Scott that you thought of a military analogy. (Well, if you know Scott, it isn't surprising ...Anyway,,, dragonflies are incredible fliers able to mask their flight paths to deceive an enemy dragonfly--they will fly in such a way that they appear to be going away when in fact, they are approaching. The target doesnt detect the approach until it is almost too late. With better cameras scientists have documented these techniques and military types are applying them to modern warfare. Or so I've heard...

Thanks for posting that pic, Rusty.

 

[M38A1]

Well that is cool information about evasion techniques. Learned something new today!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Why do I feel a youtube binge coming on?

 

[tshelfer]

Last September next to a Colorado lake, I spent about 3 hours shooting dragonflies. I probably took 200 pictures, and ended up with 3 or 4 satisfactory ones. Speedy little devils, they are.