# Some dragonfly pictures



## rawrmonster91 (Jul 24, 2008)

I know some of them are kinda dark, and I have a lot of practice to do...I just started photographing them about 2 months ago.
If anyone has any sugg. on how to make them better or techniques I can use, they'd be highly apprieciated.

Thanks.


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## d-ran (Jul 24, 2008)

Very nice!, I've been trying to get some pics of some dragonflys for about a month. They move alot lol. I sometimes have problems focusing on them too, if there out on a branch or something it acts as if theres nothing there, meaning it focuses on the backround sometimes. I like the first the third the best. The one on the rock with the brook backround would have been nice if it wasnt so dark and blended in so well.


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## NateS (Jul 24, 2008)

What gear are you using.  If you have a DSLR, a hot shoe or off camera flash would probably help a bunch.  I've yet to shoot dragonflies, but have shot bees and butterflies which move around a bunch.  The diffused flash really helps stop their action and helps darken the ambient light in the background for better isolation.

For starter photos, I think these aren't too bad.  Dragonflies are really pretty up close and if I could ever find any I'd love to try shooting them (not with a gun).


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## Trenton Romulox (Jul 24, 2008)

The first and third are my favorites. They are a very pretty insect, and the first and third really show off their environments well. Keep practicing and you'll get better and better shots.


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## rawrmonster91 (Jul 24, 2008)

d-ran said:


> Very nice!, I've been trying to get some pics of some dragonflys for about a month. They move alot lol. I sometimes have problems focusing on them too, if there out on a branch or something it acts as if theres nothing there, meaning it focuses on the backround sometimes. I like the first the third the best. The one on the rock with the brook backround would have been nice if it wasnt so dark and blended in so well.




I've had the same problem with photographing them in the environment... Especially in the first one, with the green. It wanted to focus on that, because it was brighter and the dragonfly was just so little. :/ I managed to get it after I put my setting on supermacro and got close.


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## rawrmonster91 (Jul 24, 2008)

NateS said:


> What gear are you using.  If you have a DSLR, a hot shoe or off camera flash would probably help a bunch.  I've yet to shoot dragonflies, but have shot bees and butterflies which move around a bunch.  The diffused flash really helps stop their action and helps darken the ambient light in the background for better isolation.
> 
> For starter photos, I think these aren't too bad.  Dragonflies are really pretty up close and if I could ever find any I'd love to try shooting them (not with a gun).




I have the Fuji Finepix S1000fd...I seriously don't know if it's a DSLR or not, I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I use my camera on manual at all times. I never considered using a flash to captrue the picture... I'll have to try that on my next walk. Thanks!


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## d-ran (Jul 24, 2008)

rawrmonster91 said:


> I've had the same problem with photographing them in the environment... Especially in the first one, with the green. It wanted to focus on that, because it was brighter and the dragonfly was just so little. :/ I managed to get it after I put my setting on supermacro and got close.


 I actually just tried that on a spider tonight, might work on the dragonflys. I'll have to try it this weekend, thanks for the tip.:thumbup:


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## tpe (Jul 25, 2008)

In the ones where you have the light behind the subject even the on camera flash can be very effective as a fill light, then you get to keep the background lit too, personally i am only for black backgrounds half the time, but it allows getting a smaller apperture, and therefore more of the subject in focus. With small subjects like this the increased depth of feild of focus from using a larger f number with the smaller apperture can be crucial. If you use a flash you can usually knock up the f stops pretty high, get more in focus, and then a dark backgound can be difficult to avoid, it can make for a startling picture though.

tim


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## mrnicks (Dec 31, 2008)

I like your pictures.  I think they're pretty good.  I shot some bees with my s1000fd and they came out pretty good.  That's definitely a good learning camera.  keep on shooting.


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