Fiery Dragon Fly, Laos PDR

[tmaterman]

http://www.pbase.com/image/24087569

[pstewart]

This red dragonfly is amazing! Where do you live? I've never seen one that color around here.

What lens are you using to get these great close ups? Any tips for good close up photography? I just got a new Digital Rebel and an all purpose lens that has a macro feature. But I suspect you have a better lens, right?

Phyllis

[tmaterman]

I use a Canon G3 on macro setting - the most trick is to have enough light to use a high enough shutter speed to handhold as setting up a tripod usually means your subject has got bored and left you with a nice leaf to photograph instead. Oh and I always use manual focus and move the camera in and out to focus. The nicest thing about the G3 and any digital camera with a small CCD is it's increased depth of field for macro which allows you to have most of the subject in focus even with a relatively large aperture. The downside is that you have to be more aware of distracting background details interfering with the final composition.

Both photos were taken in Laos.

[garrie_rouse]

The red dragonfly is striking. We have a similar, orange-red one that inhabits the freshwater tidal marshes of the Chesapeake Bay, but I have not had the occasion/perserverence to photograph it. Its a tough challenge to catch these guys "on the wing". That is why I prefer plants for my macro photography.

Garrie

http://www.pbase.com/garrie_rouse/flora

PS - I'm thinking your second photo is of a damsel fly (a close relative of the dragon fly), but I'm no expert.

PSS - Your pictures from Laos are colorful and dramatic. I expected to see more dragonflies when I went to your gallery, but was duly impressed with the diversity of your subject matter. Were they all taken with the G3?

[fastuno]

http://www.pbase.com/fastuno

http://www.pbase.com/fastuno

[455rocket]

I have a few Conneticut dragon/damsel fly shots in my
http://www.pbase.com/455rocket/mainly_insects
gallery nothing as fiery as your Laos species (I'd love to photograph one like that!) but quite nice. Here's a few of them.