A Dragonfly Update and a Project

I want to tell you about the little project I mentioned in my last post, but first here's a short update on another post. In the Monday Dragons and Damsels post I told you about the Calico Pennants, both the male and the female. If you recall I ended by saying I hoped they would make a suitable 'Love Connection' as we could use quite a few more of the Calico's around in the coming years.

Well, you guessed it, they did. Not only did I see the female obviously laying eggs on her own one day, but the next day I also saw a pair of them flying in tandem which indicates a probable mating.

Now you have to understand that this photo was taken with them flying past at maybe 10MPH or more and they were about 8-10 feet out over the water. That's not exactly a prime photo opportunity with such little subjects that are less than 3 inches wide. Actually, I couldn't believe it came out as well as it did considering I only took one quick shot as they zoomed by. It was just a lucky capture.
Needless to say, we are pleased that we may have a thriving colony of Calico Pennants in the future.

Now back to the project. Often readers comment on the dragonfly and damselfly photo's here on the blog and some say they try to (or would like to) take a few, but they are not successful. I've answered these comments from time to time with modest suggestions on some of the things that have worked for me. I eventually decided that maybe I should write up some of those tips and provide a link to them.

I am strictly an amateur as far as photography goes, especially on the technical side. These are not technical tips. They are really for other amateurs, like myself, who perhaps want to expand their photo taking experiences.

I have posted the tips on another site and invite you to check them out if you have an interest in maybe taking some dragon and damsel (or other insects) photo's of your own. (Be sure to check out the 'Let Them Come To You' tip. It is the most practical tip for capturing dragonflies.) The tips are still a work in progress and I would appreciate any comments about them. I would especially like any simple, similar tips that you may have that you would like to share.

You can find the tips here:
Tips From an Amateur Photographer