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26.01.09
Photographing dragonflies
Words by Andy Dearn
The dragonfly is one of nature’s most colourful summer sights and a challenging subject for your camera skills.
Dragonflies also have the advantage that so far as indigenous insects are concerned, they are quite large. So while it’s true that you still need a macro lens or at least a close-focusing telephoto, you don’t have to get too close.
It’s possible to see dragonflies just about anywhere in the UK, but really you need to be near water to be able to find them reliably and the more unpolluted the water, the better. Different species prefer different types of bodies of water – the common hawker and black darter like acid pools for example, so you will not find them in ponds fed by chalk streams. Well-known locations which I visit and are worth considering include the Welney Wetlands in Norfolk and the Blue Pool, arguably Dorset’s best-kept secret.
How you approach the subject, naturally, is entirely up to you. I prefer to capture dragonflies by stalking my chosen specimen, as it will eventually need to settle to soak up the sun’s rays. I prefer photography without a tripod so I am much more mobile and can quickly stick my lens in the creature’s face at any conceivable angle, shoot and then continue with the chase as it inevitably flies away.
This method might not suit you or even be practical so the other way is to identify their regular perch, set the camera up in position on a tripod and wait for your subject to reappear. A dragonfly’s senses are geared up for motion so if you set up and stay motionless, they don’t even know you are there.
Dragonflies like warm, sunny days with not too much wind. Wait until late in the afternoon or for dusk, which is when they usually take in one long sunning session before disappearing for the night.
I use a 50mm macro lens on my cropped sensor Canon EOS 30D so it’s equivalent to a focal length of 80mm, but you could use a longer telephoto with a teleconverter or perhaps fitted with extension tubes or a close-up lens. This will enable reasonably good frame-filling shots. I set quality mode to Raw so if I need to crop I start with the best possible quality file.
At close distances, depth-of-field is obviously limited even when the lens is well stopped down so focus has to be critical. However, I prefer not to stop down too much anyway because very small apertures can give soft images due to diffraction as well as give too much definition to the background.
Manual focus is the way to go. Autofocus often struggles and hunts when you move in close and it’s possible to miss the shot. I pre-focus manually and move the camera to and from the subject to achieve accurate focus. It’s a technique that takes some practice and a steady hand.
Personally, I meter manually with the shutter speed set to a minimum of 1/80sec with my 50mm macro lens. I generally use ISO 400, the maximum ISO I consider before noise becomes too obvious. If noise becomes an issue I use the Neat Image noise reduction plug-in (www.neatimage.com). Often I use flash too, just the camera’s in-built unit. Check out the Kit bag panel to find out more (previous page). Finally, I suggest taking some insect repellent if you’re susceptible to being bitten.
KIT BAG
While we all appreciate the failings of the built-in flash – lack of power, harsh light, too close to the lens axis leading to red-eye etc – for macro subjects its positioning is almost perfect. It still needs help though. I cover it with a LumiQuest Soft Screen. This gadget slips onto the camera hotshoe and softens the light from the integral flashgun just like a softbox. If you haven’t got a Soft Screen, try a piece of white (unused!) tissue folded a few times.
Beware of lens hoods when using this technique as they could obscure some of the flashlight or even cast a nasty shadow over the subject.
ON THE WING
David Plummer is a pro photographer (davidplummerimages.co.uk) who loves to take images of dragonflies in flight.
“I do it without using flight tunnels or infrared beams, so it’s a potentially frustrating task, but the results, with a little persistence and practice, can be spectacular.
“Knowing your subject is paramount in wildlife photography. I’ve discovered that some species are easier than others to shoot. Different species have different habits; the emperor, for example, will aggressively challenge any other emperor entering its territory and is a fast and active flier. The migrant hawker, however, will do the same, but flies in much more predictable and closed flight patterns. I have had success targeting this particular species.
“I use a long lens, 500mm, mainly because the dragonfly won’t let you get too close, and the camera on a tripod with a fluid head. An advantage of a long lens means that my movement to keep the dragonfly in frame is less. For example an object moving 20cm left and right when it’s four metres from the camera moves relatively less than an object moving the same distance, but only 0.5m from the camera. This means that I don’t need to swing the camera about too much to keep the insect in frame.
“I also use a 1.4x teleconverter, which gives me added magnification without sacrificing my minimum focusing distance, and manually focus. However, there is a one-stop light loss to bear in mind.
“The camera is also set to high speed continuous shooting. Expect a high failure rate – I get one in every 30 or so but the more I work at it the higher my success rate.”
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