I am a real fan of dragonflies so am really enjoying your photos. I have a question. How do you get them to sit still long enough to get such great shots. They always seem to fly off just as I am about to click.
Some species are virtually impossible, but others are fairly easy once you find the right approach. In general, the skimmers are easiest because they hunt from perches and are relatively tolerant of approach. The basic rules are: approach
low and
slow and
be patient. If a dragonfly takes off as you get closer, just stop and wait. Many species that hunt from perches patrol a very small area and have a handful of favourite perches. If you just stay still and wait, there's a very good chance he will come right back to the same perch within a minute. The longer you're there, the better the chance it will get used to you and stop being so wary. Another generalization is that smaller odes (damselflies or dragonflies) are more tolerant of close approach than larger ones.
Keep in mind that some individuals of any species will, for any number of reasons, just be uncooperative. If you find yourself trying to shoot one of these, save the frustration and just move on. There's probably another one nearby.
BB
