Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Pond life....

[janet Smith]

Damselfly​

You have to be quick these quys don't stay still for long......​

Flag Iris​

I enjoyed photographing these Damselflies, despite getting very muddy! What do you think?

 

[Gary Ayala]

These have a very nice feel ... forever summer ... forever young. I use a spray on superglue to freeze insects for a nice tight macro shot.

Gary






Okay, joking about the superglue ... but truthful about the feel.
G

 

[Clayton Lofgren]

I like the second shot. Being me, I would probably of cropped it too much, but maybe just burned the bright pink flower a bit.

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Hi Janet

You certainly do have to be quick with these beauties. I prefer the first shot, but the others are lovely too. As Gary says, summer days.

Mike

 

[Asher Kelman]

Damselfly​

Perfection, Janet!

Vivid colors, attractive composition and a great specimen of one of the oldest hunters on the planet. I don't know about damselflies, but dragon flies often patrol their territory so one can simply wait for them to come round again and again.

The males of some species have a scoop to get rid of another males sperm before copulating. Dragonflies do so in mid air, the males carrying the female for minutes in the process. Damson flies with the aircarft carrier suitable fold up winds are more civilized and do so parked on a plant.url=http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html]Source[/url]

Even today, there are some dragonflies with wings spans of several feet! They used to be even larger in prehistoric times so I'd imagine they could even attack a small mouse!

This creature is beautiful and the find of it on the daffodil is perfect.

Thanks for sharing!

Asher

Glue spraying an insect? Hmmm!​

 

[janet Smith]

Hello everyone, thank you all for commenting.....

Gary I love your description of "Forever Summer" I think I may use that as a title thank you! and your glue suggestion brought a smile to my face LOL

Thank you Mike, really glad you like them.....

Clayton thank you too, I did wonder about toning down the pink flower, but decided to leave it, I also wondered about cropping the second one, but decided that it was nice to see him/her in their environment and the greens are so vibrant and evocative of summer, I decided to leave it full frame.

Asher, thank you for your fascinating information and kind comments. I really enjoyed trying to photograph these small damselflies, being about 2.5 to 3cm long, they dart around so quickly it's really difficult to keep track of them, I think I'm getting better at it though, patience helps, but next time I'll wear paddle sandals or wellies!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

...Gary I love your description of "Forever Summer" I think I may use that as a title thank you! and your glue suggestion brought a smile to my face LOL

I am not all certain he was actually joking ;-)

...Clayton thank you too, I did wonder about toning down the pink flower, but decided to leave it, I also wondered about cropping the second one, but decided that it was nice to see him/her in their environment and the greens are so vibrant and evocative of summer, I decided to leave it full frame.

To me, the pink flower is a part of the composition. The two brown twigs form together a triangle with the pink flower at its apex. Then the green leaf forms an arch (forming a letter A) upon which the little critter rests. So I'd leave it as is.

...Asher, thank you for your fascinating information and kind comments. I really enjoyed trying to photograph these small damselflies, being about 2.5 to 3cm long, they dart around so quickly it's really difficult to keep track of them, I think I'm getting better at it though, patience helps, but next time I'll wear paddle sandals or wellies!

Wouldn't it be then nice if they were a meter wide? You wouldn't need a macro lens any longer.

Thanks for sharing these sunny, real life pictures

Cheers,

 

[janet Smith]

Wouldn't it be then nice if they were a meter wide? You wouldn't need a macro lens any longer.

Thanks for sharing these sunny, real life pictures

Thanks for your comments Cem, as always very much appreciated, and yes again it would be fantastic if they were a metre wide, although I might find them somewhat intimidating! these small ones are actually quite difficult to see when they're against the sky, they almost blend in, I'll try and get some better shots, without glue

 

[StuartRae]

Hi Jan,

I particularly like the second image. It's nice to see the damselfly in its natural surroundings, without having a lens poked into its eye.

I have a vision of you lying prone in a bog, with a piece of pond-weed on your head, determinedly clutching your precious 5D

Regards,

Stuart

 

[janet Smith]

I have a vision of you lying prone in a bog, with a piece of pond-weed on your head, determinedly clutching your precious 5D

How did you know!........ but you forgot the Iris clenched between my teeth )

 

[Mike Shimwell]

The glue comment reminds me - my Da's secretary's husband some years ago used to make a reasonable supplementary income photogrpahing butterflies. His technique was simple - pop them in the fridge overnight and then place them on the set he had carefuly prepared. As they warm up and strecth their wings - click another perfect shot - and you can always pop them back in the fridge freezer to slow them down if necessary

Mike

 

[janet Smith]

His technique was simple - pop them in the fridge overnight and then place them on the set he had carefuly prepared. As they warm up and strecth their wings - click another perfect shot - and you can always pop them back in the fridge freezer to slow them down if necessary

Mike

Hi Mike

I've wondered if methods like these were used by some, sounds most unpleasant for the butterfly though......