Photography, the flight of the dragon fly

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Discussion Overview

This discussion centers around the challenges and techniques involved in capturing photographs of flying dragonflies, particularly focusing on the behavior of dragonflies during flight and the equipment used for such photography.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a photograph of a dragonfly, highlighting the difficulty of capturing such images due to the insect's erratic flight patterns.
  • Another participant expresses admiration for the photograph and shares their own struggles with capturing motion in photography.
  • A participant discusses the importance of camera equipment, noting an upgrade from a Canon EOS 550D to a faster Canon 7D to better capture fast-moving subjects.
  • There is a mention of dragonflies maintaining a horizontal head position during steep maneuvers, as explained by an entomology institute.
  • A comparison is made between dragonfly behavior and that of chickens, specifically regarding head stabilization during movement.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express appreciation for the photography and share insights about dragonfly behavior, but there is no explicit consensus on the technical aspects of capturing such images or the implications of the dragonfly's flight mechanics.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about the capabilities of different camera models and the subjective nature of photographic success, which may vary based on individual experience and technique.

Who May Find This Useful

Photography enthusiasts, particularly those interested in wildlife photography, as well as individuals curious about insect behavior and flight mechanics.

Andre
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The other day I posted this in the France thread:

Andre said:
...

And now, today I made the pic finally, which I had in mind when I bought this camera, a flying dragonfly. One of the most challenging ever.

I have seen more flying dragon flies and certainly in better quality, but I never have seen anything like this before:

20v0qpk.jpg


See what I mean?

I sent the pic to an entomology institute, asking about this behavior and got a quick reply. It is asserted that dragon flies avoid desorientation with keeping the head horizontal during steep manoeuvres. Actually this tilt is from an unstable hover, jumping left and right. This jump can be seen in the last two of this short series that I shot with 8 frames per second. So it took the dragonfly some 0,125 sec to reposition.

1:
10ykndh.jpg


2:
jue0ip.jpg


3: now we see a slight tilt of the body to the left, head remaining horizontal:
6qlf14.jpg


4: and the jump
2rpzall.jpg


The first shot is promoted to my best dragonfly shot. Here is a 100% size crop:

nbrtee.jpg
 
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Andre, the picture looks awesome! I can't believe you were able to capture it so well. I really like the second picture. I'm still having trouble trying to capture things in motion :(

Great job!
 
Thanks, actually, some years ago, I saw a picture like these and seeing the erratic hover flight of the dragon flies, I realized how difficult this shot must be. So thinking about that, the target is set, eventually that picture simply had to be made someday.

Apart from ones own agility and reaction speed, it also requires a camera that's up to that work and mine didn't (Canon EOS 550D), so as said, this picture was the main driver to upgrade to the super fast 7D with a very sophisticated focussing system (lens used EF 70-300mm IS USM - hand held). The is rest is hours of patience and a bit of luck.

Well you'd need to justify sometimes why you need to spend the money on such an expensive gadget, while any simple cell phone can do the trick.
 
Nice work :smile:

Andre said:
nbrtee.jpg

Retractable gear?
 
Thanks, yes, a very remarkable retractable gear behind the eyes.
 
Wow, I never knew that they did that. It reminds me of that thing that chickens do with their head, where their body can be all over the place but their head remains calm and level. Anyone who has ever picked up a chicken knows what I'm talking about. Amazing photograph!
 

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