Taking Photos of dragonflies and damselflies

I love taking photos of dragonflies and damselflies in the summer.

I call it summer, but I saw my first dragonfly in early May 2018. Some species can even be spotted in October.

These insects are perfect for my camera. During summer, birds can be harder to find on my country walks.

However, photographing dragonflies and damselflies comes with its own challenges. The biggest one is locating them!

Banded Demoiselle

This was the highlight of a walk that didn’t go as planned.

We aimed for a new nature reserve but drove past it twice without finding it.

Instead, we stopped in Oundle and walked to the River Nene. I can’t call the day a failure after capturing this stunning damselfly photo. It’s one of my favourites!

Where to Take Photos of Dragonflies

River Nene, Oundle, Northants

To find dragonflies and damselflies, start at fresh water habitats like rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Don't just focus on the water's edge. Look in nearby meadows and wastelands. These areas can hide these beautiful insects.

After exploring local spots for years, I know where to find different species and when they appear.

My husband often joins me on nature walks. However, when I focus on dragonfly photography, he finds it a bit dull. He jokingly tells other walkers, "We don’t travel at miles per hour, but hours per mile!"

Searching for small creatures takes time. You need to scan high and low, not just at eye level.

Better Backgrounds

A patch of stinging nettles may attract Banded Demoiselles, but a pretty flower makes a better photograph.

When I find a subject, I bend, stretch, twist, and turn to find the best background for my dragonfly and damselfly images.

Since I work at close distances, most backgrounds will be out of focus. However, any colour or tone variation will stand out. I aim to keep the background as even as possible.

Shifting just a little can change the background completely, improving the picture. Patience is key; as I wait for the insect to land in a better spot.

Common Blue Damselfly with out of focus flower in background

Common Blue Damselfly with even background

The background colour can make a difference when taking photos of dragonflies and damselflies.

A green background with purple flowers creates a pleasing look. These colours are from the same side of the colour wheel and blend well.

On the other hand, orange contrasts with blue, making the second picture more vibrant.

Both backgrounds work well. Which one do you like more?

I believe natural backgrounds are the best option, though they are not always available. Wooden fences and other structures are less distracting than messy plants, but they lack beauty.

Ruddy Darter on picnic table

Large Red Damselfly on rope fence

Getting Close Enough

I have two favorite lenses for taking dragonfly photos. My choice depends on how close I can get to the insects, but I usually keep both in my camera bag.

I prefer the 100-400mm telephoto lens, often using it with a 1.4x extender. This setup allows me to capture the dragonflies without getting too close. The lens focuses at just under 1 meter, which is great for skittish insects that fly away when I approach.

If you have a Nikon camera, you can also use a Nikon 1.4x extender.

Both photos of dragonflies below were taken with the 100-400mm lens. The dragonflies were perched over water, and I wanted to keep my feet dry!

Four Spotted Chaser

Scarce Chaser

For detailed close-ups, the Canon 100mm L macro lens is lighter and easier to carry than a large telephoto lens. To capture great shots, stay quiet and move slowly towards the insects.

Be careful not to bump the perch with your camera. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

The Canon extender does not work with this lens. However, I use a more affordable option from Kenko. This allows me to maintain distance from my subject while still getting good images.

Common Darter taken with the 100mm macro lens and convertor

Common Darter taken with the 100mm macro lens

Keeping The Camera Steady

To take clear photos of dragonflies keeping the camera steady is very important. A tripod can be difficult to use when they land close to the ground.

I have two options for stability. First, I can use a bean bag to support the camera and lens on any nearby surface.

However, my favourite choice is the Platypod. This is a metal base that holds a tripod head. It has four adjustable legs that help level the camera or can be removed completely.

This setup makes it easier to capture sharp images of dragonflies.

Getting Photos of Dragonflies in Focus

Common Blue Damselflies (blue male, green female and a juvenile)

The next challenge is getting all of the dragonfly in focus, while keeping that all important background soft and non-distracting. 

I won’t get too technical, but when your lens is close to a subject, less of the area in front and behind it will be in focus.

This area is known as Depth of Field. With a macro lens, when you are very close, only a small part of the dragonfly’s head will be sharp.

I use two main methods to address this issue:

• I choose a small aperture, like f8 to f16, to increase the depth of field when there is enough light.
• I position myself so my lens is parallel to the insect's body. This reduces the distance from front to back that the insect occupies.

Sometimes, everything aligns perfectly, and I capture not just one insect in focus, but three!

Ideally, I would remove the twig on the left side of the photo by adjusting my position. However, when photographing dragonflies and damselflies, moving things can disturb them, making this difficult.

Hairy Dragonfly - although taken at F8 I was at the wrong angle and therefore the end of its abdomen is out of focus, spoiling the photograph

Of course rules are meant to be broken! The focus here is on the head and it doesn't matter that the tail is out of focus.

Capturing the Action

When photographing dragonflies and damselflies, remember they move quickly!

To freeze their action, I use a shutter speed of at least 1/500 second, or even faster. Fortunately, they often appear on bright, sunny days, allowing me to select a wide enough aperture for good exposure.

Capturing these insects in flight is more challenging.

I keep the shutter speed above 1/2000 second to stop the action. However, even this speed sometimes struggles to freeze the motion of their wings, as seen in the first photo of the Migrant Hawker below.

Migrant Hawker in flight at 1/2000sec

Migrant Hawker from behind at 1/2000sec

Dragonflies create stunning action photos, especially when they are mating.

Earlier, I mentioned getting low to capture dragonfly images. I don’t recommend the method I used for one particular shot.

I saw a pair of Common Darters on the riverbank. I took a few pictures and then moved in closer. While focusing on them, I stepped into a hole and fell!

Fortunately, I landed on the ground, not in the water. After checking my camera for damage, I looked back at the dragonflies. They were still there, and from my low angle, the sun lit them up beautifully. It turned out to be a happy accident.

For this shot, I used a shutter speed of 1/250 second, which was fast enough. This let me set the aperture to f16, keeping both dragonflies in focus. The distant riverbank remained nicely blurred.

When I reviewed the photo on my Mac, I noticed a "bokeh ball" around the top dragonfly, created by a blurred circle of light on the water. I was thrilled!

Common Darter pair

The hole I accidentally put my foot into!

Dragonflies and damselflies are voracious predators. They hunt with great skill. The damselfly shown below was enjoying a fly for breakfast at Barnwell Country Park.

Common Blue Damselfly at breakfast