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Jim Bridges
08-19-2010, 10:30 AM
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJ&J%7E1.JIM%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01 %5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I don't get to see a dragonfly feeding often because they usually grab their meal and fly into an area I can't get into with my tripod or just fly away out of view to enjoy their meal. Last year while I was searching for bugs to shoot in the small prairie area I saw an Owlfly on a tall piece of grass and started to set up to make series of photos. This Owlfly would be well worth my trip and make my day if I didn't see another thing to shoot the rest of the morning. As I was setting the tripod in place the owlfly flew and suddenly this pondhawk came up from the ground grabbed it out of midair. The dragonfly landed in the grass just a few feet from the midair attack and started chomping on my very unlucky ex-subject. It took the dragonfly about 35 minutes to get his fill, drop the remaining part of the owlfly, and fly off. This was made with a Nikkor AF 75-300 and 20 mm tube @ 200 mm. ISO 400 f5.6 @1/45 sec. on a tripod.

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Steve Maxson
08-19-2010, 04:16 PM
OK, I had to look in my reference book to find out what an owlfly was - I've never seen one. :) They sound like interesting insects - very predatory in their own right - this one just got nabbed by a bigger predator. This must have been fun to witness and photograph, Jim. Nice light and sharpness on the dragonfly, but too bad it is holding its forewing such that it masks some of the best action. Not much you can do in that situation. Thanks for sharing.
kostas nianiopoulos
08-19-2010, 04:47 PM
i dont know a lot of these things , i had only once the chance to get few image from these , it looks like a little bit buzy to me . My opinion :)
Dave Leroy
08-19-2010, 05:12 PM
Good for you to get two for one and to see some interesting action as well.

Dave
Jim Bridges
08-19-2010, 05:52 PM
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Jonathan Ashton
08-20-2010, 02:37 AM
You have the image well focussed and processed, it is unfortunate that the wings are where they are because they obscure some of the fine detail. I know it is easy for me say because I wasn't there, but in siuations such as these I take one or two insurance shots and then try differing angles, I ususally find that once they are eating they are a little more tolerant over intrusion.
Mike Moats
08-20-2010, 05:41 AM
Hey Jim, my reaction when I first opened the image was much the same as the rest, to bad about the haze from the forewing. Good details in the subject.
Jim Bridges
08-20-2010, 07:14 AM
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJ&J%7E1.JIM%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01 %5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129279 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Arial Unicode MS";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I would have loved to get some better photos but this guy was in fairly heavy cover and the working distance of the long zoom lens with tube is about 4 feet. This was the only position I could see it clearly. Jonathan I have found just the opposite when they are eating...when I've tried to approach one feeding they would fly off to another area with the meal. This one moved twice about a foot while I was trying to find a better shooting position I guess it depends on the critter.:)
Roman Kurywczak
08-20-2010, 10:27 AM
Hey Jim,
Agree with the forewing blocking some detail......but know just how tough these can be! Some cooperate and some don't.....haven't figured out why or what makes them twitchy. I guess that's what makes macro so exciting! Nice find but do think you've just got to hope you get another whack at it!