Dragonfly In Cooling Pose

[Allen Sparks]

Canon 7D, 300 f4 IS, 1.4x TC II, 580 EX II Speedlite, monopod
ISO 400, f14, 1/200s, fill flash

I posted a female of this species in this pose earlier this summer. Here is a male in a similar pose.

[Arthur Morris]

HI Allen, Aside from the fact that the subject is a bit long in the tooth, i.e., is pretty beaten up, this is a very cool image. How did you learn about the cooling behavior?

I love the symmetry and the soft background as well as the pose. There is a bit of depth of field fall off....

[Allen Sparks]

Hi Arthur, I observe this behavior (called "obelisking") on very hot days. I prefer shooting a dragonfly head on in this pose due to the symmetry of the wings, the dramatic look, and better chance of getting more of it in focus than from other angles. I first learned of the behavior several years ago from an "online" fellow photography friend that is really into odes. Now it is a common behavior I look for on days that are well above 90 degrees.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for the lesson Allen. We have lots of 90+ degree days down in here FLA :)

[Jonathan Ashton]

Allen you have a fine shot there, not too many species obelisk in the UK - probably doesn't get hot enough here! I like the pose and the composition, I may consider lowering brightness just a tad, I think this might increase apparent detail.

[Dave Leroy]

An interesting behavior. As mentioned the symmetry, pose and bg are very pleasing. I also like the nice simple perch and how the d'fly is holding on.

[Marina Scarr]

This is an awesome behavior capture. The upside down pose makes it quite powerful with the full spread. I'd like to see a tad more contrast on the head.