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Flying dragons

Ron Who · 270 · 17223

nl Offline Ron Who

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Flying dragons
on: January 26, 2017, 05:20:56 PM
My real hobby: dragonfly photography.
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00 Offline Thunderpants

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #1 on: January 26, 2017, 06:04:52 PM
Cool!

But challenging in winter!


us Offline ducttapetech

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #2 on: January 26, 2017, 06:32:04 PM
Cool pics!
Nate

SEND IT!


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #3 on: January 26, 2017, 06:36:49 PM
Cool!

But challenging in winter!
These aren't winter pics. :D


us Offline LoopCutter

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Flying dragons
Reply #4 on: January 26, 2017, 09:14:54 PM
My real hobby: dragonfly photography.
A few years ago on another forum, a member there also shared his same hobby.  He is/was a US Army Chaplin and had been all over world and off duty would venture out find these sleek mosquito hunters. The last assignment I recall was South Korea before my online focus changed.

A very neat hobby and additional pictures would be enjoyed. But please watermark them, otherwise you will loose credit which is yours.


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« Last Edit: January 26, 2017, 09:19:15 PM by LoopCutter »
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nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #5 on: January 26, 2017, 09:27:15 PM
My real hobby: dragonfly photography.
A few years ago on another forum, a member there also shared his same hobby.  He is/was a US Army Chaplin and had been all over world and off duty would venture out find these sleek mosquito hunters. The last assignment I recall was South Korea before my online focus changed.

A very neat hobby and additional pictures would be enjoyed. But please watermark them, otherwise you will loose credit which is yours.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There's more where that came from, I'm not worrying about copyrights too much.
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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #6 on: January 26, 2017, 09:52:37 PM
Very cool pics Ronald :o :cheers: :like: :like:


us Offline metasyntax

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #7 on: January 26, 2017, 10:00:12 PM
Wow, that's really neat. Do you have a special setup for capturing them in flight? Or is it lots of patience and a quick shutter finger? Either way, great shots, thanks for sharing!

When I was a kid, I used to live near some ponds and wetland-like areas, we used to see dragonflies all the time. Along with butterflies (Monarchs and Swallowtails), praying mantis, walking sticks, all kinds of cool bugs. I used to catch butterflies and keep them in little bug boxes for a few hours. Now, I'm lucky to see cabbage butterflies (small, white, and extremely common) in the summer.
May it be as the Pattern has chosen.


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #8 on: January 26, 2017, 10:21:49 PM
Starting in 2011, I photographed 40 species of dragon/damselflies and 24 species of butterflies, all within 7 miles of my home. There's lots of wetlands, brooks and rivers here, and some forest as well. A large area to the south of my home town was designated a Euro2000 Natural Reserve, with some unique habitats and species.

I'm not using any special equipment, just my Sony DSC-HX200V and a lot of practice. Getting the moment right becomes easier as you get more familiar with dragonfly behaviour. Alternatively, with a very fast autofocus you could use burst mode.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2017, 11:26:55 PM by Ronald Schröder »


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #9 on: January 27, 2017, 10:35:17 AM
The Scarce Large Blue Butterfly (Phengaris teleius). Very rare, only two small populations in The Netherlands -- and I'm living within walking distance of one of them!
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nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #10 on: January 27, 2017, 11:07:19 AM
« Last Edit: January 27, 2017, 11:17:18 AM by Ronald Schröder »


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #11 on: January 27, 2017, 04:17:02 PM
 :like:
Esse Quam Videri


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #12 on: January 27, 2017, 05:40:56 PM
I love dragonflies, and they love me.  We have a symbiotic relationship whenever I'm outside, and especially while kayaking.  I apparently produce whatever it is (CO2, body heat, pheromones) that attracts mosquitoes in ultra high concentrations because I always get an exponential number of bites compared to anyone with me.  I wish that was an exaggeration, but it isn't- the little buggers love me.

Luckily, that also seems to attract the dragonflies, and they often fly in formation with my kayak, often landing on my hat or the boat deck to rest a bit before taking off again.  It really is kind of cool to see dozens of these winged protectors flying around me, often keeping an almost exact pace with my boat, knowing their lunch isn't far away!

Plus they are graceful and very beautiful, and a lot of fun to watch.

I'm glad to see others appreciate them as much as I do, and your pictures are gorgeous!

Def
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nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #13 on: January 27, 2017, 11:28:59 PM
I love dragonflies, and they love me.  We have a symbiotic relationship whenever I'm outside, and especially while kayaking.  I apparently produce whatever it is (CO2, body heat, pheromones) that attracts mosquitoes in ultra high concentrations because I always get an exponential number of bites compared to anyone with me.  I wish that was an exaggeration, but it isn't- the little buggers love me.

Luckily, that also seems to attract the dragonflies, and they often fly in formation with my kayak, often landing on my hat or the boat deck to rest a bit before taking off again.  It really is kind of cool to see dozens of these winged protectors flying around me, often keeping an almost exact pace with my boat, knowing their lunch isn't far away!

Plus they are graceful and very beautiful, and a lot of fun to watch.

I'm glad to see others appreciate them as much as I do, and your pictures are gorgeous!

Def

Thanks!

I would love to go kayaking with you. All my photographs were shot from solid ground.

PS dragonflies love me too, especially females. I talk to them.

PPSS I believe mosquitoes will "smell" CO2 at about 100 yards and "see" warmth at short distance, homing in on the blood vessels. Sometimes I make pictures, it depends on what is stinging/biting me.
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« Last Edit: January 27, 2017, 11:42:55 PM by Ronald Schröder »


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #14 on: January 29, 2017, 04:18:47 AM
If you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods I'd be happy to take you paddling.  It is by far my favorite outdoor activity.

Def
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nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #15 on: January 29, 2017, 09:43:28 AM
I'm logging all my dragonfly (and other) observations on a website, together with thousands of other people (mostly bird spotters). The aggregate info is used by policy makers, our CBS (National Bureau of Statistics) and NDFF (National Database of Flora and Fauna) would not be able to produce this info without the help of us volunteers. The red boxes on the map are square kilometers showing where I made the photographs.
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« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 09:50:31 AM by Ronald Schröder »


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #16 on: January 29, 2017, 12:01:38 PM
My dragonfly photograph collection numbers over 10,000 so I won't be posting them all  :D.
This one is a last summer's exclusive for MTo (Emerald Willow Damselfly on Victorinox Harvester).


au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #17 on: January 29, 2017, 12:12:12 PM
My dragonfly photograph collection numbers over 10,000 so I won't be posting them all  :D.

OK, maybe not all 10,000, but we would enjoy more (a lot more)  :salute:
babola: "Enjoy your tools and don't be afraid to air your opinion and feelings here, but do it in courteous and respectable way toward others, of course."


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #18 on: January 29, 2017, 12:51:47 PM
A few more won't be too much trouble... This is the Banded Demoiselle (male and female). This is a fairly common species here. The male's blue wing spots make this a very attractive species to watch. The Banded Demoiselle's erratic flight reminds one of butterflies rather than dragonflies.
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au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #19 on: January 29, 2017, 01:10:28 PM
Thanks.  :tu:

I particularly like the beautiful metallic colours - reminds me of some of the beetle cases I sometimes see around here (Canberra, Australia).
babola: "Enjoy your tools and don't be afraid to air your opinion and feelings here, but do it in courteous and respectable way toward others, of course."


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #20 on: January 29, 2017, 01:30:32 PM
I like beetles as well, especially ladybugs, but they're hard to make decent pictures of. Without special equipment, larger bugs are easier. Like the Great Green Bush Cricket (male and female).
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nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #21 on: January 29, 2017, 03:02:58 PM
Coincidentally, the other day I came agross a newspaper article about DragonflEye drones.

http://www.draper.com/news/equipping-insects-special-service


scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #22 on: January 29, 2017, 03:12:51 PM
Those are stunning Roland.  :o

 :salute:
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #23 on: January 29, 2017, 05:17:11 PM
Thank you, Gareth.

To be honest, there are many photographers at the spotter's website, and many of them are better than me. The same is true here on MTo.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 06:20:24 PM by Ronald Schröder »


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #24 on: January 29, 2017, 06:48:28 PM
Life ain't easy for a damselfly. You might get caught by a robberfly, or in a spider's web. Large dragonflies must be careful too. Especially if they're female and want to lay eggs... to get eaten by a frog after a lifetime of dodging cats and dogs birds.
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« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 07:09:15 PM by Ronald Schröder »


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #25 on: January 29, 2017, 11:39:21 PM
Some great photos there- I love looking at them!

I have been looking through my photos trying to find the pic Megan took of the dragonflies on my hat as we ot ready to go kayaking, but I haven't been able to find it yet. 

I'll keep looking....

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #26 on: January 29, 2017, 11:53:07 PM
Found it.  Not a very good pic of the dragonfly, but this kind of thing is a very common occurrence for me.



I have also used my paddle to scoop them out of the water and set them down on the deck of the boat to dry off safely- like I said, we are symbiotic- they protect me and I do my best to look after them while attractive tasty mosquitos to feast on my tasty flesh.   :ahhh

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


nl Offline Ron Who

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #27 on: January 30, 2017, 07:32:51 AM
An ideal place to catch some warmth from the sun. I often see dragonflies perching on light (relative to the environment) objects.


england Offline Kev D

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Re: Flying dragons
Reply #28 on: January 30, 2017, 12:29:25 PM
I had one stop by and have a rest and sun itself last September, while I was on holiday and having a day at a water garden.






nl Offline Ron Who

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