SOUTHERN HAWKER IN FLIGHT

Dragonflies are tricky to photograph in flight because of their superb vision, speed and aerobatic skills. Southern hawkers, however, are inquisitive so I sat down beside a pond at Red Lodge wood in Wiltshire with my telephoto lens and waited for one to come and investigate me. It hovered for a few seconds, just long enough for my autofocus to lock on. With a shutter speed of 1/800th second and an aperture of F/8, the body is pin sharp but the fast beating wings are blurred by motion and the narrow depth of field.

F/8, 1/800th second, ISO 800
Accepted: Wrekin 2016 - Highly Commended, Western Counties 2017*