Sympetrum fonscolombii

Sympetrum fonscolombii

Written by Webmaster Monday, 03 November 2008 08:21

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"To a rough approximation and setting aside vertebrate chauvinism, it can be said that essentially all organisms are insects."  R. M. May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sympetrum fonscolombii (female) (Selys, 1840)
 

Since the place I live in Athens is at the periphery of the city, I am within a 5 minute walk from Hymettus mountain which gives me the opportunity to capture a number of animals unavailable in the densely populated city. An hour before sunset I was there when I saw this female Sympetrum fonscolombii. At first it flew away from the point I was standing but I knew from experience that if you stand still, all insects will finally see you as part of the landscape and feel at ease. After a couple of minutes it landed on the top of a bush. I took several shots of it from two angles. At the beginning I shot it head on, as it was sitting on the bush. Then, I moved slowly to get at a 90 degree angle and get a shot of its side. The sun was behind the insect so it merged nicely with the flash. I decided to use high speeds (FP) instead of the normal fill in flash because of the light breeze that kept moving the tip of the bush. All photos turned out nice so all I had to do is choose two of them to present here. Our thanks to Cosmin-Ovidiu Manci (Biologist, Retezat National Park) for identifying this insect.

Photos by George J. Reclos
 
Shooting Data:

1. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/11, Manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high speed synchronization mode)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS3, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized

2. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/8, Manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high speed synchronization mode)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS3, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sympetrum fonscolombii (male) – Common names: English: Red-veined Darter; Dutch: Zwervende heidelibel

 

You can’t miss this dragonfly even if you try to. Its vivid red colour makes it visible from quite a distance. It also makes it one of the most beautiful insects, at least in the area I shoot regularly. I watched this male making circles over a nearby area and I knew from experience that it would rest on the top of a bush, as they always do. Being predators they want a good vantage point to see which insects are flying around. Dragonflies are the quickest of all insects in flight, which, coupled to their ability to take sudden turns, makes them very efficient predators. When taking pictures of them there are some hints which may prove useful. Many times they will be frightened by your presence and fly away if you get really close to them. If this happens, make a quick step towards the branch or bush they were resting on and freeze, while keeping your camera ready to shoot. Most likely, they will be back in a minute or so and they are going to rest on the same spot they did before or somewhere very close to it. However, this time you are two steps closer. The last three photos were taken at a distance of 30-50 cm. I could have taken hundreds of photos since the insect stood still for minutes. An additional advantage with dragonflies is that they tolerate flash light very well – I have never come across one which was afraid of the sudden light. During this session I tried the D300 at high ISO settings to see if what they claim about it; that it can take really nice pictures at high ISO settings with surprisingly good detail. While you see these pictures, keep in mind that the ISO settings range from 360 to 1600. Who would believe that 2-3 years ago?

Photos by George J. Reclos
 
Shooting Data:

1. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 900
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/500 sec - f/11, Manual mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high synchronization)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.

2. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 360
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/800 sec - f/13, Shutter priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high synchronization)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.


3. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: AF Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 800
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/800 sec - f/13, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high synchronization)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized. 


4. Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tamron 180 mm f/3.5 Macro
Sensitivity: ISO 1600
Shutter speed - aperture: 1/800 sec - f/13, Aperture priority mode
Flash: SB-800 in TTL/FP mode (high synchronization)
Image: JPEG edited in Photoshop CS, levels adjusted, sharpening added and resized.

 

 

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