Quick Tips for Photographing Dragonflies

Photographing a bug on a flower can be exasperating. In this video, pro photographer Tony Sweet gives you tips on capturing a colorful dragonfly on a water lily bud.

He spreads his tripod close to the flower and, through a 300mm lens with a teleconverter, shoots at f-18 to capture some background detail. You will learn why it’s best to stay at eye level with your subject. Because the dragonfly is constantly moving, Tony recommends using manual focus. Autofocus won’t hold.

It takes time and patience to capture a dragonfly in motion, but as pro shooter Tony Sweet demonstrates, it can be rewarding.

See all videos in our Flower Photography Artistry Course:

Flower Photography Artistry: Course Preview
Isolation Photography: Capturing Flowers
Close-Up Photography: Shooting Patches of Flowers
This video: Quick Tips for Photographing Dragonflies
Panning and Stitching Photos on the iPhone
Capturing Dew Drops to Enhance Your Photos
Capturing Flowers Using Multiple Lenses
Editing Photos with the Camera Bag App
Controlling the Light of Your Shot
Handheld Macro Photography
Creating HDR Images on Your Cell Phone
Shooting Through to Capture Your Subject
Creating a Swirl Pattern with a Zoom Lens
Creating an Abstract Color Swipe
Creating an Asymmetrical Image with Multiple Shots
Shooting Orchids with a Printed Background
Shooting Orchids on an iPhone
Capturing Tabletop Flowers
Digital Infrared Photography: Photographing Flowers
Adding a Textured Overlay in Photoshop
Targeting Photoshop Adjustments
Using Photoshop Scripts
Infrared Conversion
Flower Gallery