Mad dogs and dragonflies go out in the midday sun. This is Rhyothemis fuliginosa, a common Flutterer dragonfly in Korea at the moment. Its Korean name means “butterfly dragonfly”, and it does fly higher and more like a butterfly than most of its fellows. It also has large hindwings and lots of blue wing colouring. Here it sits in the obelisk posture, to attract the least amount of heat to its body. It has to be seen in the middle of the day, if only for its striking iridescence. And as it frequents large lotus ponds, there’s always the chance of some reflective bokeh in the background.
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Pertinent technical details or techniques:
D500 + Tamron 150-600mm @600mm f13 1/800 ISO 1000
Cropped some from the left and right. Topaz Denoise - then Shadows and Highlights in PS to enhance the colors.
Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)
No
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Mike, this is quite the dragonfly, with its distinctive hind wing shape and strong colors. The obelisk position and the mix of colors in the background add to a fine view.
I’ve never seen a dragonfly like this – it’s wonderful!! And if you have lotus ponds – get thee hence!!! I’m going to miss my local one this year while recovering from foot surgery (it’s a bit of a hike after a bit of a drive) and it’s driving me nuts. There are NO substitutes for lotus!
What a beautiful photo, Mike! Such a unique looking dragonfly! It makes me think of a painting I’ve seen before, where something like this was flying in the scene and I thought it was just a part of the whole style of the painting, but it’s a real creature! You really captured it perfectly!
