Variable Dancer & friend

Here’s the Variable Dancer that’s been hanging around my pond for about a week. It’s on a lily pad floating on the pond. I suspect that the color difference between this one and @Jim_Zablotny 's post is captured in the name. This was a three shot stack to get the full abdomen sharp. (It would have been spooked if I had moved to get parallel, plus I would have had to smash some flowers.) I didn’t notice its “friend” until I downloaded. I also noticed that on this hot, sunny day, it would land with it’s abdomen parallel to the lily pad and then a few seconds later tip it up to this position (reminiscent of the obelisk position that some dragonflies adopt) although here, the abdomen is not pointed at the sun, so any shade is coming from the wings. (7D2, 180 mm macro, 1/160 s, f/8, iso 400, tripod)

1 Like

I have not attempted stacking on live insects yet and I like your results posted here. Your variable dancer has more purple than mine and the term variable fits this species nicely. They range from violet to tan around our pond and it is difficult catching one out in the open. Comp and lighting is very nice and the lighter BG helps pull the damselfly out of the frame. The leafhopper is an added bonus. Lunch rather than friend might be more applicable. Well done…Jim

1 Like

Very nice, Mark. You really captured nice detail in this damselfly. I like the way he is tilting his head, eyeing up lunch, I suspect. I am impressed that you were able to do a 3 shot stack on a critter than could move at any moment.

1 Like

Wonderful detail!! I love the little “friend”! He looks worried.