Shooting Dragonflies in flight is quite easy

[StefanSC]

All you have to do is find them when they are out hunting and study their pattern of flight.
Dragonflies seem to be territorial and they seem to hover around in spots for a few seconds at a time.
You just need to be quick on the draw (a camera that has close priority AF also helps but this can cut both ways as you'll often end up with wingtips in focus).
Sometimes you might need to nudge the AF system in the right direction when it decides to grab the background.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[SonoranDesert]

thanks for those tips!

 

[Bill M]

Nicely done.

 

[scosmi51]

Excellent work! In my experience, it's not so easy. Maybe the photographer had something to do with it... Are you using dynamic focus?

 

[ML Wolff]

Wow! Great shots. Whenever I've tried to photograph dragonflies, I get cross-eyed trying to track them in my viewfinder.

 

[Bigmo]

Nice photos, well done.

 

[gnpToday]

Sweet shots!

 

[StefanSC]

Excellent work! In my experience, it's not so easy. Maybe the photographer had something to do with it... Are you using dynamic focus?

Thank you!
I was using AF-C with just single point or group AF, but group AF has a tendency of grabbing the wings...

Wow! Great shots. Whenever I've tried to photograph dragonflies, I get cross-eyed trying to track them in my viewfinder.

Thank you! A trick I started using is to look over the top of my camera and use the lenses tripod mount (which I have rotated 180 degrees) as a "sight" to help me get the dragonfly in the viewfinder.

 

[topcat]

Very nice. I have never been able to catch them in flight. I think that I need more practice.

 

[Whiskeyman]

Single Point AF? Wow!

I can't seem to get dragonfly shots that sharp even when the subject is alighted upon a perch... You've done very well. Great, even!

 

[Andrew Lamberson]

Outstanding!

 

[StefanSC]

Very nice. I have never been able to catch them in flight. I think that I need more practice.

It's quite fun to do... but if you do it for too long you'll end up looking cross-eyed .

Single Point AF? Wow!

I can't seem to get dragonfly shots that sharp even when the subject is alighted upon a perch... You've done very well. Great, even!

Yup, Single Point AF-C. It seems to work best. Even with my aging and half broken D810.
Thank you for your kind words.

Outstanding!

Thank you!.

 

[topcat]

It is not easy for me, but you have it down. Great captures.