![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/twelve-spotted-skimmer-0173-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"twelve-spotted-skimmer-0173-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nSomething a little different from me this morning. Quite a bit different, actually.<\/p>\n
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1\/640, f\/10, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not set up<\/em><\/p>\n Six days ago while attempting to photograph birds in a remote area of Box Elder County I used my super telephoto ‘birding lens’ to photograph a Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly, a male I believe, on top of a cattail.<\/p>\n Despite some wear and tear I think he’s a beauty and I was very happy with the detail I got even though he filled significantly less than half the frame in the original image.<\/p>\n One thing baffles me a little. In the first few shots I took of him there were yellow spots on the rear of his compound eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/1250, f\/10, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not set up<\/em><\/p>\n But they disappeared in later shots I took of him. My best guess is that they were reflections but if so I’m surprised they were yellow. The sun perhaps?<\/p>\n Of the many shots I took of him this is the only one (compare this photo to the previous one) where that large and distinctive ‘bump’ in front of his compound eyes could be seen. I’m guessing it’s mouthparts, labrum perhaps?, that he raised for just a moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A very large crop of the previous image gives us a better look at both the phantom ‘bump’ and the wear and tear on his right forewing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whether or not this is macro photography depends on your definition. Some would argue that it isn’t macro photography unless you’re using a macro lens. But by another definition it’s macro photography if the subject is larger than life size in either the original image or the finished photograph. These photos are close enough to qualify as macro for me.<\/p>\n One of the several significant advantages of using\u00a0 a telephoto lens for macro purposes is that you can still be relatively far away from your subject when taking the photo instead of being so close you’re likely to scare it off. I find it to be particularly useful for insects.<\/p>\n One thing you have to be careful about is shooting from a distance closer than the minimum focusing distance of your lens. With my lens that distance is 12.1′. And as counterintuitive as it may seem it’s important to remember that using a teleconverter does not, I repeat does not<\/em>, increase your MFD.<\/p>\n So when I’m shooting macro with my telephoto I’m always using my 1.4 tc.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/twelve-spotted-skimmer-0190-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"twelve-spotted-skimmer-0190-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/twelve-spotted-skimmer-0190-big-crop-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"twelve-spotted-skimmer-0190-big-crop-ron-dudley\\"")
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