Male Flame Skimmer

Looking for birds, but saw this gorgeous dragon fly that kept returning to the same perch.
I like this body position because the wings were shown in such great detail.
Not using any macro lens but still impressed with a 400mm lens 10 feet away.
I am not positive about the identity, but looking at other pictures, I believe that this a Skimmer.

Specific Feedback Requested

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Canon R6, Canon 400mm/ 5.6 lens. 1/500sec, ISO 500.
LR basic adjustments and a large crop.
Any comments welcomed.

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Yes, you have the ID correct, assuming you are somewhere in the western US. (And I doubt there is a similar species elsewhere.) You got a very nice angle with good detail on the body and a wonderful BG. You don’t say what the aperture was, but there is no way I’ve found to get sharpness across the span of both wingtips without focus stacking, so no complaints for that.

A 400mm makes a great macro lens in a way. I use mine for dragonflies a lot. This is an outstanding shot of one. Great color and pose. Sharpness is terrific. The leg position and the wing angle is great, too. What a catch.

Thanks. Aperture was 5.6. I wasn’t sure if his wings were still vibrating a bit

Charlie, this is a nice look at this beautiful dragonfly. Yes, a 400 mm lens can get you a nice close shot of little guys like this, especially when they are skittish, or, you just happen to have that lens on in hopes of getting some shots of birds/wildlife. I really like my 400 mm lens. I have even used my Sigma 150-600 mm at 600 for butterflies too. Wonderful details in this guy, especially in the wings at 5.6!

Thanks. I have a 150-600 ,but it is heavy so I always carry a tripod. The 400 is about a pound or more lighter, so I can go without my tripod. Easier for BIF.

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A great image, very good sharpness and the position of the wings… I also like that you have complementary colors here.