During the recent Balkans trip, Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia had thousands of 'beautiful demoiselle' (Calopteryx virgo) damselflies that I enjoyed photographing. Blue in nature, other than the sky and bodies of water, is not common. I have a collection of photos of blue animals, and I never get tired of seeking out and photographing these subjects because they are so visually arresting. The 100-400mm Canon lens I use focuses unusually close for a long lens, and without an extension tube, I was able to fill much of the frame by slowly moving in close. Insects respond to quick movements as well as shadows created by a person blocking the sun. Knowing this allowed me to shoot from just two feet away. My settings were 1/160, f/16, and 640 ISO. I purposely used a small lens aperture to ensure the entire insect was sharp. The greater the magnification, the less depth of field you get. Therefore, the f/16 setting was necessary to capture the kind of detail you see here.
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