Sarita Yeola
August 2026 - Mating Wheel
About the Image(s)
This image of a mating wheel of Eastern Pondhawks was captured along the Roswell Riverwalk on a hot summer day in July. The green dragonfly at the bottom is the female, while the blue one at the top is the male.
For post-processing, I cropped the image in Lightroom and subtly softened the background by masking it with a brush and reducing the texture, clarity, and sharpening. I then used Topaz Denoise primarily to add a touch of sharpening, while also reducing the minimal noise present in the original image.
Nikon z8: 500mm, 1/640 s, f/8, ISO 400
5 comments posted
OOH, dragons are my faves. And these colorful pondhawks in the copulation wheel are gorgeous. Well done. Nothing to add. The whole mating ritual of dragonflies is one of nature's weirdest. Posted: 08/02/2026 16:15:08
Another new fact for me, I have never seen this and rarely see dragon flies. Excellent job masking the background, and bring up the dragonfly's colors. Posted: 08/03/2026 17:59:53
I have only seen them flying as a coupling. Nice that you caught the action. I just recently heard Steve Perry talk about softening the background with the techniques you used and have been experimenting. This is a nice example. Well done! Posted: 08/04/2026 21:16:04
LOVE the dragonflies!
Background is just very busy to my eyes. Posted: 08/07/2026 11:34:30
Background is just very busy to my eyes. Posted: 08/07/2026 11:34:30
Gorgeous colors on these two, image is sharp and clear, I also like the placement of the Pondhawks. That angle drags your eyes right into the action! Nicely done. I might consider darkening the background using the masking option. It would reduce "the busy" perception and focus exclusively on the Dragonflies!!! Did not try it but might be worth seeing if you think it helps. Posted: 08/07/2026 21:10:05