The air buzzed with the movement of dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies. The Azure Bluets (Enallagma aspersum) with their vibrant blue bodies stood out against the green leaves around the water.
There were dozens of these delicate damselflies briefly resting on the leaves of a thick "forest" of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). Photographing them was a challenge. My XF150-600mmF5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens was either too close or too far for proper focus. Their small size and the lens’s long minimum focusing distance made it tough to get the close-up I wanted. I attached the MCEX-16 macro extension tube, hoping to shorten the focusing distance, but the difficulty remained. The Bluets moved often, never staying still, and the narrow depth of field demanded perfect focus. I should have switched to my XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR.
In the end, I managed to capture a few images. This shot in the header, where the Azure Bluet rests on a Swamp Milkweed leaf, surrounded by green plants, is one I value. The sharp contrast of blue against green is striking, a reminder of the patience needed in nature photography.