There is a beautiful aquatic garden in Washington, DC along the Anacostia River. The main attractions are the ponds featuring waterlilies and lotus flowers. There is also a board walk over and into a wetlands area. It is a great place to see water birds, beavers, dragon flies, song birds and other small creatures.

I like to pick a spot where I see some dragon-fly activity and wait. I watch to see what they are doing. Dragon flies often have a favorite perch they use to observe what is going on. Many dragon flies are territorial and use this perch to watch out for intruders. Once I spot a dragon-fly I want to photograph, I’ll prefocus, lock it down and fire away. I often get several chances even if they fly away because of their habit of returning to the same spot.

I find photographing dragon flies a nice way to spend a few hours in nature. At Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, there are dozens of different types of dragon flies to try to capture.