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Desert forktail   (Ischnura barberi)        Images © Mark A. Chappell

The desert forktail Ischnura barberi is one of many small damselflies.   I find it difficult to get a satisfying photograph of most damselflies, as they are long and thin, keeping their wings folded over their backs and therefore lacking the '3-dimensional' effect one gets with dragonflies.   Also, damsels seem to lack the 'personality' (alertness; awareness) that dragonflies appear to exhibit.   Nevertheless, I couldn't resist photographing these jewel-like males.   They were resting on stems near Desert Center, Californa, and the nearby Salton Sea.

  • Canon 7D, Sigma 150 mm OS macro lens, fill-in flash (2012)