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12 Dazzling Dragonfly Pictures You’ll Love

If you don't already enjoy looking for pretty dragonflies in your garden, these amazing dragonfly pictures will change your mind!

dragonfly picturesCourtesy Ken Christison

Dragonfly on a Butterfly

“I was shooting butterflies in my zinnias with a long lens and noticed a dragonfly following this tiger swallowtail. I was hoping to catch them both in the same frame but was pleasantly surprised to have caught this interaction at just the right instant,” says Ken Christison. Love dragonfly pictures? Don’t miss fascinating facts about dragonflies.

dragonfly picturesCourtesy Jennifer Acolia

Brilliant Blue Eyes

While taking pictures of flowers, this dragonfly just landed right in front of me, striking a pose! I used a Nikon D5600 camera with a 70mm-300mm lens,” says Jennifer Acolia.

dragonfly picturesCourtesy Clara Learnard

Pretty Pollinator

“This purple flower brought in not only butterflies but the beautiful dragonfly. I ran in the house and grabbed my camera; I was so lucky it stayed long enough for me to capture its beauty,” says Clara Learnard. Meet the skimmers: colorful dragonflies.

dragonfly picturesCourtesy Ann Nelson

Good Day for Dragonfly Pictures

“I know this isn’t a butterfly but I had to submit it. The photo was taken at Wiregrass Lake, a part of the metropark system in Northwest Ohio. This little Halloween pennant dragonfly posed for me for quite some time. I love his beautiful colors,” says Anne Nelson. Discover 8 beneficial insects you want to see in your garden.

Bnbbyc19 Linda Wilson 1Courtesy Linda Wilson

Blue Dasher Dragonfly

“Each spring and summer, we enjoy seeing our water garden here in southeast Kansas begin to come to live after winter. I took this photo in mid-July when the lotus in our water garden began blooming. This blue dasher dragonfly began to pose for me. The shadows of its wings and the colors on its body really caught my eye,” says Linda Wilson. Don’tmiss 20 must-see pictures of monarch butterflies.

250108754 1 Karyn Swaney Bnb Bypc2020Courtesy Karyn Swaney

Clear Dragonfly Wings

Birds & Blooms reader Karyn Swaney shared her dazzling dragonfly pictures. We love how the dragonfly’s wings look translucent in the sunlight.

Bnbbyc19 Laura Pettigrew 18Courtesy Laura Pettigrew

Strike a Pose

“This Halloween pennant dragonfly and I had a long conversation prior to this photo shoot on exactly how to place its wings for this shot,” says Laura Pettigrew. Love nature photography? You have to see these stunning hummingbird pictures.

Bnbbyc19 Chris SchellenbergCourtesy Chris Schellenberg

Dragonfly on Lavender

“I was visiting my sister in Holland, Michigan, and we decided on a road trip to Fennville to see the Summerhouse Lavender Farm. I used a Canon Power Shot with a 65x optical zoom and was lucky to catch this dragonfly in the field of lavender,” says Chris Schellenberg. Discover 7 essential facts about lavender plants.

dragonflyCourtesy Marina Neyman

Waterlily Wanderer

“In August 2020,I saw this blue dasher dragonfly on waterlily at the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, Ohio,” says Marina Neyman. Psst—these amazing pictures will change how you see bugs.

252872255 1 James Hobbs Bnb Bypc2020Courtesy James Hobbs

Dragonfly on Bellflower

“One of our favorite backyard native plants is the biennial American tall bellflower. It creates dense colonies that attract lots of visitors, in this case, a ruby meadowhawk dragonfly,” says James Hobbs.

skimmer dragonflyCourtesy Linda Dexter

Skimmer in the Backyard

“This 12 spotted skimmer visited my backyard in summer. Dragonflies represent a connection to passed people and animals for me. It is a very comforting connection,” says Linda Dexter. Do monarch butterfly sightings have meaning?

249574429 1 Sheila Langer Bnb Bypc2020Courtesy Sheila Langer

Purple Majesty

“I took this photo of a purple lotus flower at the New York Botanical Garden. I used a Canon 50D camera with a 70-300 macro lens. What makes this photo so special is the rich color of the purple flower and the addition of the blue dragonfly that happened to rest on it,” says Sheila Langer.

Lori Vanover
Lori Vanover is the senior digital editor for Birds & Blooms. She has a bachelor's degree in agricultural and environmental communications from the University of Illinois. Lori is certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener and is also a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.