17 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 pictures
Courtesy 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 pictures
Courtesy 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 pictures
Courtesy 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.

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dragonfly pictures
Courtesy 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.

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Bnbbyc19 Linda Wilson 1
Courtesy 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.

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250108754 1 Karyn Swaney Bnb Bypc2020
Courtesy 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.

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Courtesy 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.

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Bnbbyc19 Chris Schellenberg
Courtesy 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.

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dragonfly
Courtesy 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.

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Courtesy 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 dragonfly
Courtesy 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.

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249574429 1 Sheila Langer Bnb Bypc2020
Courtesy 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.

Bnbugc Jim Bailey
Courtesy Jim Bailey

You’ve Got a Friend

“This cool little dragonfly kept trying to land on me while I was at Ravine Gardens State Park early one morning. I waited for it to find somewhere else to rest so I could capture this photo,” says Jim Bailey.

Bnbugc Martha Lane
Courtesy Martha Lane

Dragonfly Among the Blackberries

“An August day found me at my favorite blackberry patch, which was practically dripping with fruit. I reached out to pluck a handful and froze when I saw this dragonfly sitting perfectly still. Camera in hand, I got as close as I could with time to take numerous shots. The beautifully colored body and the translucent wings surprised and delighted me,” says Martha Lane.

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Bnb Ugc Paul Kneebone
Courtesy Paul Kneebone

A Bold Dragonfly

“I came across this very curious dragonfly dragonfly on a chilly, damp day while at work. It was in the wet grass, and when I put my hand down, it crawled onto my finger—not shy at all! It seemed to like the camera, letting me take a few shots before it flew off. I think it warmed up from my body heat,” says Paul Kneebone.

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Courtesy Diana Hudgins

Dragonfly on Coneflower

“As I enjoyed the visitors in the pollinator garden, this dragonfly landed on a spent coneflower. I love the way the sun highlights its wings. My kids and I were quite intrigued by this flier!” says Diana Hudgins.

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Courtesy Kimberly Ward

Colorful Succulent Perch

“On a hot summer day on my patio, I spotted this friendly dragonfly on my echeveria plant. The natural lighting was perfect,” says Kimberly Ward.

Next, don’t miss water lily flower pictures that will take your breath away.

Lori Vanover
Lori has 20 years of experience writing and editing home, garden, birding and lifestyle content for several publishers. As Birds & Blooms senior digital editor, she leads a team of writers and editors sharing birding tips and expert gardening advice. Since joining Trusted Media Brands 13 years ago, she has held roles in digital and print, editing magazines and books, curating special interest publications, managing social media accounts, creating digital content and newsletters, and working with the Field Editors—Birds & Blooms network of more than 50 backyard birders. Passionate about animals and nature, Lori has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Communications from the University of Illinois. In 2023, she became certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener, and she is a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and sits on the organization's Publications Advisory Committee. She frequently checks on her bird feeders while working from home and tests new varieties of perennials, herbs and vegetable plants in her ever-growing backyard gardens.