In the summer of 2001 I took up a fascinating hobby - photographing dragonflies. I also discovered how addictive they are - once you start taking a good look at dragonflies, you can't stop looking at them!

Why Look at Dragonflies?

	They're beautiful.
	It's a good excuse to get out and enjoy nature.
	Dragonflies are most active on beautiful sunny days in the afternoon. My kind of critter!
	If you’re a photographer, it’s great practice for photographing wildlife.
	There are still a lot of unknowns about the biology of dragonflies, and very few professional entomologists getting paid to study them. That means amateurs can make significant contributions to this field.

Dragonflies + Damselflies = Odonates

Dragonflies have smaller cousins called damselflies.

Dragonflies are generally larger and hold their wings horizontal when perched.

Damselflies are generally smaller and hold their wings together over their back when perched.

Collectively, dragonflies and damselflies are referred to as “odonates”, after their Latin name “odonata”.