American Rubyspot damselfly (male)

An American Rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana) was spotted along the Potomac River at Riverbend Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a male, as indicated by his coloration and hamules.

An American Rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana) spotted along the Potomac River at Riverbend Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a male.

04 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | American Rubyspot (male)

One and done. That’s the way some wildlife photographers shoot a subject. I like to “work the shot,” that is, shoot the subject from all angles and in different positions.

In this case, the damselfly was perching over deep water. I waded into the water as far as I could go in my knee-high green wellies and made the best of a less than ideal situation.

04 AUG 2016 | Riverbend Park | American Rubyspot (male)

Since the subject never moved from his perch above the water, I moved so that my viewpoint featured different backgrounds. Also, the damselfly changed position slightly during the shoot. Although all of the photos in this set are similar, each one is different in the way it looks and feels.