Dragonfly Ready to LaunchA dragonfly perched at the end of a blade of grass. Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C.

Earlier this year, I purchased the Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens (yes, lens names are boring). It's a telephoto lens that extends to 400mm, which is quite long. This is a big, heavy lens I'd been wanting for quite some time. It has a good focal length for shooting wildlife, landscapes that feature the moon, flowers, and dragonflies. I'd played with the lens some after getting it, but until recently, I hadn't had a chance to take it out and really put it through its paces.

So when the weather turned nice and I had some free time, I took my new lens out to Kenilworth for the lotus bloom. I was a little anxious. Long telephotos are notoriously difficulty to use (they have a very shallow depth of field) and I wanted my first outing with the lens to be a success. Fortunately, it all turned out great and I am very pleased with the results. The conditions weren't great for shooting flowers (the sun was too intense) but it was perfect for dragonflies (they like the sun). I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this lens.

Dragonfly and a Splash of PinkA backlit dragonfly is perched on the tip of an unopened lotus with a pink lotus in the background.

Dragonfly on the EdgeA dragonfly rests on the edge of a blade of grass. Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Washington, D.C.