When one of my students spotted this dragonfly, a fantastic photo opportunity awaited those of us who had the “right” equipment to ensure a frame-filling and compelling composition. Sadly, only three of us had it. But whenever there is a shortage of the right equipment, I allow my students to take their SD or CF cards and place them inside my Nikon D300S (which uses both SD and CF cards). I am a firm believer in karma and that old adage “What goes around comes around.” I can’t tell you how many times, over the past thirty-five-plus years of shooting, I have been in need of a given filter, lens, flash, or reflector, and right next to me was a student holding out the requested piece of gear for the taking. And lest we forget: When is the best time to shoot a vertical? Right after you shoot the horizontal!

Both images: Nikon D300S with Nikkor 70–300mm lens and Canon 500D close-up filter, f/6.3 for 1/125 sec., ISO 200