Photographer of the Month

Michael C. Moore

This month we are featuring the beautiful ode photography of Michael Moore who has contributed more than 400 stunning photographs of dragonflies and damselflies to the Dragonfly ID app. Dr. Moore is an integrative systems biologist working at the interface between behavior, neuroscience, physiology and ecology, and teaches Introductory Biology, Physiology and Endocrinology at the University of Delaware.

“I have been birding for 45 years, but switched almost completely to odes 6 years ago when I realized my ardent chasing of life birds had greatly dwindled the life birds I had left to see. Now I have many life odes to chase! ! I love photographing odes because, while still requiring field craft, they can be cooperative subjects that allow you some chance to work on your skills at composition. I also think their beauty rivals many tropical birds, but they are just small enough that it really takes a great photograph to reveal that beauty. My photographs emphasize naturally lit, naturally posed subjects. I usually prefer loose cropping to give a greater sense of the subject in its environment. (All my photos in the app have been tightly cropped to make them suitable for viewing on a phone). However, I also love the beautiful detail expressed by all odonates and strive for the perfect focus and sharpness necessary to reveal that detail.”

Delmarva Dragonfly: https://sites.google.com/a/udel.edu/deodes/
Professional Bio: http://www.bio.udel.edu/users/mmoore