A Patient Photographer

12 A Patient Photographer Many people love taking photographs. Some are professional and some are amateur. Some photographers specialize in taking pictures of people. Others focus more on sports or on nature. I want to tell you about a man who did something unusual with his camera. He took a series of pictures of a dragonfly that was changing from a nymph (a baby dragonfly) to an adult. Using his camera, he recorded the entire process, which took nearly five hours! Mr. Luo took up photography at age 60, the year he retired from his 40-year career as a railroad worker. When he retired, he became an active member of a seniors' photography club. They organized activities every week. Sometimes, they went on bike rides together and took pictures. Other times, if it was rainy, they met and exchanged tips on how to use light, lenses and software.

One summer day, Mr. Luo got up at 5: 00 a. m. He went to a pond in the suburbs where there were always plenty of dragonflies. With great exhilaration, he set up his camera and recorded the process of a nymph's transformation. First, he found a water bug in the muddy water under the lily pads. He waited until the bug climbed up the stem of a plant. There, it stopped to rest. Fifteen minutes later, the bug's body began to change. The skin split at a weak spot behind the head, and the adult dragonfly crawled out of its old skin. One hour later, the dragonfly started to separate its wings, which had been wet and folded in the beginning. A short time later, the dragonfly opened its wings for the first time. In another hour, the dragonfly made a pumping motion with its wings and flew off in search of food. The series of photos won wide appreciation. Whenever people praise him for his work, Mr. Luo says, “ Don't give the credit to me. Give it to nature. I just used my camera to capture the moment and present it to the world. "