Basic Macro Photography


Photographing Insects

Foreword:
As I mentioned before, I'm an amateur photographer (at best) and you should not use this as your only source of information if you're trying to photograph insects. What I will cover here is what's worked relatively well for me.

Live insects can be quite a challenge to photograph. Outdoors, they are more likely to be calm and at ease if you don't startle them. These are typically going to be the most beautiful photos but you essentially have to take whatever the circumstances provide. Wind and poor angles make this less viable for technical photos (particularly for macro photography). When photographing insects in the wild...

  • If there is strong light and your shadow will cause a significant change in the lighting on the insect, the insect is likely to try to escape as your shadow passes over it.
  • It may take 10 or more shots to get one usable photo. For a truly wonderful photo where everything is prefect, it may take many hours to capture it. If you're looking for a fantastic photo of a particular insect, you may have to put in many long days to get it. I typically get only one 'decent' photo out of 10. I've only taken a few photos in my life that I really liked. Get used to having many less-than-perfect shots.
  • Large white flash diffusers seem to scare insects more than smaller diffusers. I have more success using the can-type diffuser than the bowl typ difuser. It's also easier to get it in-between small branches in the brush.
  • Taking the photos in the morning when it's relatively cool is somewhat easier than later in the day when it's warmer. Insects are typically less active when the temperature is cooler.

Using the Flash (or not): Unless you're shooting on a bright, dead calm day, you will have to use the flash to prevent the image from being blurred. If you're shooting very small subjects up close, you'll need to use small apertures to get sufficient depth of field. This will require even more light. In most all of my photography, I use a flash. Many people don't like to use a flash but if properly done, the results can be very good. If you're shooting in strong light, you may try setting the camera to manual and using settings that will work without the flash. Then use the flash to remove some of the intense shadows.

Different Ways to use the Flash: For those of us using point and shoot cameras (which generally have no hotshoe for a flash unit), the on-board flash will be used (generally with a diffuser). If you have a hotshoe on your camera or a slave trigger for an external flash, you have more flexibility on the lighting of the subject. I often use both the on-board flash (diffused) and an external slave flash that I bounce off of the reflective enclosure.

Direct/Indirect Lighting: The on-camera will provide direct lighting for the subject. The diffuser will provide somewhat indirect lighting. A reflective enclosure will provide indirect lighting. It's imprtant to have the subject lit evenly (as possible) from all sides. This helps to reduce hot-spots and harsh shadows. Many insects will have a shiny body and hot-spots can be a real problem.

Shallow Depth of Field: As you know (if you've read through the rest of the site), you have a very shallow depth of field when you're shooting close-up at relatively high magnification. If the breeze is blowing, it may be almost impossible to get a photo that's in focus. Generally, winds are lighter when the sun is close to the horizon so you may have better luck early in the morning and later in the day. To maximize the depth of field, you'll need to shoot with small apertures (high F-numbers). This almost certainly means that you'll have to use a flash.

Bringing the Insects to You: I've read of some people applying attractants (such as honey or sugar water) to a wall to attract flies and other insects. The flies will attract still other insects like spiders. This can be very good for somewhat natural photos. To attract moths and other insects at night, shine a bright light on a light colored wall. On remote locations, you can hang a white sheet. I believe I read that black lights work well for this. You can research it for yourself if you're interested.

Photographing in a Controlled Environment: I prefer to photograph insects indoors. This can present a challenge also. The insects are likely to be very agitated in the strange environment. If you have the time and patience, you can chase them around and eventually get some good photos. I've done it plenty of times. This typically leads to photos that have inconsistent backgrounds and don't look as good as they could when viewed together.

Cooling Insects to Slow Them Down: I know that many people will be against chilling insects but this is necessary if you need the photos to be from specific angles and don't have a lot of time to work with each individual. Insects are cold blooded and generally can not regulate their body temperatures. Their bodies are essentially the same temperature as the environment. When it gets cold, they slow down. Some insects will slow down considerably when they are brought into an air conditioned room. Placing their holding container in front of an air conditioning vent is sufficient to calm them down. Others take quite a bit more cooling to get them to slow down. For those insects that are not affected by air conditioning, you can place them in the refrigerator. As I said before, I know many people will object to this but it's necessary for some insects. There have been a few that never slowed down and the only reason they quit moving is because they died.

Just Like Any Other Small Object: For an insect that's not moving, the process is much like photographing inanimate objects. You generally want a good background and good lighting with few shadows. If you use something like the reflective enclosures you seen elsewhere on the site, you can get good results.

Don't Immediately Discard Partially Out of Focus Images: If you're taking photos of an individual for technical purposes and are not absolutely sure of what's needed for a proper ID, don't discard the partially out of focus photos until the individual is ID'd. For many insects, a small thing like a spur on the rear tibia or a few hairs in a particular location may be what's needed for the ID. Sometimes, you'll have that important area in focus while the majority of the individual is out of focus.

Get Photos From Various Angles: I generally try to get 5-6 specific photos if I'm not sure what is needed for the identification of a particular individual.

  • Top
  • Side
  • 3/4 View
  • Bottom
  • Face
  • Tip of Abdomen croppijng When photographing an insect, it may calm down if it can find something relatively familiar to rest on. I've seen and tried using toothpicks and bamboo skewers. I saw it done elsewhere on toothpicks and used the skewers for larger insects like THIS spider. I hold it in place (standing up) with poster adhesive. Holding Containers: For small insects, I use plastic petri dishes as holding containers. If the petri-dish is considerably larger than the individual, I use it as a stage. I like the way the smooth surface looks. Photographing the individual on a movable stage will allow you to turn it to get the best angle. Backgrounds: Many people use white backgrounds for their photos and that's likely the best. For the camera and lenses I use, the white background doesn't work well. Slightly out of focus areas (due to a shallow depth of field) become completely washed out. I generally use a black background Black foam from Wal-Mart's craft department. The flash bouncing off of the foam gives a gray reflection on the smooth petri dish and generally looks nice. DSLR vs P&S with an Articulated Display: While I've never used a DSLR, I have used digital cameras that didn't have an articulated display. I can tell you that the articulating screens make this much easier. Most of the time, you'll rest the camera on your hands which are resting on the table or enclosure. This may not be in a position that allows you to view the subject through a viewfinder. It's even difficult to see it in a fixed LCD display. The F&T display (in my opinion) allows you to capture shots that would be nearly impossible without it. Give a list of links to keys. Don't rely on coloring for identification. It seems to be the least reliable way to try to ID an individual (particularly spiders).

 

Notes:
  • I'm not a professional photographer. If you have suggestions that will help me to improve this site, please email me.
  • You are free to use the images on this site for non-profit, educational purposes. If you want to use them for commercial projects, please contact me.


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