How to Photograph Insects

Learn a little about your subjects and their habits to know when it is best to capture photos.

• Getting close is very tricky, so knowledge of the environment is crucial in insect photography. Observe your subject carefully; try to see patterns in their behavior: do the honeybees like one particular flower in your yard best? Stake one out and wait for the subject to come to you.• There is not just one bee or fly out there. Remember, you are surrounded by millions of insects every day and if the first one you see gets away, there'll be another soon enough.• Patience is the key. Think of insects like they are two year old kids running around without a break. But everyone, even bumblebees and toddlers eventually needs a break, so that's when to make your photos. It may only last for a few moments, so be ready.• Most insects are very sensitive to carbon dioxide, and will run or fly away if you breathe directly on them; however, certain beetles will freeze when breathed on -- experiment!• Early morning and twilight are the best times to make insect photos, as the cold-blooded creatures slow down when the temperature is lower.• Insects can see shadows very well, so never approach your subject from the same direction as the light casts, or they'll scamper.• Spring and fall, with more dramatic temperature swings are prime seasons for insects. In the late summer and fall most bees will be totally focused on gathering as much food as they can to overwinter -- meaning they'll care less about you, and more about the pollen gathering at this time.• Learning about your local insect and invertebrate population will help you to locate as many of them in their natural habitat, and also to understand their life cycle, so doing your homework is a big part of making successful photos.• Be careful! Many insects and spiders can be dangerous, even deadly! If you are unfamiliar with a specific bug, it's better to presume it's got powerful venom, rather than find out the hard way.

Dramatic Lighting of Outdoor Insects
• Take a Sharpie (or other brand) marker cap and cut the end off -- in effect, making a tiny snoot. • Attach the modified cap to the center area on the diffuser of the strobe or ring flash with black electrical tape. • Cover the entire flash diffuser surface with more black electrical tape, so that the only light transmitted will be through the marker cap. • You've now got a highly focused beam of light that will spotlight your subject -- from above, either side, or even partially backlit. • If you are using a dedicated hotshoe connection, you can shoot (e)TTL exposure. • With non-dedicated flash units or when using a PC-sync cable, you'll have to set the flash manually. Distance to the subject and the strobe's guide number will vary, so you'll have to experiment to find the proper output ratio. • Patience and practice will help you make dramatic winning shots. With this "spotlight" you've now got two items, the camera and the strobe, to position close to the subject -- but once you get the hang of it, I think you'll be happy with the results! • I use this lighting technique and set-up for insects and microfauna, but the sky's the limit! The macro spotlight technique can also be used for miniature collectibles, details of flowers, and whatever else you may shine you macro spotlight on.

Your Home Macro Sweep
Build a simple right-angle frame out of thin wood beams, as shown in the photo here. Use small finishing nails to assemble the pieces into a right-angle frame. • Use a staple gun to mount the stage area of the sweep to the frame. • Affix another smaller piece of white material to the top of the frame, with a fold along the front edge to contain stray light, and you've got a mini-seamless studio! • A single off-shoe flash bounced off the "softbox" will provide pleasing omnidirectional light to your tiny subjects!


By Christopher Badzioch July 2007