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Just thought I'd listen what ways you use to take photographs of diptera or other bugs. I, myself have mostly used the hunting strategy, wandering about with my camera (with ringflash) and tripod ready to shot any insect that comes in my way. Now I'm more considering using traps and baits to get more photo possibilities and make the insects come to me instead of the other way around. To get photos of flies in their natural environment I suspect the first alternative is best. What strategy do you use?

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For photography I certainly 'hunt' with my camera in areas that are good for insects, places with lots of flowers and vegetation that they would like to sit on. Then I stalk them and jopefully take the photos :) I haven't tried catching insects and photographing them in captivity - it always ends in a big disaster for me! ;)

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I use many ways. Sometimes I go with my camera to the field. Another times, I go catching flies and even take my camera to photograph. Other times I will go to the field omly catching and then I photograph them indoors.

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I take most of my photos around our house, on our terrace where we have lots of plants and flowers. I keep records of every living creature I spot on our terrace. When the weather allows it we are outside, and I always have my camera ready. A few times a week I visit insect rich places close to our house especially to make photos. I never catch insects for photographs, I like to photograph them in their natural environment. And they always seem to come to me anyway. I still find new species around our house every week.

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I've never been able to use a tripod when photographing insects. I normally end up bashing the branch or flower that they are on, or it takes so long to manipulate the equipment the insect's lifetime has expired. So mostly a stalk with camera in hand.

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I thought I also should mention the way I approach the subject. I often take a photo on some distance to ensure I get a photo without frightening the fly and then move in closer and closer while taking photos to get as close as possible.

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How to Photograph Bugs and Insects by Christopher Badzioch 2007.

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As walwyn, I don't use the tripode to shoot insects outside, it's more like a nuisance than an effective tool . The problem is we have to get really close to the creatures and they normally don't stay long on a spot. I also tried with a monopode, but it wouldn't result either. About the lenses, it is nice to have a powerfull macro telephoto (150 or 200 mm) but then camera shaking becomes a problem. I also have learned that if you stay a while on a position then (some) insects become used to your presence and let you get closer (it works with dragonflies and others).

Joaquim Gaspar
Lisboa

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"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!"

GO immediately buy a mask face!!!! :D LOL
I knew about this. That?s why I appointed my face at the side always I spotted an insect and just put the eye in viewfinder, of course. :P Many times, I sustain my breathe over 1 min.
Take green dark colors for your clothes to the field as well.

"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."

take gloves :P LOL But I think it is better to wear pants... and just a T-shirt.

There are more other good tips ;)

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Nice thread, but I think the question has to be:
Can you see, which stetegy I use?

In nature photography, we have two mainstrem trends:

1) take a photo allways wildlife and don?t disturb the animal !

2) never, really never, use a flash (colours, dark background) !

Your strategy should look like following this rules:

1) take it wildlife if possible or on your desktop using parts of the natural environment (plant, flower, stone, bark) and allways collect the photographed specimen. It?s nice to show a photo in a forum, but it?s better to have a specimen under the microscope. I sent a lot of insects as photo and in ethanol to leading experts. It?s not unusual to get two different results ;-)

By the way: If you know, what the insects need, give it only, when they are on your desktop. Usually this is water, food and/or sex. Put males and females together (works in beetles allways), give them water drops, flowers ... and you have enough time to take a large series of photos. It?s nonsense to freeze insects or to cool insects down - only, if you need a longer time to come home. Flies you can tranquilise, if your room is really dark. Use only one light on your desktop behind a glas to minimize the UV stimulus.

2. Often you have to use a flash. Then take care, that the background (a good photo has a background!) will not be black or to dark. Use a slave flash for the background or a background nearby, which you can light with mirrors. A small mirror you can use outdoor too, to light the the dark parts of the animal. If it?s very bright you will have better results in an artificial shadow.

Best regards
Frank

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Frank... i used to use flash and I got many photos without black background!! :P See my photos. ;) :P They are usually taken using flash . :P I never used mirrors :P

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Hello,



As a matter of fact, animals are often less frightened by the objective + camera nearing than by the photographer without anything.

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They often notice you, I think. Problem with that is when approaching, many flies turn their back on you. Not the view you most want. I think maybe the lens reflections may cause this behavior. If you also have a ringflash, that is a "pretty large eye" staring at them from close range ... if they can understand what eyes are, that is.

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Hello,



This summer, I used a monopode (Manfrotto) for the first time and I'll surely never go out anymore for a real photo session without it. With the Canon 20D and the 100mm objective, the thing is heavy (I would say about 2kg), but it is equilibrated when you hold it by the rubber handle (just underneath the camera).

On the other hand, you can shoot without laying it on the ground when it is fully retracted. The weight is not that important. Gun shooters use to say that the gun holds the hand more than the opposite. I think this is the same with a camera (within some limits, of course).

The Manfrotto monopode I bought is made of three segments, that means there are only two locks to unlock and lock when you want to set the height. If you choose to put the lower segment at its maximal extension, you only have a lock to control to get the shooting heights I mostly use.

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I have been thinking about monopods, to be a bit more mobile, and specially the automatic ones. Anyone tried those?

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@ Jorge:
This was a general reply, but no comment on your photos ;-)

But you shouldn?t compare taking photos in Portugal and Central Europe, where you don?t have sun for weeks. If you use a flash in a bright situation, you will not have problems with the background, only problems with reflections on the animal.

If you use a mirror (refector) in a shadow situation, you can light dark parts of the animal. Example: You are in dark forest, aperture f8 or smaller, long exposure time 2 sec. and longer. This can be usefull for identification, but it?s useful for your camera too, to reduce also the light parts of the picture.

@ frightening in wildlife situations:
Move slow, slow as the leaves in the wind. The camera and the photographer will merge with the environment ;-)
But one observation: Some insects are frightened by my Canon camera. I think it?s the USM (ultra sonics motor) producing dangerous predator sounds. So sometimes it?s better to use the manual focus.

Best regards
Frank

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:)

your photos are great, Frank, considering the hardest light conditions!!!
And beetles have another difficulty: usually with metallic colours. :S

USM... :p

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Hello,



I don't have any conclusive data about this aspect, but I do think that some insects are sensitive to the USM motor "noise".

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4 October 2007, NB, Canada. Keys to Calliphora vicina

Just a comparison of techniques. Top photo is an image from a flatbed scanner, lower one from a digital camera. Scanner gives quite a good image but lacks the depth of field that can be obtained with a camera.

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Catch them, take them home, chill them in the fridge - not too long though, then photograph on a flower or leaf as quickly as possible, before they warm up and fly away.

Otherwise hunt, stalk and shoot is the best way....:p

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Scanning may be a good alternative technique. Many images in the "Atlas of Russian beetles" (Zoological institute RAS, SPb, here is their great coleopterological site) are taken by scanning, e.g. these very large stag-beetles. DOF depends on the scanner type (CIS-scanners has tiny DOF, CCD-scanners - large DOF) and on concrete model, too...

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scanning is also very good for dragonflies (i used that many times)... and also for plants. this was before to have a photo camera, anywai in many case scanning is a very good alternative

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You mean like your photos HERE:(

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How do you get the white background and no shadows from the lid? Maybe a bit of white paper? If you put the lid on, the fly gets smashed, wouldn't it? One should probably use as high resolution as the scanner can handle, but I still wonder what dpi you used for this particular scanning, Tony?

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I agree, does an excellent job with Odonates. Also excellent for 'flat' flies such as syrphids and most tabanids, particularly Chrysops. This calliphorid has a large somewhat rounded thorax making the fly very deep and thus could not get everything in focus.

It was scanned at 3600 ppi (pixels per inch). I simply removed the scanner lid; placed 4 blocks of wood on the glass plate of the scanner and placed a sheet of white card on the blocks. The blocks are 1 cm thick. The fly, of course, was placed upside down on the glass plate of the scanner. Alternatively one could support the scanner lid about 1 cm above the glass plate using blocks