Download PDF - The Canadian Nature Photographer

MACROPHOTOGRAPHY TOOLS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS 2012
Dragonfly, Sulphur butterflies, cricket and a pesky mosquito.
Some insects, like mosquitos, will come to you; others you will have to hunt down. The best way to
photograph dragonflies is to visit a marsh or wetland; however, they won’t pose for you very often in
the middle of the day. The best time to find and photograph dragonflies is the early morning when they
cling to a plant waiting to warm up. If the dragonflies are covered in dew, so much the better. One
technique I learned from Maria Zorn is how she visits a wetland in the evening before the sun goes
down and finds dragon files that have settled down for the night. When she finds one, she pulls out a
piece of tissue paper and leaves it close by so she can return and find the dragonfly early the next
morning before it flies away.
Some photographers create terrariums for moths and butterflies, then photograph the insect’s life
stages. An emerging butterfly would make an excellent subject for time-lapse photography. Aquatic
insects are best photographed in the studio in small aquaria. If you can find cooperative insects or
spiders that hold still, you might try focus stacking. Most insects don’t hold still for long, and although I
have tried cooling them in the fridge or freezer, the cooling effects don’t seem to last long, as these little
critters quickly warm up and are on their way. Some photographers will “bait” insects with sugar water,
juice or fresh fruit. I see nothing inherently wrong with doing this. Anyone wanting to photograph
insects or spiders would do well to pick up some books on arthropod biology or take a course.
TIP: In Alberta, if you spend time in the grass, check yourself and your hair at the end of the day for
ticks. Ticks can crawl from your camera bag to your hair, and if they bite you, can transmit disease.
Robert Berdan | 73