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How to photograph insects and other tiny creatures

Photography of insects and arachnids

You could hear their screams from three rooms away. We ran into the kitchen to see what the problem was.

What happened? “we asked almost breathlessly.

Ran somewhere below there“, she gasped at us.

What was it? “I questioned again

Almost fainting, he managed to stutter “I dont know“.

On our knees now, we take a look at the space under the sink and the kitchen cupboard.

It was a spider. Not even a big one at that. Although obviously big enough to get your adrenaline pumping. The slim dark green body featured a series of yellow dots along its back.

“What kind of spider is that?” I asked for. “We don’t know,” replied some of the onlookers, “but those are common all over the place here“.

Insect species around the world

According to statistics there are more than two and a half million species of insects known only in the Amazon rainforest region. You’ve undoubtedly seen a fair amount of critters yourself. Insects in general are quite easy to identify.

Its general characteristics are:

– Have a body with three segments, head, thorax and abdomen.

– Have an exoskeleton

– Have two extended antennas

– They are omnivorous, that is, they consume both plant and animal matter.

Note Spiders are arachnids, and technically not insects. They have a body with two segments and eight legs, not six like insects.

All of this, of course, meant nothing to “scream Mimi” when she saw the spider.

Among many other characteristics, insects and spiders are also fascinating subjects for digital photographers. That is, if you are not too scary.

However, getting good digital images of insects can be quite a challenge. So here are some suggestions on how to do it successfully.

Digital photography equipment needed to photograph insects

The two most important digital camera settings for this type of photography are the macro image settings and the capabilities of your telephoto lens. Some cameras can also use close-up lens attachments to take macro images up to an inch from the camera lens. A small but sturdy tripod less than a foot in total collapsed height is also on the suggested item list, as is a flash and an external or slave flash unit, if you have one available.

For digital photographers, the life cycle of insects

A brief comment on the life cycle of insects is necessary for digital photographers. Briefly, there are four key stages in the life cycle of an insect. These are useful to know if you are trying to get digital images of insects like flies, mosquitoes, and a variety of creepy critters from your garden or basement.

  1. An adult insect lays fertilized eggs in its medium of choice; soil, plant stem or leaf, insect or animal carcasses, manure, waste material, etc.
  2. The eggs hatch into worms, caterpillars, or larvae. The larvae of flies and other insects are called worms.
  3. The larvae feed voraciously for a period of time before molting or transforming into young insects that resemble adults. With butterflies, larvae called caterpillars weave a cocoon around them to complete a process of physical change, called metamorphosis, from the caterpillar stage to adult butterflies.
  4. Young insects grow into adults, mate, and lay eggs to repeat the life cycle.

Due to the large number of species of insects and arachnids, there is a wide variety of themes available regardless of where you live. (Okay, if you’re stationed in Antarctica, for example, you might be a bit limited) A large selection of macro insect images will make a great addition to your photography portfolio, as well as expanding your ever-growing photography skills. So organize a photoshoot with an insect or spider from your local area as soon as you can.

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