Shutterbugs focus on amazing lives of bugs
By Victoria Fei |
November 24, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Most people regard insects as nuisances to be swatted or shooed away. All around us, these tiny creatures live in a fascinating micro-world we rarely bother to notice.
Maybe it's time to think small and open our eyes to an amazing world around us.
Insects were popularized by the French scientist Jean Henry Casimir Fabre in his famous book "Souvenirs Entomologiques," later translated into English as "Fabre's World of Insects."
Fabre, often dubbed the "father of modern entomology," died in 1915, but his books have enjoyed enduring popularity as a general introduction to the insect world.
Fabre recorded the lives of bugs as biographies rather than in dry clinical observations.
The tales of their lives and habits are endlessly captivating: the society of slaves and masters in ant colonies, the vital role honeybees play in pollinating fruit trees, the female praying mantis who kills her spouse when breeding is completed, the belief that ladybugs are signs of good luck and fireflies symbols of the missing.
This week, in the spirit of Fabre, photographers in Minhang District have taken their cameras to nature to try to record bugs in all their diversity.
Tips on Photographing Insects
A long focal lens is best to capture such small creatures, or you can use an adapter or an extension ring to help get better shots.
Select a spot and settle in to wait for insects to come by. Fix your camera with a tripod, focus on one point and wait patiently.
Insects tend to move faster than we think. Small apertures and high shutter speeds are best for catching them. Besides natural light, some fill light may be needed. High power incandescent lamps should be avoided because they generate a lot of heat, which may scare off insects. The ideal fill light is a flash lamp, and two will be better: one aimed at the shooting spot at an angle of 45 degrees and the other at the opposite side to eliminate any shadow from first lamp.
Insect photography can be executed at home, especially for recording the development of an insect. For example, shooting a butterfly emerging from its pupa, catching a silkworm making its cocoon or capturing a moth breaking out of its cocoon. In order to make such photos look natural, some tree branches or flowers can be collected and arranged at the scene.
Some insects are just too energetic. Sometimes it helps to put them under refrigeration for a short time to slow down their metabolism.
Recommended reading
"Souvenirs Entomologiques" (Fabre's "World of Insects)" by Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre
"Encyclopedia of Insects" by Vincent Resh
"Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity" by Stephen Marshall
"For Love of Insects" by Thomas Eisner
Maybe it's time to think small and open our eyes to an amazing world around us.
Insects were popularized by the French scientist Jean Henry Casimir Fabre in his famous book "Souvenirs Entomologiques," later translated into English as "Fabre's World of Insects."
Fabre, often dubbed the "father of modern entomology," died in 1915, but his books have enjoyed enduring popularity as a general introduction to the insect world.
Fabre recorded the lives of bugs as biographies rather than in dry clinical observations.
The tales of their lives and habits are endlessly captivating: the society of slaves and masters in ant colonies, the vital role honeybees play in pollinating fruit trees, the female praying mantis who kills her spouse when breeding is completed, the belief that ladybugs are signs of good luck and fireflies symbols of the missing.
This week, in the spirit of Fabre, photographers in Minhang District have taken their cameras to nature to try to record bugs in all their diversity.
Tips on Photographing Insects
A long focal lens is best to capture such small creatures, or you can use an adapter or an extension ring to help get better shots.
Select a spot and settle in to wait for insects to come by. Fix your camera with a tripod, focus on one point and wait patiently.
Insects tend to move faster than we think. Small apertures and high shutter speeds are best for catching them. Besides natural light, some fill light may be needed. High power incandescent lamps should be avoided because they generate a lot of heat, which may scare off insects. The ideal fill light is a flash lamp, and two will be better: one aimed at the shooting spot at an angle of 45 degrees and the other at the opposite side to eliminate any shadow from first lamp.
Insect photography can be executed at home, especially for recording the development of an insect. For example, shooting a butterfly emerging from its pupa, catching a silkworm making its cocoon or capturing a moth breaking out of its cocoon. In order to make such photos look natural, some tree branches or flowers can be collected and arranged at the scene.
Some insects are just too energetic. Sometimes it helps to put them under refrigeration for a short time to slow down their metabolism.
Recommended reading
"Souvenirs Entomologiques" (Fabre's "World of Insects)" by Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre
"Encyclopedia of Insects" by Vincent Resh
"Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity" by Stephen Marshall
"For Love of Insects" by Thomas Eisner
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