Photographing insects growing in popularity
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BY KATHRYN CATES MOORE/Lincoln Journal Star
Smile and say, “Juicy, green leaf.”
Enticing reward, if you’re trying to get a lime-colored Cecropia caterpillar munching happily on an extended tree branch to cooperate while you snap its picture.
Other times, no amount of coaxing will help to capture an insect up close and personal.
-- Take lots of shots — more than you think you will ever need. Digital photography makes this easy. Bring extra batteries.
-- Telephoto and macro lenses work best for this type of photography. If you have a “macro” setting (it is the tulip symbol on most cameras), use it. Adjust exposure as needed (automatic cameras can be adjusted, too).
-- Dress comfortably for a long photo session. Be patient. Move slowly and quietly. Tell someone where you are going to be shooting.
-- Action photos are great. Decide what is the best time of day for insects you want to shoot (usually they are slower in the morning and at night).
-- Know what you are dealing with. Some insects may bite you.
-- Try shooting every angle: front, side, above and even underneath. Specific markings may be the difference between one species or another.
They flit.
They hop.
They buzz.
The six-legged critters are often out of camera range and into the background before you snap the shutter.
Insect photography has a growing following. Thanks to digital cameras, which make for easy and quick clicking over and over without wasting film, and macro settings, it is no longer just for a select few.
Jim Kalisch, extension educator and entomologist at the University of Nebraska, recently faced 30 eager insect photographer wannabes at a Lancaster County Extension workshop on the subject. They ranged in age from teens to seniors and brought a variety of equipment, from point-and-shoots to sophisticated, long-lens cameras.
It was a workshop that Lancaster County Extension entomologist Barb Ogg had been thinking about for a long time. When she ran into Kalisch, who was trying to capture brown bees on film outside, they firmed up the plan.
Close-up photography is popular, Kalisch said. Insects and flowers are prime subjects. They are found easily in nature, and with insects there is a lot of satisfaction when you finally capture them in their habitat.
Kalisch acquired his insect photography skills as part of his job. He wants photos as detailed as possible, right down to the last stripe, antenna and hairy leg.
His main purpose for shooting is diagnostic. As the ETV “Backyard Farmer” insect guy, he has to be able to identify what’s eating viewers’ gardens.
But most people are snapping photos of insects looking for colorful compositions. In the right light, with the right bug, it is an artistic endeavor.
Science-minded photographers may be searching for unusual insects, Kalisch said. Others like the educational aspect.
So far this year, insects have been slow to develop, Kalisch said. A cool spring and lots of rain has been good for mosquitoes, but not much else in the insect world.
Now, finally, with some warm weather on the horizon, insect watchers will be rewarded.
There are some challenges when photographing insects, Kalisch said.
-- Their size — small, smaller and smallest — means the subject has to be magnified, and focusing may be difficult without a macro lens or macro setting.
-- Movement — from both the insect and Nebraska’s famous winds — can be a problem. And Kalisch suggests the photographer hold his breath while shooting.
-- Light — either uneven, from the combination of sun and shade, or glaring can make your subject look unnatural.
-- Getting close enough — How do you sneak up on a butterfly? It’s hard to do. That’s when long lenses come in handy.
“Bugs have great eyesight,” Kalisch said. “They can sense your presence.”
Leland Osten has one of those long lenses. He’s been interested in photography since he was a young boy and uses a 180 macro lens on his Canon single lens reflex (SLR) camera.
Osten holds his breath and zeros in on the Cecropia caterpillar hanging upside down. He checks the viewing screen and shoots another.
Osten will head to his own backyard for leisure shooting. One of his favorite insect photos, he said, is of a cricket that shows his long antennae.
Bug photography has become a family affair. Osten’s wife, Elva, enjoys the hobby, too. She uses a smaller macro lens but said they often spend time on vacations shooting birds, insects and flowers.
Will Wallace purchased his Canon EOS Rebel XTI six months ago. Outside the workshop, he is down on his knees, zeroing in on the sidewalk crack, trying to capture an ant carrying a tiny load on his back. “I think I got it,” he said.
Wallace said he was hoping to pick up some tips at the workshop. He’s a novice, but the more he shoots, the more he likes the close-up results.
Kalisch explains that being able to override the settings on the camera can help.
“A SLR gives total control,” he said.
His own professional equipment includes a ring flash, which circles his lens. Although it can reflect shiny beetles, it usually gives a nice, even light.
John Zrust, manager of Rockbrook Camera, showed several types of photo accessories that made close-up photography easier. Magnifying lens filters, fabric “tents” and tripods all can make the final product better, he said.
Sometimes it helps to bring the insects inside if they are attached to a branch, Kalisch said.
And chilling them in the freezer slows down the movement.
For his purposes, the insects can be dead or alive, he said. At that point, Kalisch decides whether it is best to use a white or black background or even a glass background so details will show up clearer.
And there are many computer programs that will even out the light, add contrast or make the colors truer, Kalisch said.
But he cautioned against presenting altered photos as “natural.”
Shooting in the wild gives some of the best results, Kalisch said. But dress for stomping through tall brush and wooded areas. And although you want to wear insect repellent, remember that you don’t want it to be so strong that the insects stay away from you completely.
Reach Kathryn Cates Moore at 473-7214 or kmoore@journalstar.com.
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