Insects are one thing that is an interesting phenomenon in our world. Either we love them or hate them. Case in point: we all love the beautiful butterflies that we have adding beauty to our world. But, how about mosquitos or beetles or all the other things in our world. And you know, in photography, which insect or bug would you really enjoy taking pictures of anyway?
Today we want to help you learn how to take photos of “insects”. And what you need, and the composition rules etc.
1- Getting on the same level as the insect. ï‚·
2- Have patience when photographing insects. Following these tips would help create better photographs because it would have more creativity,
3- you can get better highlights in the eyes of the insect
4- taking photographs from different angles would create a good composition.
5- Get close to the insect, even if it means some specialized equipment.
We can discuss several of these rules showing this photo above: Getting down to their level is a big key if you want to get the detail you need to make it look good. If you take it from the top, you will notice that all you would have is the back of the bug, and in this case you would miss the legs, and possible the “antennae” or feelers of the bug.
And then, you want to get close, really close to get a photo that looks good, and possible fill your frame. And taking close-up photos of insects can generally be done only with a Single Reflex camera. The least expensive way to get close is with a set of close-up filters. These filters come, usually, in a package of a +1, +2, +4, and +10. And they can be stacked as well. So, if you want to have a number #3 in close-up filters, you can simply add a +1, and +2 to get your +3. The higher the number, the closer you can get.
Nothing beats the versatility of a true macro lens. A macro lens is a normal lens you would have on your camera, but just has the capability of focusing extremely close. They are a bit more money, depending on your camera brand, but, if you are in to a lot of close up photos, then this will be a must.
The words marked in red will take you directly to a link on Amazon.com, so you can study out the product, and if so desire, purchase it through this link as well.
Notice in the steps above, it says to focus on the eyes of the insect. Can you even see them? Only if you have the equipment to get close enough. And a macro lens and a set of close-up filters is the only way you can see the eyes of an insect.
Sometimes it is really obvious where the eyes are on an insect, and other times you just know where the eyes are and use that for it’s focus point.
Why does it say to have patience in taking photos of insects? There are 2 factors that will cause you to use your patience. 1- A lot of insects are looking for food, and you just need to be patient in waiting for them to hold still. 2- Even the slightest wind will get the leaf, or blade of grass to move, so waiting for the wind to stop, so you won’t get a blurry picture, certainly does require some amazing patience.
If you can do the following, then your photo will be perfectly composed: Have the insect fill the screen as much as you can, and also give them something to stand on, like the blade of grass or a leaf. I think taking a photo of an insect, and getting them right smack in the middle of the photo is still one of those rules that’s broken a lot with this, and generally, this is going to be ok. But, check different angles to see if you can be more creative in taking photos of insects.
We have now officially completed the left side of this lest. So, now we are half way done. Tomorrow, the subject turns to negative space, which is one of my favorite subjects. See you tomorrow.
