Up close and personal. Vivid colors accompany deeper perspectives. Higher focus brings magnificent detail. Insects are tiny, minute creatures that play a big part in helping us balance Mother Nature’s ecosystem despite their size. Down in the macro, insects offer a myriad of interesting colors. Here are some tips on how to achieve good macro insect photography.
Why You Should Zoom In
Most photographers don’t always go closer into the macro – particularly because it’s not as popular a niche as, say, street photography. That leaves the macro insect photography market open for more creativity to be put into play here. If you haven’t tried macro shots at least once, give it a go. There’s a lot of undocumented insects out there for you to shoot with your camera.
Macro Insect Photography Tips
Explore the ways you can provide stunning shots of insects, deep in the macro.
Get As Close As You Can
The closer you are, the more detail you’re able to capture. If you don’t have a macro lens, it’s still fine to put your tripod skills into practice in the great outdoors.
Snap Them In Motion
Are the insects mating? Get some quick shots in. Are they duking it out? Pause over their territorial fight to snap some photos.
Don’t Rush It
Even if your insect subject isn’t doing anything to shout about, they eventually will. And while they are still, that makes it even better for you to capture their photos from different angles before they fly away or make a quick escape.
Take Advantage Of Colors
The brighter the colors, the more vibrant your photography will be. In the animal kingdom, the insects with the most unique colors are usually male or the most venomous. Who knows? You might even have a chance to see some females attracted to the colors the males have. Colors don’t only have to be limited to your insect subjects. Make use of the surrounding plants and other botanical props available to you, such as flowers.
Let Your Insect Subjects Be
Some photographers opt to use a spray with freeze effects to force their insect models to keep still. Granted, the effects have a time limit and will allow the insects to move around when it wears off, but it’s not a good practice. The first rule any photographer should adhere to is prioritizing the welfare of the wildlife subjects they are shooting. If it’s an illegal practice to trap and immobilize a lion just for a few photos, it’s the same for insects in the wild. These are harmful practices, so don’t catch them, don’t stress them out in their habitat, and don’t trap them.
Use A Macro Lens
If you’re struggling to snap good shots of insects, save yourself the hassle and try using a macro lens. As it’s made for zooming into the macro, you’ll be sure to get some shots in with great detail.
Always remember to respect the wildlife and shoot ethically. Have fun with shooting macro insect photography though! Explore our blog for more photography tips.