How to take photos of insects, and what are the skills?

When shooting insects, we must first understand and master the living habits of insects. Insects are generally small, so it is best to use a single-lens reflex camera when shooting. Some high-end 135 single-lens reflex cameras have auto-focus function and auto-glare function, which is very beneficial when shooting pictures. The lens of a single-lens reflex camera can be replaced, so you can use telephoto lens and close-up lens when shooting, or you can shoot insects in the distance closer. Because there are flying insects and crawling insects that can't fly, there are differences in shooting methods for these two kinds of insects.

Flying insects (such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees) are difficult to photograph, because these insects will fly at the slightest sign. It is best to shoot insects in spring and summer, and it is best to shoot insects in sunny and windless weather. Because in these two seasons, insects are moving around and appear more active. But because insects are active, they are not easy to be captured by cameras. At this time, some insects, such as butterflies and bees, have a strong tendency. You can sprinkle a few drops of perfume on the petals of a flower and then focus on the flower with a telephoto lens camera. Before long, insects will smell the fragrance, and then they can take some interesting pictures. When you shoot a dragonfly, you can not only catch a dragonfly, but also shoot it on an object, such as putting a dragonfly on a lotus flower and shooting it against the light. From the picture, the texture of dragonfly wings is clear and recognizable, which has produced good results.

Wet dew in the morning is also good for catching insects. It can not only make the world around insects look moist and beautiful, but also have unexpected effects on describing insects themselves. For example, when shooting crawling insects such as spiders, the dew is covered with spider webs. Backlight shooting can not only show the shape of spiders and the clear lines of spider webs, but also show the crystal clear effect of dew on spider webs.

Because the depth of field is short and it is difficult to focus when shooting with a long focal length lens or a lens with a close-up lens, in general, a small aperture and a high-speed shutter should be used to maintain a certain depth of field and the clarity of the photo. However, most insects live in places where there is no direct sunlight, and the problem of insufficient light is widespread. Therefore, in many occasions, in addition to using natural light, auxiliary light is needed to photograph insects. The most ideal auxiliary light source is the flash lamp, which can not only emit a lot of light instantly, but also emit no high heat, and can also distribute light according to the species of insects.

Under normal circumstances, we can use side light and fill the light with reflector, which can fully express the three-dimensional sense and texture of insects.

Insects can be photographed not only in nature, but also at home. In order to control the activities of insects, you can put them in the refrigerator for a few hours and then take them out, so that you can easily manipulate them. Insects can also be made into specimens and then arranged according to the requirements of shooting.

Lighting is very important if you want to shoot good works. Depending on the content to be expressed, different lights can be used. For example, when representing the shape and skin color of reptiles, we can record everything truly and clearly with smooth light; If you show the fragile wings of flying insects, you can use backlight to make the patterns on the wings very clear.