It’s a season of firsts. The other day I featured my first dragonfly photograph, today it’s a skipper. As I walked next to a field, I saw one, then several more of these butterflies. You rarely see a solitary skipper so you usually have several opportunities to take a photograph, always nice.
Category Archives: Insects
DRAGONFLY 1
Although we’ve seen some dragonflies this summer, this is the first I’ve photographed. There seem to be fewer this year, perhaps the fault of our cold wet spring. When you do nature photography you tend to celebrate the first returning bird, sight of a flower, even the first insect! This dragonfly was particularly welcome as he posed so nicely for the photograph.
FLY WITH TALENT
I thought this little fly warranted a return visit in black and white. I don’t care much for flies but in nature they can make for amazing subjects. A case in point, a fly blowing bubbles!
LOOKING UP
There are few things more pleasing than the colours of early summer. The ladybug was slowly making its way up the blade of grass. I watched it for a while before walking on. It’s a bit early yet for scenes like this but things are slowly coming into bloom; sunny days ahead.
IS IT OR ISN’T IT
I’m not sure whether this is a bee or a wasp. If anyone can identify it, please let me know. It was not at all threatening in appearance so I took a photo. Another close-up shot with my 70-200mm lens.
DRAGONFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Although dragonflies can be challenging subjects, in watching them you become familiar with their behaviour and can often anticipate where they will land. The dragonfly in the first photograph was on a perch just above the water which made for a pleasing background. They are one of my favourite insects to photograph.
DAMSELFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It will be a few months before we see any damselflies or dragonflies, members of the Odonata species of insects. We begin to see the first dragonflies in May, followed by damselflies a little later. They are delicate looking insects and small, the leaves provide a good sense of scale. I took these photos with my 70-200mm f/2.8. I use it often for close up photography because I tend to walk around with only one lens (I don’t like to carry much gear). I had to crop but still managed to get nice detail.
SKIPPER
Another cheerful summer memory. We’ve reached the half way point of winter but it’s still too cold to get out with my camera. I’m waiting for +0 C temperatures. If and when that ever happens I’ll be out there😏.
AT HAND
I took this photograph with my 70-200 mm lens. I do a lot of close up photography with it. As I’ve written before, I usually go out with one lens for the day. I had planned to photograph wildlife but I saw this shot and tried it. It goes to show that you don’t necessarily need a macro lens to do this kind of photography. If the subject is within range, I’ll always give it a go.
GOLDEN
This scene is a perfect antidote to this late December day. I thought the image looked like a corsage designed by nature. The photo to me is less about the spider and the flower and more about the colour and delight of summer.
GIVE ME A BEE
I featured this bee on my blog earlier in the year, although this is a different image. Opportunities for photos like these are scarce these days, given it’s -21C with windchill! It’s going to be a long winter………….
SKIPPER
The skipper butterfly is a favourite of mine for its beauty and for the way it positions itself on grass and reeds, almost making the photograph. Skippers are most numerous in mid summer but I’ve seen them earlier and later as well. This past May, as I walked along a path that cut through a field, I saw one, then another and within several feet upwards of 50 feeding on wildflowers. They must have very recently emerged. What a delight that was!
THE ANT AND THE PEONY
In June when the peonies begin to bud the ants arrive in droves. The buds secrete a sap that attracts the ants. Once the flowers bloom the ants disappear with no harm done to the plants. I had my 105mm the day I took this photo, I had hoped for some flower shots and got a “twofer” instead!
DRAGONFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
If the weather cooperates we usually see the first dragonflies at the beginning of May which was the case this year. The photograph above is one of the early bloomers, a clubtail. The second dragonfly, a meadowhawk, was taken in July but I’ve seen them late into the fall. I hope to see a few more before the season ends.
SKIPPER
I have rarely come across this variety of skipper. The orange ones are more common in my area. Any time a butterfly remains still long enough to take a photo is a good day. Spotted in early July.
CABBAGE WHITES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
It seems to be a good summer for cabbage whites, it’s very hot and sunny with plenty for these butterflies to feed on. Not as flashy as many butterflies they still have a unique beauty and are fun to photograph in some of their loopier poses.
BEE AROUND TOWN
Another photo taken on a walk through my neighbourhood. I’m always amazed when I see bees going about their business alongside busy streets. You don’t expect them to thrive in this kind of environment but they seem to, to the delight of people and flowers alike.
SKIPPER BUTTERFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The other day we followed a trail that led to an open field bordering a busy road. An unlikely spot to find wild grasses and flowers and skippers! We saw one skipper, then another, then a good number more. I would have preferred using a macro lens for these photos (I had a birding lens on my camera) but you can get some nice closeup shots with a telephoto lens too.
ATOP THE PEONY
A walk in my downtown neighbourhood is always interesting. It’s a mix of old and new homes and apartments many of which have tiny gardens. Although most of the peonies are beginning to fade, this particular bush has not yet come into flower and I focused on this ant as it ran in circles. I increased the shutter speed enough to get it in focus.
DRAGONFLY SEASON (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I liked the way the first dragonfly peered out between the leaves and stayed still as I set up my shot. In the photo below, the dragonfly had just recently emerged, one of the first of the season. Every few days it seems new varieties appear, particularly welcome this spring as birding subjects have proved less reliable.
DAMSELFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
A few weeks ago there were few insects around. In the last ten days or so with the return of damselflies and dragonflies, it feels like summer has arrived even though it’s still spring. I didn’t have my macro gear with me the day I took these photos, I used my 70-200mm and I had to crop quite a bit. I was pleased I could capture the detail.
TRILLIUM AND CATERPILLAR
We were walking along a forest trail when I saw first one, then many more trilliums. They are such striking flowers. These were the first I had seen this year, and though still beautiful no longer in their prime. Even so I took many photos, more of which I will feature later on. Trilliums don’t really need any dressing up but I did think this caterpillar was a nice added touch.
SPRING BONUS
In early spring, whenever I see the first of something it’s cause to smile. I have seen a few trout lilies this season but this was the first bee I’ve spotted. Although a lot of the cultivated flowers are in bloom, the wildflowers are slow to appear as are insects. It made the bee especially nice to see.
FLOWER AND THE FLY
Wishing won’t make it so but a photo taken on a warm summer day works wonders! A seemingly ordinary insect on a daisy make for two of my favourite subjects. I liked the less than perfect look of the flower. Daisies have a long season in our climate and this showed it a bit worse for wear but still beautiful.
BEE AT WORK
This bee was right in the thick of it, gathering pollen as he gave a nod in my direction. I used to be wary of bees and still have a great deal of respect for them, but I’ve learned that if left undisturbed they are not generally aggressive and just want to get on with the work at hand.
PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
A steep path through the woods led to an open field. We often stop by hoping to spot something interesting. It was late October and we hadn’t expected to see butterflies and especially not in the numbers we did that afternoon. I spotted one, then another, painted ladies were everywhere. It seems we were on their migration path last fall as they headed south. Luckily we were out that day and saw them too.
LONG-HORNED BEETLE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Here are two more examples of insects I have taken with a telephoto lens, I had to do a fair amount of cropping but retained the detail in the images.
I was never a great fan of insects in the past. But since encountering them out in the field, I can appreciate their beauty, fearlessness and the important role they play in nature.
TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I’m not sure if this is a bee or a bee mimic, perhaps someone might be able to confirm which it is. It was a three-fer day: summer, flowers and insects. The photo was taken hand held with my 300mm lens. I had planned on taking bird photos but I saw this opportunity and gave it a try. I usually only take one lens with me when I leave the house (I hate carrying a lot of equipment). You can get some nice close-up shots with long lenses too.
PASSING PARADE
Like many cities with short summers, Ottawa is packed with festivals and events throughout the warmer months. Often several occur at the same time on the same day so there’s plenty to choose from. We were at one such event on Parliament Hill, when I took a break from the crowds. I was happy to come across this ladybug taking in the sights, opting for a snack not listed on the food truck menu boards😊 .
SWALLOWTAIL
I remember the day I took this photograph. It was hot. Mid-July. We had been walking along a dusty path beside a field overgrown with tall grass and wildflowers that seemed to thrive despite the heat. We were nearing the end of our walk when this swallowtail landed on a nearby flower. It was in no hurry and I was able to take several photographs. I have not seen a black swallowtail again and was pretty pleased to have had this opportunity.
DRAGONFLY
As the long days of winter drag on continue, I dream of warm weather and plan summer projects. One of these is to do more insect photography. I never really appreciated their variety and beauty until I took up photography more seriously. Dragonflies are favourites of mine for their colour and delicacy and how they seem to pose so thoughtfully for the camera.
CURE FOR THE WINTERTIME BLUES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
A perfect summer day; sunny and green and the dragonflies were there for the taking. I took these handheld with my Nikon 70-200mm lens (I’m not one for carrying multiple lenses when I’m out for the day). I love this lens for nature photography like this. It’s a great all around lens.
CABBAGE WHITE IN BLACK AND WHITE
A bit more summer on display. I aways enjoy these butterflies with their delicate tones. I thought a black and treatment might be interesting to try. Unlike many butterflies, cabbage whites tend to linger a little longer on their perches making them easier subjects to photograph.
SMALL MILKWEED BUGS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
More summertime visitors. The milkweed bug’s bright colour acts as a warning to predators to stay away but attracts photographers as they stand out on most flowers. Both of these photographs were taken handheld with a 105mm lens. The first photo was taken using a flash at F14, 1/250 sec, the second at F11 at 1/1000 sec (no flash).
LADYBUGS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
With the cold weather closing in, it’s nice to go back in my files and look at summer scenes, when it was warm, colours were vibrant and you could take your time with a photograph without stamping your feet to keep warm! Ladybugs seem to sum up that well.
CLOSING IN (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
With the cold weather fast approaching there won’t be many more photo opportunities like this.
When I looked at the photograph on my computer screen I was struck by the background and couldn’t decide whether to make it the focus of the shot or the bee. As I couldn’t choose I thought I’d show three versions of the photograph altered only by the crop.
PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
As we veered off the main path at the reserve we were treated to a slew of painted ladies. They were flying in great numbers and I kept my camera trained on a few as they lingered on the clover. These were taken with my 70-200mm lens and I took well over 100 photographs. More to come…
HOVERFLY
Not only attractive little insects, hoverflies also serve a useful purpose. They are pollinators, their larvae prey on aphids and other plant destroying insects. Their appearance wards off predators as they mimic wasps and bees and yet they are generally harmless. They pack a powerful punch in a tiny package!
A FINE FEAST
This little bee was a cooperative subject as he took his time gathering pollen. There weren’t many other bees around so he had his pick of the sunflowers. Summer time and the living is easy.
A FINE BALANCE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I rarely carry more than the lens on my camera when I set out to do some photography, so I pretty much have an idea of what I’d like to photograph. On this particular day I had my 105mm and was looking for flower and insect subjects. I wasn’t disappointed by these red milkweed beetles.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 