I was keen to get out with my 105mm lens and and do some close-up/macro photography after a very long, cold winter. We spotted the first dragonflies in our area a few weeks ago, their colouring is getting more spectacular as the days pass and there are increasing varieties of them to photograph. I came across this meadowhawk along the trail and did my best not to cast a shadow which I knew would chase him off. Happily he didn’t spook and I managed to get this shot.
I took this shot last summer when the flowers were at their peak and the bees were everywhere. Thistles are considered an invasive species but are a favourite food source for certain butterflies, goldfinch and bees. Spot a thistle and there’s likely a good photo opportunity close by. I watched as this bee flew from flower to flower and took it mid flight. If you look closely you can see a fine dusting of pollen on its ‘fur’.
Last summer I started looking at insects (other than butterflies) as subjects for my photographs. By slowing my pace, scanning the vegetation and underbrush, looking for leaf degradation I began to see an abundance of potential subjects! I had some success taking Ladybug photos and have featured them before on my blog. This was taken with my 105mm and flash which didn’t seem to bother these two one bit!
I’m always happy too see bumblebees in the fields and on the pathways I visit. I know their numbers are in decline but they seemed quite numerous last summer. In the past I tended to steer clear of bees but it’s been my experience that left undisturbed, they aren’t particularly aggressive. I think the colours of the flower set off the bee quite nicely.
There are many varieties of this butterfly in my region of the country (and thousands worldwide), so I think I’ll just call this one a skipper! The season is short for these beautiful insects and I never pass on the chance to photograph them. It was a nice warm day so the skipper didn’t remain in one spot for long but it kept touching down close by, obliging me with this closeup.
These photos are of two different dragonflies and were taken towards the end of last summer. I enjoy the challenge of photographing these beautiful insects and have learned that when they fly away or get frightened off they will often return to the same blade of grass or stem they were perched on a minute before. If you’re patient and stay put you will be rewarded.
These photographs are some of the first I have taken of such small insects. Unlike many insects that fly off as soon as they see you, ladybugs don’t seem bothered by your presence so they make excellent subjects. This shot was taken with a 105 mm lens which let me get closer to them than I could before. I also used a flash which allows you to control the light and gives you greater shutter speed, reducing the “shake” factor. As I take my shots hand-held this is very useful.
I spotted this dragonfly in late July. Its distinctive colouring makes it a standout. I have only seen the halloween pennant a few times, so I was pleased that I caught it as it perched close by. I think the spider’s web on the right adds another feature to the photograph.
This was the first time I’d seen this type of damselfly. I believe it’s a Spreadwing. It’s rare that this species stays put when people approach. It was just my luck that it held firm for me to take the shot.
This variety of butterfly is one of the first we see in the spring and remains well into the fall which is one of the reasons I like it so much. I’ve found that cabbage whites often stay in place longer than other butterflies so I’m able to take several shots before they move on to another flower. This butterfly ignored me completely but the bee’s presence certainly got it’s attention. It was a brilliantly sunny day when I took these photos and the flower in the shot was blown out. In order to add some detail and tone down the harshness, I applied a radial mask in Lightroom, inverted it and adjusted the exposure. As both pictures were taken within minutes of each other under identical conditions, I used the copy and paste feature in Lightroom to adjust the white balance, contrast, shadows and exposure. A new tool in my kit.
I was happy to see that the bumblebees were plentiful in our area this year. I never cared much for insects or bugs and bees used to send me running in the opposite direction! However, since I became interested in photography and started observing their behaviour, I learned that when left undisturbed bees tend to ignore everything around them and just go about their business. I love the challenge of trying to photograph insects in flight, anticipating their movements. Taken at 200mm, at 1/640th of a second I managed to capture the bee in motion. I made contrast, shadow and exposure adjustments in Lightroom and sharpened and enhanced detail in Photoshop.
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 