I’ve never seen a monarch feeding so intently before. It would have been nice if it had turned slightly but I caught its beautiful colours and its position added interest.
Tag Archives: Macro Photography
BEE’S BUSINESS
At the best of times, watching bees visiting flowers and gathering pollen is a good sign for nature and our part in it. In these troubled times, it’s reassuring to see that life continues, there is still order and more will return in time.
ANT ON PEONY
Ants and peonies seem to go together. Ants feed on the flower’s nectar and also keep harmful insects away from the plant. The ant was racing along the bud but I waited until it finally slowed down and took the shot.
MORE PAINTED LADIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
As I said in my post last week, I took a lot of painted ladies last year. Here are two more. Who thought butterflies could pull a face. 😏
DRAGONFLIES (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS
When I took the photograph of this mating pair, I didn’t notice the other insects in the frame until I downloaded the image. I did a larger crop to show the damselfly on the far left, and a few other hangers-on on the tree stump. It was a busy time of year for these insects.
SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER
I usually see more orange skippers than the silver-spotted variety shown here. I was pleased to spot this one though, he was as perfect an example as you could hope for. I like to keep my photos as natural as possible and the butterfly made that easy. I cropped in a bit and added some contrast and that about did it.
TOP OF THE TEASEL
Mimic flies are fun to photograph. If I had my macro lens with me, I would have concentrated on the insect but as I didn’t I took the shot I could. I rarely carry more than one lens when I go out so if I see something worth taking I’ll give it a go.
BEETLE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Another insect post. I miss these vibrant summer colours. We see a lot of white and grey in the winter but when the sun does shine, the sky never looked bluer.
These beetles tend to climb on long grass stalks which make for an attractive background and gather in groups too so photo opportunities are abundant.
GRASSHOPPER
Grasshoppers are always fun to photograph, when you can find one. I only saw this grasshopper because it jumped onto a stalk of grass as I was walking by. It gripped the grass as still as could be and I took my shot.
HUMMINGBIRD MOTH (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I saw a hummingbird moth just once this year, in mid-September. A friend introduced me to these insects a few years ago and every summer I keep an eye out for them. They are remarkable looking, and unlike many moths feed during the day, so if you’re really lucky you might just see one. In the second photo the moth looks like its had one too many. 😊
RED ADMIRAL
I didn’t manage to capture the butterfly with its wings wide open but this face on shot made up for it. Butterflies can fix you with a look so direct that you might wonder what you have interrupted😏
METALLIC BEE
The bee was working on a deadline, busy collecting pollen in mid-September. Its colour is striking; among the most attractive of bees.
SKIPPER 2
I always see skippers low to the ground in bright sunlight, tricky conditions for photography. If you can spot them before the day gets too warm, they are more slow moving and easier to photograph. This variety of skipper is tiny, the clover gives you an idea of scale.
DRAGONFLY 2
Another dragonfly from earlier in the week. I took this photo with my 300mm lens and although I could have cropped the image more, I thought the background was as integral to the image as the insect was.
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!
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.
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.
EYE TO EYE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I’ve found that when startled, a dragonfly will fly off but will often return to the same spot. That is what happened here although on its return it landed at a different angle. We get a good number of dragonflies over the summer, I believe this is a variety of meadowhawk.
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.
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.
