Insects may not be every-one’s ‘cup of tea’ however they can by a joy to photograph and create some very interesting shots. So if you’re interested in taking better photographs of insects then read on: 

Tip one:
Try to get out and about before the sun warms up insect muscles as they are slower when muscles are cold, therefore making them easier to photograph.

Tip two:
Get to know your prey. If you know what type of plant your insect uses as a food source for itself or its young you’re half way there.

Tip three:
Try to keep the background free from clutter by using a narrow depth of field as in the image below, see my article ‘understanding depth of field.’

photograph taken by the author

Tip four:
When using a macro lens and an extension tube remember the depth of field is very limited. So focus on the eyes and focusing manually will often give better results.

Tip five:
Watch for example a bee as they work from one end of the flower patch to the other and set yourself up on a good looking flower in readiness for them to land.

photograph taken by the author

Tip six:
If you see eggs keep popping back to check on them. If you’re lucky you’ll see them hatch. Then keep popping back so you can attempt to capture their whole life cycle. For example the Ladybird larva shown in the first image turned into the pupa below and if I  hadn’t kept an eye on the tree where they were living I would never have got this shot.

photograph taken by the author

Tip seven:
Keep ISO speed as low as you can for less noise/grain in your images which will give you better results – see my article ‘choosing the right film speed.’

Tip eight:   
Try to keep to a day with little or no wind as this will cut down the movement of grass and flowers, this will make focusing with a limited depth of field easier.  

Tip nine:
Take one shot landscape and the other portrait, you never know which will look better 

Tip ten:
Use a tripod! This will keep camera shake to a minimum and allow you to focus just where you need to.

Now get out there and enjoy!

All photographs included in this article were taken with the kit below:

• Canon 400D
• Sigma 70mm 1:2.8 Macro lens
• Extension tubes (12mm, 20mm and 30mm)
• Tripod