Lindsay Silverman photo of a bumble bee on a flower Lindsay Silverman
D300S, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G, 1/100 second, f/8, ISO 200, aperture priority, Matrix metering.
Diane Berkenfeld photo of a common buckeye butterfly on a flower in a garden Diane Berkenfeld
D800, AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, 1/500 second, f/16, ISO 1400, aperture priority, Matrix metering.
Kristina Kurtzke photo of a blue and black butterfly on leaves Kristina Kurtzke
D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, 1/800 second, f/2.8, ISO 800, manual, Matrix metering.
Kristina Kurtzke photo of a butterfly on a person's finger, providing scale Kristina Kurtzke
D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, 1/640 second, f/2.8, ISO 800, manual, Matrix metering. Having a subject that wasn't skittish allowed the photographer to give the viewer a sense of scale by shooting the butterfly resting on a finger.

There are more than one million known species of insects inhabiting our world, and many of these tiny creatures are right outside your door. Incidentally, an insect is an arthropod. To be classified as an insect, it must have a segmented body, six legs, two antennae, compound eyes, and most likely, wings. Other creatures, like spiders and scorpions are arthropods, but they are not considered insects. Photographing insects and other small creatures can be a lot of fun, and you need venture only as far as your backyard to find a whole new world in close-up or macro photography.


A few quick tips on macro photography:

The first basic rule of close-up photography is to get close to the subject. Insect photography requires a macro lens that will allow you to focus very close to the subject. A Macro lens, (Nikon calls these lenses Micro-NIKKOR lenses) lets you photograph your subjects at near life size.

You're also going to want to use a tripod to steady the camera, especially when you're using a telephoto lens or long shutter speed. When shooting with your camera on a tripod, using a cable release to trip the shutter is the ideal shooting method. Some photographers will go the added step of locking up the mirror on their D-SLR prior to tripping the shutter. This further reduces the possibility of movement. If you don't have a cable release, you can use the camera's self-timer instead.

Depending on how close you can get, you will be able to fill the frame with the entire insect's body, or a portion of its body such as its head and antennae. Be cautious so you don't get stung.

Lindsay Silverman photo of a praying mantis close up on leaves Lindsay Silverman
D3, AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, 1/30 second, f/11, ISO 200, aperture priority, Center weighted metering.
Diane Berkenfeld photo of a praying mantis climbing on a wooden railing Diane Berkenfeld
D600, AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/100 second, f/5, ISO 800, program, Matrix metering. Slow moving insects such as this Praying Mantis make great subjects. The photographer was able to follow it, as it made its way around the fence railing, taking lots of photos at various angles.
Diane Berkenfeld photo of a fly on a daisy with pollen stuck to it Diane Berkenfeld
D600, AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/1600 second, f/10, ISO 800, aperture priority, Matrix metering. Shooting with a 40mm macro lens meant getting very close to the subject, but most insects gathering nectar don't seem to mind a camera (and photographer) coming close to them.
Diane Berkenfeld photo of a fly on a daisy with pollen stuck to it Diane Berkenfeld
D600, AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G, 1/1250 second, f/10, ISO 800, aperture priority, Matrix metering. While shooting insects with a macro lens might seem intimidating, start out with creatures that can't sting you. The shorter the focal length of the macro lens, the closer you will have to physically be to your subject, so keep that in mind when choosing which lens to use.