Today we have Harpaphe haydeniana, the yellow-spotted millipede.If you find a walking subject, something that doesn’t fly, catch it and place it in a photographic spot to take the photos. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) Keeping it in this controlled area, add some background material. Dead leaves, or moss in this case, changes the image immediately. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
This is a case where the flower had to be picked; the insect had run to the underside. This is a jumper and is less than 1/4 inch, so you have to get close. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) Now you can take a couple of pictures by getting the camera closer to the subject. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) If it runs to the top of the flower, you can now take a picture there also. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
I've tried this with this type of insect, with varied results. Sometimes they jump just as the camera shutter closes.
Pleased to have you along Eileen. When you have a patch of flowers with lots of bee activity, they are usually too quick to give you enough time to focus on them. I usually try to focus on one flower ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) When a bee, here we have a honey bee, arrives you may have time to take a picture. If not try again. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
This is one tip that I already do. I've learned from experience that waiting is better than wasting time trying to focus on something that buzzes around so quickly.
Ground beetles are usually easy to photograph. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) Also, when there is a flying beetle on a flower, you can usually get in close and take a couple of pictures. But stick around for a while. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden ) When it is time for it to move on you get a chance to see the wing covers open and see it take off.
This is not so much of a tip as a little info. Those jumping spiders that don’t make a web, still have that silk like thread capabilities. They use it to drop down out of danger. Like when you are holding that flower for pictures etc. In the past when they have dropped down, I hauled them back up using their thread. This picture shows the thread, it secures the end to the plant then jumps down. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
I've noticed that with out jumping spiders. It's not the first time I moved one, via its thread, when I've been pruning plants.
When a spider has caught its prey, you can usually get quite close without any trickery. If it is a small insect it will try to hide and take it with it, that is when you break off the flower and follow the spiders movements. It is not so easy with a larger insect and you can usually get quite close. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
