Wild for insect photography

Alex Wild face-to-face shot of a bed bug.  This image and
many more are available at www.alexanderwild.com 

Last week renowned insect photographer Alex Wild gave a webinar (web delivered speech) on insect photography for Entomological Society of America members.  Many of you in pest control land have likely seen some of Alex's ubiquitous pictures in industry brochures and magazines.  He especially seems to get lots of use out of the many pictures he's taken of insects on bright white backgrounds.

If you have any interest in insect or macrophotography you will probably get a lot out of this hour-long video. If you're thinking you don't have a good enough camera to get into insect photography, the talk focuses on five principles that will help anyone with any digital camera, including a cell phone.  The principles include:

• Keep it simple
• Consider the light
• The Center's not the Center
• Tell a Story with your lens position
• Patience is a virtue

And lastly, something I really appreciate, he talks about dealing with insects as uncooperative subjects.  I've often envied my horticulture and weed specialist colleagues whose subjects don't run when the camera emerges. Alex shares a few tips that will help you tame those frisky insects prior to taking the shot.

All in all, a worthwhile way to spend an hour.

Just a plug for Alexander Wild Photography, by the way. Alex does sell his images for commercial use, so if you are looking for a particular insect picture for an ad or web page, go to http://www.alexanderwild.com