Photographing At Microscopic Level

This is the season for Moths and Butterflies. Although they belong to the same Lepidoptera order of winged insects, my experience is that they behave quiet differently from each other – I have noticed that the Butterflies are active during the day …. while the Moths seem to be wholly nocturnal.

They have a huge range – they are found in the extreme alpine regions of the North, as well as in tropical places of the South. Another feature I have noticed about Moths is that they are larger in size in the warmer places – while they do not grow much bigger in the higher altitudes.

The wing patterns of the Butterflies and Moths are exquisite to say the least – and their coloring is simply out of this world!

To date, the smallest Moth I have photographed is the following:

Jasmine Bud Borer Moth (Trichophysetis cretacea): 0.47 - 0.59 inch long

Not a moth but a fly, the smallest fly I photographed is the following:

The Moth Fly: Clogmia albipunctata: 0.11 – 0.19 inch long

Noticing them is one thing - but to be able to photograph them in all their hairy splendor is another. I am lucky – I have the necessary equipment to compliment my zest for photographing these wonderful creatures of the animal world. Take a look at the above images – I agree that they are not the last word in image sharpness – but you have to accept that the reproduction of the fluffy insects’ details is not too bad. For the benefit of the photographers among you, the following is the list of equipment/setting I used to capture the images:

Camera Body     :  Canon EOS R5 Full frame

Lens            :  Carl Zeiss f/2 50mm Macro

Tripod Head    :  RSS Ball Head

Tripod            :  Manfrotto Carbon Fiber 3 Sections

Film Speed.        :  100ASA

Aperture            :  f/22

Shutter Speed    :  0.30

Color Space    :  RGB

Shooting Mode  :  Aperture Priority

To improve on the quality of the image even better, I will need to replace some of the above with the following:

Camera Body     :  Canon EOS R1

Lens                   :  Canon RF 100mm f.2.8L Macro IS USM

Shutter Release  :  Canon RS-80N3 (this one already in the bag)

ENJOY!