insects & spiders close-up

common swallowtail (Papilio machaon)

Spanish moon moth (Graellsia isabellae)

wing scales of queen of Spain fritillary (Issoria lathonia)

eyes of horsefly (Chrysops relictus)

large horsefly (Tabinus bovinus)

golden ring dragonfly (Cordulagaster boltoni)

crab spider (Misumena vatia)

hairy green spider (Herisus hirtus)

long-nosed grasshopper (Acrida ungarica)

Egyptian grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium)

marbled fritillary (Brenthis daphne)

black-veined white (Aporia crataegi)

orb web spider ♀ (Argiope bruennichi)

orb web spider ♀(Argiope bruennichi)

convolvulus hawk (Herse convolvuli)

scarce swallowtail wings (Iphiclides podalirius)

common swallowtail (Papilio machaon)

common swallowtail (Papilio machaon) caterpillar

eyes of horsefly (Chrysops relictus)

great green bushcricket (Tettigonia viridissima)

Egyptian grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium)

Insects & spiders in close-up

This gallery displays a collection of pictures showing the diversity of shape and form in the world of insects and spiders from wings and scales to compound eyes, body shapes and patterns.

an insect autobiography

My fascination with insects began with butterflies at an early age - in fact it was the summer of my sixth year when my father grew Michaelmas daisies and they acted as magnets for colourful butterflies: small tortoiseshells, red admirals and...what took my breath away, the peacock. I had never seen something so startlingly lovely as those rusty-red wings with their wingspots. I kept the caterpillars of peacocks and others and watched, entranced, the emergence of the imagos. Later, I found caterpillars of elephant hawmoths, a single female emperor moth and more...an old family friend who had been abroad gave me a case of tropical butterflies that were badly mite-damaged but, under a very simple microscope I discovered the beauty of wing scales...

Entomology has always been there hand in hand with (and inseparable from) a passion for botany. For me, the interest is about the whole picture, the organisms and the environment in which they grow and live and the fascinating tales to be told of their intertwined lifestyles.

I cannot imagine a life without an awareness and fascination for nature...it would be, to me, utterly fallow -pointless, in fact.

technical matters

In the field, I use a range of macro objectives 105mm, 150mm and 180mm focal length, sometimes with converters for larger than life-size in the field. I also use wide-angle lenses with a close-focus capability- either alone or with the narrowest extension tube that I can find.

For higher magnifications I have used reversed lenses on bellows, bellows macro lenses and coupled lenses. Details of all these techniques can be seen in two of my books:
The Complete Guide to Close-up and Macrophotography and Small Things Big (Nature Photography Close-up).

A continuing series of pieces on all aspects of close-up and macro photography appears on the BLOGS and more books are planned.

HIDDEN WORLDS