The microcosmos
The first quality lens I could afford was a 100mm F2.8 macro photography lens.
A good (and somewhat affordable) choice if you are curious for the hidden world of insects and their interesting looks and behaviour. Which I had been for as long as I can remember. The way a pill-bug rolls up into a flawlessly round ball, really appealed to me as I child. And while other kids would panic at the sight of a hairy spider, I would put it on my hand, to investigate this interesting creature.
The First Cut is the Deepest
So, yeah, the interest for creepy crawlers was present from the very first beginning.
But as soon as I set eyes on the insect world through a macro lens, a whole new, utterly fascinating world opened up for me. All these huge compound eyes, observing you just as curiously as you do them! The little miracles of creatures being reborn: caterpillars transforming right before your eyes into beautiful butterflies, while alien-like larvae pop out of their skin, to turn into the most wonderful elf like dragonflies…
Dewy cobwebs decorate trees and plants with uncountable shining dew drops, transforming my oh-so-boring everyday environment into the most beautiful early Christmas Scene….
Squirting Spiders
I could go on and on about tasty dragonflies, squirting spiders,creepy caterpillars,pink grasshoppers,hovering flies,bees on a mission, very vain banded demoiselles, mean wasps and hungry hornets and to hiding damselflies…
But as a photo says more than a thousand words, I invite you to take a look at my macro gallery and stare shamelessly at these wonderful models.
I can guarantee you: once you looked through a macro lens, the world will never be the same again. Gotta love ’em little buggers!
Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Dew-covered spiderweb at sunrise
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata flavifrons)
The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) at sunset
Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Rare Predatory Bush Cricket (Saga Hellenica)
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Unknown caterpillar (Geometridae)
Rare Hybrid Pink Grasshopper
European garden spider, diadem spider, cross spider, or cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus)
Bumblebee (Bombus sp.)
Beewolf (Philanthus Sp.)
Hummingbird hawk-moth | hummingmoth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Sawfly (Symphyta) larva
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)
European Peacock (Inachis io) on Rapeseed (Brassica napus)
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) male on creeper
Green Hawker (Aeshna viridis)
Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)
Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)
European hornet (Vespa crabro)
Variable Damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Robber fly
Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface
Dewy cobweb in the heather
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
European beewolf/ bee-eating philanthus (Philanthus triangulum) killing a beeBijenwolf verlamt en doodt een bij
Bee (Andrena sp.)
Damselfly hiding behind a blade of grass
Snake’s Head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) laying eggs (oviposition) in the stream
Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
Banded Demoiselle (calopteryx splendens) at sunset