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!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sawfly (Symphyta) larva
The Hornet & The Octopus European hornet (Vespa crabro)
Escapism Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Mammoth Wasp Mammoth Wasp (Megascolia maculata flavifrons)
Fading in Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja)
United Colours of Autumn – Cob web in autumn colours
Out of the Green I
In a field of pink flowers, a pink version would have an advantage. Theoretically this could result in an entire pink population!
Strike a Pose Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)
Wasp on a Mission Beewolf (Philanthus Sp.)
White Snake’s Head and a flying bumblebee Snake’s Head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
The Great Escape Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
Hummingbird moth (Macroglossum stellatarum)
Like a rainbow – cobweb at sunrise
Narcissus Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface
Awakening Black Darter (Sympetrum danae)
Golden Silhouette Banded Demoiselle (calopteryx splendens) at sunset
Kiss of death European beewolf/ bee-eating philanthus (Philanthus triangulum) killing a beeBijenwolf verlamt en doodt een bij
I’m Hiding Again Damselfly hiding behind a blade of grass
Narcissus Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Fairy II – Small Copper
Narcissus Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) reflected in the water surface
Natural Jewlery European garden spider, diadem spider, cross spider, or cross orbweaver (Araneus diadematus)
Poppy Love II Mating Variable Damselflies (Coenagrion pulchellum)
Purple Haze II Dewy cobweb in the heather
Star Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens)
Narcissus Banded Demoiselle reflected in the water surface
Metamorphosis Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe)
Like a Rainbow Dew-covered spiderweb at sunrise
Lady in Red II The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) at sunset
Eating or being eaten….that’s the question. Damselfly on the carnivorous sundew plant.
Out of the Yellow Bee (Andrena sp.)
Lady in Red Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) on Drosera rotundifolia Common or round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
It’s not Easy being Pink rare pink grasshopper, due to a phenomenon called erythrism