alisondixon
FollowTwo beetles mating as the female lays eggs upon a flower
Two beetles mating as the female lays eggs upon a flower
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at High Park in Toronto, Ontario; one of my favorite places to practice nature photography. As a country girl living in the city, I found it nice to go for a walk to the park to get away from the hustle and bustle from time to time. I liked to take my camera with me to capture images of the wildlife. It is impossible to judge what wildlife will be doing on a daily basis so I find it is best to be prepared.Time
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, around 3:00 pm. I remember there were a few people watching me as I took the time to carefully step past bushes into a small garden to capture this image. I think the onlookers were wondering what I was so eager to photograph but, I knew they couldn't see the tiny subjects that were before me.Lighting
Sunlight is almost always great light to shoot in as long as it isn't too harsh. The garden in which this image was taken was planted close to trees which shaded the area from direct sunlight creating a softer look.Equipment
This image was captured on a Fujifilm FinePix S4800 in natural mode with macro lens selection. When shooting up close with this bridge camera, I prefer to use the macro selection over the super macro selection because macro still allows the operator to use zoom. I find zoom comes in handy when the sun is behind me because I can take a step back and prevent myself from casting a shadow upon the subject.Inspiration
When I saw these two mating upon a flower and that the female was laying eggs, I knew it was a rare sight to behold. Beetles only come out to mate for a short time out of the spring season so I knew I was at the right place at the right time. It was now or possibly never.Editing
This photo did not require a lot of post-processing. After cropping the image, I enhanced the luminosity and saturation of the colors and then adjusted the clarity to slightly sharpen the image.In my camera bag
The Fujifilm FinePix S4800 is the only equipment I've used for photography so far. Because it has no interchangeable lenses, it makes it easy to grab and go and it's easy to use.Feedback
If trying to capture something similar, do not be afraid to get in there and get that shot. You will need to get close in order to capture the tiny details. Just be sure not to get so close that you scare your subject away. Also, if you're photographing a type of flying insect at rest, try not to let your lens reflect sunlight onto the subject. The sunlight is intensified by the lens and the effect of it is similar to shining a flashlight into their eyes. Too often, they will just fly away.