The indoors vs. outdoors debate basically boils down to one question: Do you want to emphasize the minute details of the insect itself, or do you want to capture it as a living creature in its habitat? Only you can decide, and of course there’s no rule that says you can’t take pictures both indoors and outdoors.


Indoor photography gives you near-total control over positioning, lighting, color contrasts, background details, and so on. With the compliance of the bug (either by fortune or by force), you can essentially capture the precise shot you’ve envisioned beforehand.Outdoor photography takes many of these potential variables out of your hands, but even a blurred natural environment backing your image of the insect can impart a sense of vitality, motion, and even personality., Bugs are even worse than small children when it comes to sitting still for pictures. As a result, some insect photographers prefer to work with bugs that are deceased, whether found that way or brought to their demise for this purpose. Others, however, prefer live subjects and may find it abhorrent to kill a living creature to take a picture of it.


To make living bugs a bit less lively, some photographers will chill them in the refrigerator for twenty minutes or so first. This can be particularly effective with flying insects; however, some people see this as an inhumane practice as well.If you prefer the thrill and challenge of catching shots of a lively insect, don’t mind lots of failed attempts, and prefer not to make your living subject uncomfortable (or dead), shooting active bugs in nature may be for you., Obviously, you want the fine details of your subject insect to stand out as much as possible. For some photographers, this means staging shots on monochrome backgrounds — for instance, placing the bug in a bright white casserole dish.Black backgrounds can also be very striking.
Especially when outdoors, look for vivid contrasting colors, like a pale blue butterfly perched on a deep pink flower. This is an effective backdrop even if the flower becomes blurred with the focus on the bug., No matter what equipment you have, no matter where you take the photo, and no matter what insect you’re shooting, you simply have to get close — really close — to take effective pictures. Proximity is the most reliable form of magnification there is.


If you’re taking pictures of bugs in action outdoors, you’ll have to work on your stalking skills. Yes, this will entail quietly creeping in close, possibly while crawling through tall weeds or scrub grass. Think of it as part of the adventure.
Choose your photo environment.
Capture bugs dead, lethargic, or alive.
Think about color and contrast.
Get as close as possible.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Photograph Insects2"}