Here is a walkthough of how I created this ultra macro hornet insect photograph
Here is a link to this photo on 500px –
Get Macro tubes from Amazon at:
Shot with the Sony Alpha a77:
Link to the Sony 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens for Sony Alpha
42 Comments
If you can't photograph the insect without subjecting it to unnatural treatment then don't do it or become a better photographer. I'm sure the hornet did not consent.
No picture is worth mistreating an animal…….
thx for explain with alive insect and not death insect.
Amazing what people do for their 5 minutes of fame. But the guy still thinks it's all 'cool'.
No way I'm ever to do such a pic. I think tue guy needs a psychiatrist!!!
Thanks for the video. I don't love the pink of the meat, but nice shots.
Great video
Stick it in the freezer next time.
You earned yourself a dislike because of what you did to the hornet.
https://www.eyeem.com/p/132345157
photography with the phone, what would I just have equipment like you …
Omg, the trolls!!! Its a bee! Who cares. I kill them by the hundreds with bee catchers when we go camping.
Next time put it in the freezer. That will buy you more time for your focus stacking. Nice work
Insect in the fridge? INSTANT FAIL! LAME!
Good way to get shots. But it's like going to the zoo to get "wild life" pics. I think what makes photography more interesting is capturing a narrative of the subject that isn't controlled. A picture with a real narrative speaks volumes and gives it real substance. Other wise it's just a stuffed animal. And I mean that in the kindest way.
Hornet endangers kitty 🙁
Which software is that?
Keep the meat really cool and turn on a portable AC unit onto the bug. That'll keep him slowed down.
A delightful final image captured without a stacking process?
Fascinating. 🖖
Stacking sounds like a time consuming process for a working photographer who may be capturing products shots. Okay for a hobbyist of course.
I think stacking is a must for Astrophotographers.
I want to capture motion at a macro level like that guy who built the “Frankencam” for the BBC.
I need to see if I can emulate that duel bellows system like that other guy who made mould look like forests and fields of wheat. I think a microscope lens was used.
Imaging at the macro and microscopic level is a fascinating exploration.
Insects and arachnids can be quite beautiful.
Many thanks for sharing and please disregard the haters. I don’t know if it makes any difference, but I’ve been reporting them for offensive comments.
EDIT: There's another bloke out there – "KINETEK" (Matthew Rosen) – who captured mould in motion. His client wanted the mould to look like fields of wheat or forest. Rosen made his own bellows and used a wide angle lens for deeper depth of field when the depth of field was the size of a pinhead. 🙂
https://youtu.be/3vMn–uExkA
Oh, I was hoping we'd get to the part where he was stung, then had an allergic reaction.
you can make a studio bio dome… with partical board and four pieces of glass. three pieces of wood to form the bottom and two sides. glass in front and rear, with glass on top to prevent escape and allow lighting from above. the last piece of glass is used in the grooves cut in the wood for the glass to set in at varying distances from the front glass. to limit subject movement. with this setup you can put natural elements inside for a natural look. works on small reptiles as well as small mammals. I´ve been a nature photographer for over 38 yrs works like a charm,without refridgeration of my subjects.
That shallow depth of field is such a problem with super macro lenses.
Why don’t you jump into the fridge overnight and see how you feel, you disrespectful piece of shit.
The hornet is a she. Drones (males) look very different, and are relative rare. Other than that, good job.
It’s a fucking bug, y’all relax! How do you think scientists are able to study animal subjects for the benefit of humans?
What goes on in that little walnut that makes you think that this was a good idea? You should be ashamed of doing things like this without any hesitation or concern of this poor bug.
Hi can you help me here, I am new to cameras etc,i have bought a canon 1300d and a new canon macro/len with lights at the front. I have a web site and sell small trout flies etc,so I need to take small picture x 1000s of them, so I cant take them to big as it will slow down web site.i have tried to take pictures of high quality with no joy, can you give me any advise here.ps if you have a quick look at web site you will see my pictures are not much good. Thanks john
Cool shots
was hornet hurt?
People are arguing on here about the well being of a hornet. That's it, I've had enough of the internet for today.
I guess because I have kept bees in the past, I'm ok with treating the hornet in this way, kill those devils with wings and save the bees!!
did you "stack" the images before editing them?
while i'm against the use of cheap tricks for nature macro photography, i'll admit his method is less harmful to bugs than other's (gassing, maiming, etc.). And at least he had the sincerity to tell it to the audience (many shooters just brag about their tremendous shots without revealing its darker side, and just swim into their own satisfaction). good tutorial anyway.
Animal abuse for a photo. You make me sick dude. You deserve to be stung ( at least)
whatradio trigger are using? does it work with an adapter?
Great shots, shame so many are trolling you, the only thing I would say is why did you not use a remote shutter release or even a cable one? It looked like your camera was moving quite a bit. That said, great shots
How do you catch the bugs and keep it in good condition. Thanks.
Regarding refrigerating the hornet… Y'all missing the point! Insects encounter temperature changes owing to weather outdoors. Going from room temperature to 34 degrees isn't any different from a day in a bug's life. OK, maybe not in a single day, but certainly over the bug's lifetime. No living creature appears to be harmed in the production of this video.
Also, bugs aren't considered sentient beings, defined here as possessing consciousness. Some insects (say, honeybees) are considered beneficial, others (say, termites) pests. So great is their regard for life, priests in some Sikh Buddhist monasteries in India cover their mouths with gauze (so as not to inhale or ingest flying insects of any kind, say, gnats), and they whisk the path in front as they walk (so as not to step on any crawling insects). The other extreme, lots of people disregard life generally, which is frankly sociopathic, IMHO.
But the prosciutto slice featured… That was originally a pig, which some consider smarter than dogs. That pig was raised and slaughtered in the most cruel way, then butchered for commercial gain, and ultimately consumed by countless humans. And any carnivore (non-vegan) is complicit in this cruelty. But nobody noticed the prosciutto, just as nobody wants to take responsibility for their footprint on earth (say, livestock flatulence dwarfing auto emissions in terms of Global Warming impact). No, everyone jumps all over young Mr. Ticknor for refrigerating an insect to temporarily slow its metabolism artificially! But nobody wants to admit the "log in his/her own eye!"
So here's a shout-out to this talented photographer, thanks for the effort to share his art for public enjoyment, and techniques for our edification. As for the rest of you knuckleheads… lighten up, and get real!
How would you like to be put in a fridge overnight. Jerk.
Try doing macro on living things.. this isnt macro
Are you sure that's a hornet? It sure looks a lot like a paper wasp.
Brilliant idea slowing the hornets metabolism. I Like ShawJohn31's idea with the fly squatter.
Great sense of humor. I understand hornets are delicious.
Not that i'm an expert but your bug looks like a common yellow jacket or ground bee. Looks too small to be a hornet. great photo btw
Jeffery Dahmer put his subjects in the fridge…
jammed it in the freezer for hour it won' die but it won't move for a while.