BACKLIT MACRO INSECTS

Follow Ross Hoddinott's top tips for capturing beautiful backlit images of bugs and butterflies

- Ross Hoddinott

What you'll need

• Digital SLR or mirrorless system
• Macro lens or close-up attachment
• Tripod with low-level capability
• Small LED Light or device
• Adobe Lightroom

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Time taken: 2 hours

All images © Ross Hoddinott

Photographing close-ups of insects can be frustrating and fiddly. Technically, it can prove challenging due to the depth of field growing increasingly shallow at higher magnifications. Light can also be in short supply when the camera is positioned so close to the subject. And photographers need to be careful their own shadow doesn't obscure light or frighten the subject away.

However, close-up photographers also possess a huge amount of control over light. When working so close to popular close-up subjects such as flowers, fungi and insects, photographers can alter or enhance the light with relative ease - either for corrective or creative purposes. Reflectors, diffusers, flash, and small LED lights are all useful accessories.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of macro flash results can look - artificial and a burst of light can alarm subjects. A reflector is useful but doesn't allow you to generate light from any angle. I prefer using a small LED device instead. Although LED light cannot match the power of flash, I like working with a continuous light source. With LED light 'what you see is what you get' just position the device until you are happy with its effect.