7 Top Tips for Photographing Insect Behaviour

As nature photographers, we are often overjoyed to find and document our favourite species, but there is always an extra thrill in capturing fascinating insect behaviour.

For many photographers, there are specific and unique behaviours we hope to capture, and specific challenges that need to be overcome to do so.

There are no hard and fast rules, but there are definitely techniques, mindsets, and preparations that can help us get those great behaviour shots. This is just as relevant for the wildlife photographer as it is for the insect photographer.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways to capture the fascinating world of insect and arthropod behaviour on camera!

Read more: Introduction to Macro Photography – Technique

1. Patience

Patience plays a huge role in this pursuit across all aspects of the animal kingdom but is especially crucial when it comes to insects and arthropods.

Patience is required not only for waiting to spot and capture the behaviour but also for learning about your subjects and discovering when this behaviour is most likely to occur.

The more time we spend in the field searching for subjects, the more likely we are to find them. This is partially due to one of the important aspects of nature photography: luck.

Armed with knowledge, experience, and the right gear, the more time spent out in the field, the higher our chances of a lucky sighting.

Read more: The Best Habitats for Macro and Insect Photography

2. Building knowledge

Certain insects are found only on specific plants, particularly during different stages of their life cycles. This crucial information can save a lot of time and energy, especially when trying to capture a specific species and behaviour.

For instance, if you aim to document the larval stages of Monarch butterflies in North America, it is important not only to know that you need milkweed plants but also to identify the exact species of milkweed you are searching for.

In addition to these close relationships between plants and insects, there are also many mutualistic relationships between different insects.

When learning about specific species, knowing what other species they may be found alongside can be immensely helpful in terms of locating and documenting individuals of these species.

3. Timing is everything

Timing is also key in documenting the behaviours of many species. For example, if we want to capture a cicada moulting, it is vital to understand the life cycle of these fascinating insects.

They emerge only at specific times of the year, and this information is essential to avoid wasting days (or even months) searching for an individual engaged in moulting.

Similarly, if we wish to document a dragonfly hunting or consuming prey, it is imperative to know that they are diurnal hunters. Both the time of year and the time of day play important roles in tracking and documenting specific insect behaviours.

Getting to know our subjects and the habitats in which they thrive better provides us with the opportunity to be as prepared as possible and lose less time in the field when shooting.

4. Check your settings

When attempting to document interesting behaviour, there is often a small window of time in which to get the shot, so I highly recommend making sure your camera settings are correct before moving towards the subject.

I usually find a leaf or similar object to function as a stand-in for the subject and make sure to do some test shots, ensuring that my flash and camera settings are already correct for the magnification and composition of the shot I am about to attempt.

Sometimes you only get one opportunity to capture a scene, so you want to make sure your settings are correctly dialed in to avoid a bad exposure.

The angle at which we approach the subject is also very important.

A species frequently hunted by birds or flying insects will be more reactive when approached from a high angle and is more likely to move away or attempt to hide, whereas certain predatory insects and those without aerial predators will be less likely to react to movement above them.

I like to approach slowly from a lower and less aggressive angle, and as the subject becomes more relaxed and familiar with my presence, I can move into different positions to get varied shots with a lower likelihood of disturbing the scene.

Read more: Macro Photography – How to Take Handheld Photos of Insects 

5. Take it slow

By nature, macro photography is a slow-moving practice. Frequently, I will spend many hours in the forest yet have covered only fifty meters of the trail.

Many of the subjects I shoot regularly have cryptic colourations and shapes, allowing them to pass unseen by predators and photographers alike.

Without taking the time to move slowly and examine all the trees and leaves around me, I would likely miss a lot of fascinating insects and other creatures.

Taking your time and moving slowly not only increases your chances of spotting species and behaviours that might otherwise be missed at a brisker pace but also applies to your approach to the subject itself.

While every species is unique, and reactions to being approached can differ not only between species but also among individuals within a species, it is always a good rule of thumb to approach slowly.

As you gain experience with specific species, you may find some that are less disturbed by a faster approach, but when starting out, I highly recommend taking your time to get closer.

When approaching an individual engaged in hunting or feeding on prey, a slow approach is essential. This not only increases the likelihood of successfully documenting the behaviour but also ensures minimal invasiveness.

Disturbing individuals during hunting or feeding can often result in the loss of the hunt or prey, which can be detrimental, as each meal is vital to the success of these insects and other invertebrates.

6. Be flexible

By ‘flexible’, I don’t necessarily mean you should do yoga to prepare for macro adventures (although I’m sure it probably wouldn’t hurt).

What I mean is that even with all the knowledge in the world, nature is always unpredictable, meaning all encounters will be different and may require you to get creative in how you approach the scene to best capture it.

Sometimes this will mean taking off your flash and diffuser and going for a natural light approach, or perhaps switching to a wider lens to include the habitat in your behavioural shots.

Read more: 6 Tips for Creative Macro Photography

7. Remember the importance of respect

Our pursuit of documenting the natural beauty of our world should never leave the world at a detriment. The less we interfere with a scene and subject, the more natural the behaviour and composition will be.

As with all types of photography, respect for the subject is the most essential aspect. Whether subjects are human, animal, or landscape, they deserve to be treated with consideration, respect, and compassion.

Ethics in photography will always be the most important thing to practise.

In conclusion

The world of insects and other arthropods is a fascinating one, well worth taking the time to explore and get to know better.

The best way to improve our skills is in the field, and there is no such thing as failure if you are learning and enjoying what you do.

Remember to take it slow and keep your eyes open – we are surrounded by incredible insects, and the opportunity to capture some amazing behaviour is always just around the corner – or under the next leaf!