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Lynn Scott's
Lepidoptera Index |
Photographing Living MothsSince the purpose of my photographs is to establish a record of moth observations at my location and to produce photos that illustrate the essential characteristics of the moth's appearance in an unambiguous way, I try to ensure a clear shot of at least one entire forewing. Moths sit in various ways, often with wings overlapped and usually with hindwings hidden, frequently with wings wrapped around the abdomen to create a tube- or tent-shape. Illustrating a whole forewing, therefore, may take several shots from different angles. A view of the hind wing is essential for distinguishing between some otherwise similar species, and there are still other species for which the appearance of the antennae, legs or abdomen provide valuable clues for identification. Artistic shots, while they may have significant value as photographs, are not always the most useful for identification. Outdoors, I use a flashlight to help spot moths that are not immediately obvious in the light available from the fluorescent and ultraviolet fixtures that I use to attract the moths. Sometimes the flashlight will disturb the moth, and cause it to take flight, but usually it will come to rest again nearby. The flashlight is also useful as I aim the camera, giving a little supplementary light to speed up the auto-focus function on my camera. For best color rendition, however, I swing the beam of the flashlight away from the specimen while taking the photo, and rely on the camera flash alone. Since moth wings can be highly reflective, I often take several shots of the same specimen from slightly different angles to improve my chances of getting good detail of the wings. I also sometimes take additional shots from the side, if this will give me a view of the underside of the wing, or if there is some feature of that merits better illustration. I may also gently poke the moth in the hope of getting it to spread its wings for at least a partial view of the hindwing or abdomen. Very cooperative specimens are sometimes willing to perch on a fingertip for a variety of shots of different parts of their anatomy. Before attempting to change the moth's pose or position, however, I always try to make sure I have at least one good photo of the moth in its initial resting position, rather than risk having the moth fly off into the night. If the specimen is of particular interest, capturing the moth and refrigerating it may be necessary, either for the purpose of taking more photos or for ensuring a good identification from the specimen itself. When the moth is torpid or semi-torpid, there is more opportunity to get exactly the right angle to illustrate the aspects I want my photos to show. Larger moths can take some time to warm up completely, and if photographed before they have recovered some of their capacity to control their position, may look quite unnatural. My preference is generally to wait until they can grasp and cling with their legs, for more natural moth-chosen positioning. If they decide to fly, I can sometimes get a good view of hindwings. To make recapture easier, I do my retakes in a seldom-used bathroom with an east window and few hiding places. Once I'm sure there is no need to keep the moth, I let it warm up again and then release it outdoors where it was captured. The micro-moths present greater challenges for retakes. Their small body mass means that they warm up and become active very quickly. For this reason, I often leave them in the vial, just removing the lid so that I can shoot directly into the vial. Depending on the activity of the moth, and the positions it chooses to assume in the vial, several rounds of chilling and retakes may be required. If the moth decides to have an out-of-bottle experience and goes for a fly-around, recapture can be a challenge. In extreme circumstances, for an important specimen, leaving the bathroom door closed and installing a UV light as darkness falls has occasionally been necessary. |
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