Pink-barred Sallow Moth - Xanthia togata
I would like to take the time to introduce you to my personal project. I catch some different species of insects from my garden, and place them carefully onto a simple black background and take pictures of them. I refer to these pictures as 'portraits' as they are focused purely on the individual insect species alone. The clean black background enables the viewer to look solely at the subject and truly appreciate the beauty of each species, without a distracting background.
Common Wasp - Vespula vulgaris
I have been inspired by the work of Joel Sartore (World-renowned Photographer that works for National Geographic) who has created a Photo Ark. In this he takes studio portraits of endangered animals to show the world the incredible level of biodiversity in the natural world, and to highlight how close to extinction some of these species are. It is an extraordinary undertaking, and well worth checking out HERE
Green Shieldbug - Palomena prasina
I feel that the insects and other invertebrates repeatedly get dismissed and over looked, hence why I am starting this project. I aim to show you not just how beautiful they are, but how incredibly varied and diverse they can be. And it is worth considering that all these Portraits are of individuals have been found in my tiny suburban garden. There is so much variety all around us, quite literally, beneath our feet. I currently have over 500 species recorded in just my small garden. With several major research studies recently highlighting massive declines across the whole invertebrate group, it is quite evident that a lot of species are at risk of disappearing completely. I hope to inspire you to do your bit to help conserve and protect these amazing creatures...
Orange Ichneumon Wasp - Ophioninae species
If you would like to see more of my work, please follow this LINK to my website
It is worth mentioning that I consider that the welfare of these insects is as important as for any other animal. I take the utmost care to look after each individual and minimise any stress, and release them safely afterwards.
Thanks for reading, I have a lot of passion for the study of insects, and I hope that by sharing these images that some of that passion and interest can rub off on to you, and that you can see these fascinating creatures in a new light
Green Nettle Weevil - Phyllobius sp