Close-up photography
Once upon a time I would lug around a heavy bag loaded with an SLR camera and assorted close-up gear. So encumbered, I managed to acquire a number of nice photos, such as the one at left. Digitally-scanned images from that film era, when displayed here, include a pre-2000 date in the image caption.
I eventually learned that elaborate equipment is less important than abundant opportunity, at least for my own casual snapshots. My close-up photography proliferated once I acquired a pocket-size digital camera that I could carry with me nearly everywhere. (The per-picture financial cost also evaporated.) I have subsequently found that my cell phone is quite adequate, at least for insects larger than a centimeter. What matters most is simply having a camera ready at hand whenever some intriguing creature presents itself.
Many of the images on these pages show creatures that are fairly familiar, but a few look like they might have come from an alien planet or a fairy tale (e.g., Tetragnatha, the pink slug, the aphid, and the button mushrooms). These pictures are more than an expression of a hobby that has informed my professional career. They are also a celebration of the exquisite adaptations found throughout creation.
SUBJECT INDEX
Page listing
PAGE 1 Luna moth Aphid Bristle fly Pearly eye Green snake Green stinkbug Gray hairstreak Hungry slug Red wasp Pink Slug Wolf spider Dandelion Gray treefrog Rabbit Robber fly Tetragnatha Green bee Buttercup Bee fly Tiny treefrog Button mushrooms Little wood satyr Clearwing moth Orange sulfur
PAGE 2 Anglewing Cloudless sulfur Silvery checkerspot Garter snake Asilid Annual cicada Toad amidst moss Porcupine Autumn scene Cicada-face Coral fungus Viceroy butterfly Blue dragonfly Cicada Killer Dogbane beetles Tiger beetle Boxturtle 13-year cicada Eyed elater Tiger swallowtail Brain fungus Cecropia moth Clearwing moth Little wood satyr
PAGE 3 Phantom crane fly Fritillary Pipevine swallowtail Tussock moth Milkweed bug Green damselfly Soldier beetle Deer fly Mayfly Striped dragonfly Longhorn borer beetles Hover fly Green-eyed asilid Pika Zabulon skipper ♂ Wheel bug Green frog Painted lady Acorn weevil Zebra Morel Spring peeper Orange fungus w/ skink Buckeye butterfly
PAGE 4 Frosty window Brown damselfly Brown flies Pandora sphinx Frosty thistle Whitetail dragonfly Mantis Pearl crescent Icy seeds Green-eyed dragonfly Milkweed beetle Pumpkin blossom Winter bergamot Leaf-footed bug Grasshopper Jumping spider Frost flowers Golden dragonfly Painted lady Gemmed satyr Dewy gossamer Gypsy moth caterpillar Bumblebee Zabulon skipper ♀
PAGE 5 Box turtle Gray hairstreak Tree cricket Sleepy orange butterfly Baby box turtle Lace-border moth Toad Pearl crescent Box turtle trail Snout butterfly Catalpa worm Red-spotted purple Silvery checkerspot Snipe flies Fireflies Rosy maple moth Autumn spider Spicebush caterpillar Painted lady Milkweed bug Green bug Mullein flowers Goatweed butterfly Peck's skipper
PAGE 6 Gray tree frog Fern in rock hole Snapping turtle Snipe fly Pipevine larva Feather-legged fly Red admiral butterfly Courting skippers Black snake Angle wing Moth wing scales Cone-headed grasshopper Yellowjacket wasp Bumblebee Angle-wing Silver-spotted skipper Tiger swallowtail Gray stinkbug Snail Green tree frog Hackberry butterfly Painted lady w/ ironweed Bee fly Skink Tiny green treefrog Hackberry caterpillar Great spangled fritillary Brown grasshopper Katydid Little wood satyr
Comments and questions: dgking@siu.edu
SIUC / Zoology / David King
https://dgkinglab.siu.edu/naturepics-notes.htm
Last updated: 21 April 2024 / dgk