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100% agree. Macro photography is about connecting with life. It is about taking photos of living beings in their natural enviroment. It has different kind of vibe to see photo of living insect in nature :)

@damianhdm

Жыл бұрын

I agree, I think dead insects have also different texture than living. When i moved in to my new accommodation I found a lot of dead flies here, it was a good opportunity to test my new laowa 85mm but to be honest I could tell, all those flies had very dry and unpleasant look, its nothing better than living insect caught in the act of doing something

@lilianamonetti7451

Ай бұрын

Totally agree

The first and most important aspect of killing insects for macro photography, for aesthetic, hobby reasons and not research, is whether it is declared, and whether it is being dishonestly passed off as a live insect. I see a lot of deep stacks of what are clearly dead insects, that have almost certainly been placed in a freezer, dishonestly passed off as a live insect, they have found early morning. There is also a secondary issue here of people photographing live insects that they have caught and photographed in some sort of studio set up. The issue again here, is mainly whether it is declared or not. There is nothing wrong with someone photographing their pet spider or whatever, in a studio set up, as long as they are saying what this is what it is, not pretending it is one they found and photographed in the field. Likewise, it is perfectly fine to collect and pose already dead insects, as long as you are honest about this. Personally, I have always tried to mainly photograph live insects, in their natural habitat. However, I have always worked with entomologists, engaged in surveys, where I have photographed a rare specimen in an ad hoc studio, often a white plastic up, with moss in it. But I declare this. As I've often worked with professional and academic entomologists, so I am well aware it is usual to kill collected insects, usually in something like absolute alcohol, which also preserves them. However, even though this is widespread, I personally believe it is unethical to kill insects for hobby or even professional photography, especially as this usually goes along with deceit about the circumstances in which the image was taken. The reason so many photographers lie about killing insects to photograph them is because it is unpopular, and they are doing it for popularity, so people will admire and "like" their photo. Also in the UK, on protected sites like nature reserves it is usually illegal to kill or collect insects, which might be rare, without permission or a permit to do so. Which is normally only given to those engaged in scientific and academic surveys. I think what drives this killing insects for hobby photography is competitiveness. It is an easy way for a competitive photographer to get an incredibly detailed photo, much better than any other. Personally, I don't think this type of competitiveness is healthy, especially if it involves deceit about the circumstances in which the photograph was taken.

@Tokyomodeldetective

Жыл бұрын

An amazing reply Stephen!

@kabn131

Жыл бұрын

Well said!

@Lon1an

Жыл бұрын

Yes one should not lie about what is photographed. I seen people photographing animals at zoo and say they are in the wild.

@AndrewRock

Жыл бұрын

I think the declaration that the insect is killed is one step below the fact of killing the insect in importance.

This seems divisive for some reason. People get upset if you kill an insect to photograph but are happy to use insecticide to protect a veggie garden. Personally, I don’t have a problem with people making the best choice that suits their photography style and what best suits their skill level and equipment.

@lShishkaBerryl

Жыл бұрын

Vegetables are more useful to society than photographs, you can't eat photographs to stay alive unless you make some with soy based ink on a cracker. Food is a necessity, another picture of a spider isn't.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

@@lShishkaBerryl I can think of many human actions that lead to dead insects, of which none of them we need for survival. Two of them are driving to the forest to take a photo and walking through the forest to find that special "live" insect to photograph.

@michaelbuddy

Жыл бұрын

@@lShishkaBerryl WRONG. photographs of insects help people be aware of those insects, to see them up close, in some cases to be aware of their dangers, maybe their beauty. So you're wrong about what you think is usefulness.

@taylorhickman84

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelbuddy so glad you have graced us with your omniscience *rolls eyes*

Not OK. And people who buy these collections encourage the sellers to go and kill more. Micael - why don't you do a video showing how to tell if a specimen is dead when photographed? It could be a helpful disincentive for photographers thinking of doing it.

@michaelbuddy

Жыл бұрын

yeah David, yours is a really dumb take. It's perfectly fine to be able to sell insects for profit too. All sorts of reasons.

@nordic5490

Жыл бұрын

@@michaelbuddy really ? Where do you draw the line ? Insects ok, but cute furry Koalas not ok ? Is it the cuteness that is you decision point ?

When I take macro photos of insects, I do that to admire the nature and life itself. I do that for myself and for people that can see and enjoy the beauty of life. I know it might sound far-fetched, but I don't want to kill for the amusement. Just imagine a picture of a beautiful butterfly that people appreciate, but you had to kill it to take this picture. What would be the point there? It just feels wrong to do so. Surely when insects like mosquitos do attack you at home, you kill them but then again you do not have any satisfaction or emotion out of it. That is correct as well that it is a challenge to take a shot of a flying insect in nature.

@lorddryp

Жыл бұрын

well said!

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

I 100% have satisfaction in killing that mosquito and the emotion is relief.

I don't kill insects to photograph either...BUT Look at the front of your car and on the windshield at all the bugs you killed, plus how many you ran over on the road while driving. and how many you stepped on while walking/hiking, etc....And some people spray chemicals in their yard/property and kill thousands of insects at a time. Just saying...

I am also into extreme macro/micro photography (4x and 10x) which relies on the insect not moving to get the stack. I only kill insects that are not rare or endangered. Most of my images are of live insects. I find a lot of interesting dead insects on sidewalks and parking lots. I have found some good butterflies in the grilles of truck in parking lots.

I prefer to shoot insects in their natural environment when they are doing their own insect routine. It is always fun to look at them as no one does - another perspective I would say. It is like looking at another universe that was always there but we never cared about. Sometimes I pick up dead insects but they never look good. Btw I shoot using a mobile phone and a cheap lens. It is just a hobby to me, so I have no intention to kill an insect to entertain myself.

I had no idea this even existed and frankly, I'm appaled by it! Don't kill insects when it's unnecessary. Thanks for being open about it though

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

Do you drive a car? Do you walk outside? Do you buy electronics you dont need? Do you buy anything you dont need?

@michaelbuddy

Жыл бұрын

disagree. Buy as many of these as you can. Learn from them, take photos, share photos. Only insane people think otherwise.

@jameswiggle

Жыл бұрын

@@ttonAb2 yep dree is def a hypocrite

@taylorhickman84

Жыл бұрын

@@jameswiggle how so? intention matters...

What about killing thousands of times *more* insects just to have a "well tended", flat, green monoculture in your garden? Freezing a couple of dozen insects a year for study, photography and ultimately dissecting and mounting on microscope slides is effectively nothing in comparison, and entirely defensible IMO. I draw the line at anything over 10mm unless it's very, very common (bluebottles and the like). Never bees or butterflies, but micro moths are fair game. Most of my "frozen" subjects are just little black dots to the naked eye - 1-2mm or so. We all draw the line in different places...

@smunns99

Жыл бұрын

As unpopular as your comment will ultimately turn out to be, I agree with you. I don’t imagine me freezing one or two ants out of the one quadrillion ants believed to be in the world is not going to effect the eco system. But certain insects such as bee’s etc that have dwindling numbers should be left alone.

@Vollpflock

Жыл бұрын

​@@smunns99 I agree with you. I can't imagine that k""ing one or two people out of the eight billion people that are probably in the world will have any effect on the species.

@TheLovewhite

Жыл бұрын

i think it is ok for you to kill them but i cant do it myself xx

For me the way i see things it's very simple: Kill for fun? Wrong Kill for survivance or food? Acceptable I've had this discussion with other macro photographers for years (i do macro for more that 10 years), and the majority of macro photographers do think the same way. I'm not against photographing dead insects. If you find one in the wild, that is aesthetic, i think that it's ok. My problem is with killing intentionally to have a photo, and in this video, it's even worse, as you are buying from another company. In the end, it's with your conscience that you need to deal, since on the final image, we can't distinguish a dead from a live insect...

hi micael , I started with photography last year and i likes the macro a lot, and one of the reasons is that it isolates me from many things, things like social media push me to go out to the park to walk with my dog and the camera and that for mental health is very good like physical health too ,I have also considered trying extreme macro because I live in Scotland and winter is long and hard like in Sweden but even so they preferred to go out and learn how insects live and all their nature and That is priceless

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

I do macro for the same reasons, such an enjoyable and relaxing hobby!

I don't have an issue with other people doing it, as long as the insect isn't rare or endangered. I watch Allan Walls' videos and those are almost always dead ones. It's not something I personally want to do, though. I don't want to kill an insect that isn't bothering me just to take its photo and I certainly don't want to do all that work they have to do to clean and preserve the thing. I'm a photographer, not an entomologist. :) That said, I am interested in how it goes with these purchased ones. You're going to have to take them out of the plastic to photograph. Are they preserved enough that you can do that without them starting to go bad? As someone who also lives in a colder climate with a limited bug season, the idea is intriguing. Still not sure I really want to handle dead bugs but I'll watch how it works for you and we'll see how I feel in the dead of winter when I am really bored with what is available to shoot. LOL!

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

I think the plastic is mostly to protect them during the shipping. It is not airtight by any means. I think the insects will probably last a long time since they are dried, I just need to be very careful when handling them without the plastic on.

@mrrcassidy

Жыл бұрын

H Michelle :)

@MichelleCox

Жыл бұрын

@@mrrcassidy Hi :)

I just can't get on board with killing something for the sake of art. Better an imperfect image of a living creature, than a perfect shot of a dead one.

I live in the Ozarks and there are a plethora of dead bugs and other critters to find indoors and out. For photography, keeping them clean and dust free is one concern.

I have one question, I watch this channel regularly and also checked few other videos but didn't get an idea about the setting we use on laowa 100mm lens while using Raynox250 . Is it set on 1:1 or 2:1 or 1:2 or 1:4. Another question is I have old Sony A7 and new godox 860iii. When I do continou shoot it takes only 2 or 3 pic and you get a blackout. Any advise will help. Thank you

Taking photos of cicadas is always fun. One of my favorite photos I have hanging on my wall is a photo of a cicada sitting on flower😂

Shooting with the R7 in Focus bracketing mode I can get entire insects in Focus handheld without touching them at all. They only have to be still for around a full second. The R6 can do it too but the R7 will compile the focus bracket in camera. I've been very happy with the results. I don't like the idea of killing anything including insects.

@shang-hsienyang1284

Жыл бұрын

Have you tested the R7 and this technique yourself? What's the success rate of this approach? I really wanted to test the R7 and 100-400mm which has 0.41x magnification and roughly 1 meter of working distance.

no it's not

I absolutely agree with you ! When I go out to photograph, I often meet older people who then try to bounce in front of me with their knowledge. These people then tear out for example plums just to tell me what it is called and then just throw them on the ground 😅

Actually in Estonia it's quite popular lately to photograph insects that are active only in the winter. The topic was popularized by a local photographer Urmas Tartes who pointed out via the local media that there actually are quite a lot of insects that one can find in the outdoors during the winter. He has a great series of macro photos of insects on snow. I especially love one of them where a tiny snow flea is climbing over a snowflake. Sweden isn't that far from us so I believe that you can also find some insects on the snow unless it's colder than -5. Would be cool to see one of your trips trying to find these little creatures. I don't know exactly if snow fleas or snow scorpionflies live in Sweden, but if they do, they would make great models.

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I have also learned this year that there can be insects on snow, especially when it is around zero degrees. Will try to find some :)

Great video! When I bring home bugs from work, some do much better than others. Jumping spiders don't seem to be bothered at all while moths seem to either nearly die or maybe they play dead. So I've stopped catching moths even though some that I find at work (where I can't do photography without getting in trouble LOL) are amazing. I'm looking forward to your diffuser comparison video!

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Do you work with insects?

I also love the „luck factor“ macro photography has (when you only shoot alive insects) What does a shot of fast, nimble or rare insect mean, if you just freezed it or sth? Not much, but if you stumbled upon it by accident or looked for it for hours its much more meaningful. The shot will have a story.

I think pretty much like you Micael, I preffer to go out the wild and "hunt" them with my camera on their habitat. The only dead insects that I use to make some focus stacking (when I'm in the mood) are those hunted by my carnivorous plants that I breed in my balcony. Cheers.

@jameswiggle

Жыл бұрын

i have carnivorous plants too.....really useful to find insects there. lol

One of the reasons I have always enjoyed watching your videos where you do a walkabout photographing insects, is because that is what I do, too. I do not kill insects in order to photograph them, if they fly away, that's OK. I love the challenge of stalking them on a tree or bush, seeing how many shots I can get in before they take off. Love photographing spiders and weevils! Both are fairly accommodating.

It’s not OK. Size of a creature is not important. I still do stacking, often manually held as well. Just need to practise being still! If I have found a dead insect I have tried to take some images, but they seem well, just dead, and definitely not as successful.

@michaelbuddy

Жыл бұрын

$100 says you're for abortion.

It genuinely makes me sad. I'm shocked that so much people do actually think it's ok to kill something just for the goal to take a nice photo.. I mean, would anyone do that for birds wildlife photography? And to me buying an insect who was killed by someone else doesn't make you any less guilty. Please don't do that.. There are many things to shoot in every seasons. Springtails is a good example, you can find them even in winter.

Wow encapsulated how I feel about macro photography and stacking. I'm just too impatient.

i just began with macro photography at the beginning of the year with a friends lens and recently bought my own because of your recommendation (laowa 65mm on a nikon z50) :) since i take macro photos i am no longer killing insects if it is not anyhow necessary and i only collect dead, well preserved insects if i find them already dead in the wild for practicing during the cold winter months here in austria. but i think i will not share them on social media... feels not right

As an aside, when you do the diffuser comparison videos could you try adding a layer of packing foam inside the MK diffuser? With the Pope Shields the one with packing foam stuck to the thin white plastics seems to have the softest light. < Makes me wonder if the MK could be improved with some foam :-)

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Great idea, might try that!

Your reaction to the cicada was great! Where I live the evenings outdoors are filled w/ the serenade of thousands of cicadas vibrating.

I just got the Sony a7iv which lenses do you recommend? I want to buy 3 lenses keep my set up small.

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

That's a big question. And impossible to answer unless you tell me 1) how much you are willing to spend per lens 2) what you are going to shoot with them

@letsfindout6587

Жыл бұрын

@@MicaelWidell I love wildlife photography/video and family pictures/video. I was thinking the sigma 24-70 f2.8, Sony 200-600mm, laowa 95mm macro

I'm totally agree with you, whether it's small or big we can't kill any living being. Today I tried to take some pictures of a dragonfly and always my hands were shaking but I felt really sorry for it because it's really calm till I take the pictures. I think it's different experience and challenge. Thank you very much for your valuable videos also. 😊

I personally dislike the concept. However, I think that sometimes it is reasonable as long as it is kept to a minimum. I believe, however, that currently it is necessary for you. You are doing it to learn, and to maintain your income in a demanding space. I think you're in the right here :)

Michael, in your next video about diffusers, I'd love to hear about what makes a good diffuser - things like the shape of highlights, evenness of highlights, weight and balance, things you feel that matter and things you don't really think matter to you. I've designed, and made, a couple 3D printable flash hoods / diffusers for the MK-320 and the Laowa 85mm. Each I've lined with aluminum tape for internal reflection. One is sort of Pringles can sized and turned out to be great for getting a lot of light on a very small subject such as baby jumping spides. I sort of want to improve the design to get more even light projection, but the sort of inverted bathtub shape of highlights it creates can be attractive too. The other is a larger conic diffuser, still small for this flash and lens combo, but its shape produces an interesting highlight with a noticeably bright, and surprisingly even, ring - I'm still trying to decide if I want to try to fix this or if I like the character of it. Both of these designs clip on and off the flash and hold fast with nothing else to help retain them. I did my first 3D scan model on that mk320 flash, which was overkill but good learning. I've wanted to try to 3D scan (photogrammetry) an insect, dead ones would seem easier than live ones. Check out meshroom.

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

This is an interesting question that I haven't looked into too much but that I want to explore more this autumn/winter - what makes a good diffuser. I don't have the answers yet but hope to find them :)

had a guy go nuts on me....did a photo stack of 75 shots, i simply asked, how did it stay still for 75 shots?

I find it's definitely not OK to freeze, or glue living insects to a surface to make your photos. I've also heard some people spray butterflies and dragonflies with hairspray so they can't fly away anymore. I find this very cruel and totally unacceptable. Ordering insects that are already dead is different from killing them yourself for your picture, in that they are already dead anyway. Whether you order themor not, they are dead. But of course by ordering them, you somehow support this business and somebody has to kill them at some point for them to be available, unless they are living a happy life in a closed environment, and are then "collected" when they die of natural causes. I doubt that would be the case, but I still can accept the use of these insects, as they are probably more used for studying than for photography, and so one can say that they are not killed for the purpose of taking pictures of them, certainly not "picked out of a living crowd of insects" for the purpose of killing them especially for you.

Yes I do agree with the rest of your followers. Please continue to photograph any other macro shots in the winter months and it doesn't have to be insects. We would still support you. Killing or buying pre-killed creatures is in my opinion wrong. I always feel sorry before killing a live animal even if a spider in my room. I also have an idea for you: try leaving a fruit anywhere, let it rot perhaps, and you will be surprised after a few days how many insects are living on it. They could be interesting to photograph.

There are enough dead insects on the ground for it not to be necessary to kill them if stacks are your thing. There are plenty of photographers creating deep stacked images of dead stuff and it's not that difficult to get good results. Done it myself. My best photo is of a decayed fly which had been dead under my sofa for months - probably because it looked dead and knackered rather than something one could try to pass off as a living specimen.

Photos come out more interesting if the insect is alive for various reasons! The colors are more vibrant, no deformities and the insect could be doing smth interesting like washing it's hands or eyes or back feet, catch another insect or even look at the camera so it's more difficult but far more interesting to photograph it alive but some other times capturing a dead or dying insect also has it's uses...

Hi Micael, I love your videos as always. I have a question, I am still considering buying 90mm or 60mm laowa, although i am very fresh in photography, i just got my sony a7iii few moths a go. So what my concern is that 90 mm x 2 will have more shallow depth of field than 60mm x 2 am I correct ? if yes is the difference vey significant ?

@lShishkaBerryl

Жыл бұрын

Iirc the shorter the lens the bigger the dof

@damianhdm

Жыл бұрын

@@lShishkaBerryl Thanks pal, Just ordered 90mm anyway, I hoping to catch last few weeks of insect macro season here in the uk.

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

In my experience, the depth of field will be exactly the same at high magnifications - doesn't matter if you use a 25mm, 60mm or 90mm lens. Between the two you are suggesting, I would definitely buy the 90mm.

@jameswiggle

Жыл бұрын

@@lShishkaBerryl "Iirc the shorter the lens the bigger the dof " usually......but not with macro

@lShishkaBerryl

Жыл бұрын

@@jameswiggle I can live with being partially right 😜

Thanks for the video Micael,im ok with buying dead insects as long as they come from healthy sustainable populations or breeders of insects so a question,how much did you pay for that box of insects?

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Hmm I don't remember, please look at their website yourself to see the prices. It wasn't very expensive considering the work they must have put in to create this box.

I enjoy exploring the wildflowers and finding insects when I am in the field. I also do micro photography (10X plus) of features of insects with my tabletop setup which requires focus stacking due to only a few microns depth of field. The specimens that I use for these sessions are either invasive, destructive, or species that pose a risk to health and safety. I do not collect any pollinators, butterflies, bees, dragonflies, spiders, or other beneficial "good guy" insects. However, I do often find insects that have expired and, if they are in good condition or if they have parts that are in good condition, they become part of my preserved specimen collection.

I have mixed feelings. I haven't and don't plan on using dead insects. But these dead insects are sold especially to schools for students to learn about insect anatomy etc., and I feel differently about that. So, I'm not strongly against the harvesting of insects for educational purposes and I suppose one could include photography as a way of showing students excellent photos of a variety of insects one may not find in their geography. But for me, part of the adventure is finding live insects and getting them to pose!

Hi Micheal you often find that most insects only live a few days so only have a short life cycle they my not of been killed but are bread for the purpose

i its ok to kill a fly thats annoying then whats wrong with killing one to take a picture?

Macro Photograpjhy Question: Manual Lense .. Camera Set on Manual Mode (Shutter Speed-Aperture & ISO). Speedlite set on TTL Mode (Not Manual) The Aperture settings is Unknown to the Camera & the Speedlite. How does it work..?? (Josh)

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Even if the aperture is "unknown" the camera can make a perfect exposure by knowing all the other parameters and measuring how much light comes in through the lens (TTL = Through The Lens)

@joshsoriano3822

Жыл бұрын

@@MicaelWidell - Thank you for your immediate response.❤

Many reputable specimen sellers don't kill insects at all, they die naturally in conservation and are then sold on. In fact, some of the larger sellers invest in conservation and in turn help insects to survive, reproduce and continue to exist. If you stick to reputable sellers, you can improve insect populations without killing anything and also support legal practices and make illegal insect collecting less desirable.

I'm sure we are gonna see a lot of highly high-def macro images, now that your subjects won't move. Way to Go.

Hi Michael, I have no idea if it's ethical or not, it's easy to argue either side of the issue but what I am sure of is that people have been ending bugs lives for as long as photography has existed!! Even much longer if you think about the study of bugs before cameras came along (Beginning of entomology). Some early photographers probably done it as a way to help others learn about the macro world, some did it for notoriety, some did it hoping to make new discoveries, a lot did it just for money in some way or another. Either way, I feel that if you make people aware of the circumstances, that should satisfy most. But as someone once said, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time”. 😀 Carry On! Let's see what ya got! 🙂 Joe

I agree! I'm very into insect photography. It is my way to connect to nature and thank her by photographing its hidden beauty. I think it is unethical to kill them for good shots. I'm also trying to build up a collection and I mostly keep those that are already dead, it's a gift from mother nature haha. It also gives me so much joy when I get to photograph an insect in its ecosystem and unharmed :D

I pin and frame insects. Ethically sourced. I preserve their beauty. Some of these comments are people who are uneducated about insect taxidermy etc.

Excellent looking specimens! I feel if the Arthropods are ethically sourced with the insects natural populations in mind, and if the end products can be used for education or awareness about the smaller beings of our ecosystems I feel it brings important benefits to conservation.

It is not ok to kill for the photo. Every creature deserve to live, whether is it a mammal, insect or plant

Oh boy, the comments…saw this coming a mile away.

@MicaelWidell

Жыл бұрын

Seems to be a very polarizing subject. I understand why the photographers who shoot dead insects never talk about it.

Argh! Bugs creep me out. It’s either me or them. I did torture these two Damselflies once (I tried to capture them alive and to photograph them alive, but it all turned into a torturefest, so I quit doing it). I don’t want to kill things for a photo. However, there are lots of dead bugs around and if they are still in good shape I have no problem using them to stack. But one day we may be forced to depend upon insects for food, so doing that brings larger issues. And I shoot many birds who routinely are feeding on insects. And bugs produce many, many other bugs, so I seriously doubt my killing a few will harm their survival as a species at all. So in the end, I don’t care if you kill a bug or two even for photography, and I don’t even need you to tell me if it is dead or not, or if you found it dead, or ordered it off the internet. And I promise not to tell you about the giant-assed cockroach I stepped on this morning as it ran across my floor right after i turned the lights on in my kitchen. Argh!

Agree. I find it repulsive to look at photos of dead insects, just like I would not enjoy pictures of dead birds or other animals.

There is no need to kill to make photographs. There is no need to kill for fun (whoever does it). There are many alternatives also in Sweden to make macrophotography in winter. You have a lot of snow there, therefore have a look to what Don Komarechka is doing. There are flowers as well to buy as a subject. Turn on your creativity and direct it to life, not to death.

I kill insects all the time. Flies, mosquitos, wasps, ants, roaches - I can't let them live in/on the house. Wasp nests on the eaves get sprayed, ant colonies invading the kitchen get fed borax, etc. But I'm not going to go out and find bugs to kill just for photography. If I can't photograph it alive, I'll just not get that shot - and that's fine with me. Like Micael said, I don't want a photo of a dead bug anyway. I might make an exception for a nice butterfly wing if I happen to find one, but that would also go for a feather or similar findings.

I love your Videos. Because your methods are Idols for me👍🙂Killing insects for Macro ist almost not right. But for you in Sweden it is good. I understand you.

No killing or disabling for macro photos for me - what I really dislike is when people kill rare insects (like Parnassius butterflies) and then sell them on eBay. Why can't eBay monitor this more closely?

Where's the skill in photographing an insect that's dead? Part of what impresses me when I see an insect or animal photograph is that it was captured in a fleeting moment in time. That's difficult to do, and that's why it is impressive, challenging, and rewarding.

for me it is not OK. I rather enjoy watching you taking pictures of living (wild) insects and frozen water drops :)

I only accept the challenge of capturing live insects with Macro - then they go on their little way living their little lives. I only take pics of already naturally dead insects I happen across. I live in Canada and we buy cut flowers in the spring when we see this first bee. We call it the "first bee we see" rule. That way they have something to eat while waiting for the local flowers to bloom.

I heard people freeze insects for macro..but what about freezing for a short time? If you freeze an insect for a short time..like 20 seconds..they are temporarily dormant...that's perfect for macro. Obviously you can't keep refreezing the same insect because that is stressful for them.

I can understand if its for a museum work… or research! Definitely a no no! Especially Odonata!

It’s absolutely not okay. Why would anyone kill their subject just to take a picture of it? I’m sure there are botanical gardens, entomological societies, and other resources that can be used to find subjects. Not to mention taking on a challenge that would add even more depth to the occupation or hobby that is entomological macro photography. I feel like one of the greatest aspects of photography is the relative lack of harm there can be in capturing the image or essence of a subject without destroying it. The challenge of entering the natural world and taking only photos and leaving only footprints is part of the overall feeling of accomplishment I get from photography. I remember when getting a really difficult shot to come together made the process that much better. With this kind of macro photography, I wonder why people don’t just order photographs and take pictures of them then run them through light room and call them their own. Not everything needs to be made easy . And some things have much more intrinsic value when we know just hard they were to accomplish.

They will always be someone that will wing so shrug them of . I love macro and sometimes you will find a dead one so why not practice with it. Also love dead flowers is anyone going to wine about that.

When I checked first the title of the video, I was intrigued. In the end, I think that you doing very well to explain your approach. As a biologist, my studies lead me to kill insects for collection. So I have no problems with that. A philosophic question could be « why killing tick is ok but killing an butterfly not? » . Of course, the question of the preservation is important and that why it’s better to go on professionnals sites. The packaging of the insects that you have is quite standard but good. I think that use dead insects to train your macrophotography is not a wrong way to learn. And if it can open the door of the macrophotography to some poeple, just go for it ! To conclude, I invite you to check the work of Levon Biss who use dead insects in an educationnal way. Thank you for this interesting video. Hurry to se the result in your next one !

This creeps me out to be honest I didn't know such companies existed. The closest I got to doing this type of photography was when I spotted a dead fly on a spiders web that looked perfect to practice focus stacking. The image turned out OK but It's not something I would share.

Insects are important ecological factors as well as indicators..... this alone is enough reason not to kill insects

it's difficult with insects because i dont think it's alright to kill any living being, but i'm a hypocrite because i kill flies, ticks and mosquitos when they invade my personal space, but when i'm out in nature i never touch, kill or manipulate insects for my own gain, that's selfish, IM approaching THEM so i need to respect them. I see it the same way as i see wildlife photography, don't intervene in nature, don't touch wildlife, and leave no trace. I love nature and by photographing wildlife and insects i can share those photos with people so they can get a better understanding of the natural world. So in short, no i don't think it's alright to go out and kill insects for your own gain.

I think this is an incredibly simple topic. If for no other reason, it's bad because it is of low character. You as an individual have to do low things to partake in this activity. This are sandbox level life-lessons. If you have to do bad things to get what you want, it's almost certainly a bad thing. It's selfish and inconsiderate. Nevermind the fact that it shows a blatant disregard for life and other living things. Killing insects to selfishly take a few minutes worth of photos for your own momentary joy and egotistical images is absolutely a bad thing. Killing things should never be done without the greatest amount of appreciation for the sacrifice that was made and thus should never be done unless absolutely necessary. And an Instagram photo doesn't qualify. What's the point of running out to capture nature in ways previously unseen, if you have to kill nature to do it.

I'd have no problem of ordering insect specimens from company that sources the insects from dedicated breeders. I'd however have a problem if the specimens were from wild. I kill insects that are common and considered pests but I dislike it in any case. I would 100% skip shady eBay dealers when buying dead specimens. I plan to collect some Tabanidae/Horse flies if I manage to stun some when the buggers try to feed on me this summer. 'Chrysops relictus' has beautiful eyes I'd like to take some extreme macro shots with focus stacking. I wouldn't judge anyone for simply photographing dead insect subjects but I think you get more beautiful compositions when using live subjects.

I do not think it's okay. Ever since starting macro photography, I have seen into the lives of these creatures. They have lives. It feels wrong.

Man should be respectful to all life and should not move touch and deffinatley not kill anything freeze anything etc just to photograph it . If they are already dead then they won't make a natural photo anyway and like you said you can usually tell .

Collecting insects has been very popular a while ago so think that there is no need to create or buy new insect collections. Just look around on flee markets and house clearances for some used ones. Usually there are plenty out there and they are very cheap as this hobby is a bit out of fashion these days. This way the animals will still serve a purpose instead of ending in the trash can when nobody buys them.

I accidentally damaged a Joro spider's web while trying to take her photo and it ruined the rest of my day, can't imagine killing a creature for a photo and feeling good about it.

the way I see it is you wouldn't kill a squirrel or a bird to take its photo (at least I'd hope not) so why would you kill an insect for a photo? I get its not the same thing, and people might kill insects in their house etc. I approach wildlife and insect Macro photography as a way to appreciate nature and life that's all around us. kind of pointless if you kill the subject. that's just my thoughts at least 😊 *Edited spelling mistakes.

Killing insects for art seems wrong to me. Ordering insects that have been killed by someone else for profit for art seems wrong to me. Buying insects to feed to a pet lizard doesn't seem wrong to me. The good looking ones for art are taken from the wild, a necessarily bad impact. Meal worms etc are farmed and not taken from the wild. I had farmed chicken for dinner. I don't approve of wild duck hunting. Scientists take specimens from the wild. There was the case where maybe the last living bird of a species was caught and killed by scientists, which appalled me. But at least scientists, these days, have to get approval that their research is ethically justified in some way. I'm no vegan. It's not black and white. But I don't see killing by oneself, or by proxy, for art is justifiable.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

You prefer eating an animal that has objectively had a worse life than eating a wild one... better not drive your car down a highway because you will kill thousands of insects on your drive to take macro photos of the live insects, but you're against killing an insect to take photos of it lol.

@Vollpflock

Жыл бұрын

Why is being vegan black and white?

@AndrewRock

Жыл бұрын

@@Vollpflock Two separate sentences, one about me, one about the issue at hand. There is no judgement being made in those two sentences about veganism.

I do agree with you.... Respect of life should be one of the most important and essential philosophy of humans. Being a Judaism believer, I value life and enjoy the variety we have in this earth. One thing is killing when there is no other solution, but killing for sport or amusement IS NOT RIGHT.

Future take aways

You should see the bugs in the South USA...super big and gross.

NO, it's not OK. First off, we need all the insects and we already have lost many, numbers and species, due to pesticides. Secondly, imagine you get killed by an alien (OK, don't laugh) for the only purpose of taking pictures they can brag about.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

Do you drive a car? Do you walk outside? Do you buy electronics you dont need? Do you buy anything you dont need?

@rakutzimbel4539

Жыл бұрын

@@ttonAb2 I have a car but barely use it. Yes I walk outside. No I only buy things I need. What point are you trying to make here?

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

@@rakutzimbel4539 The point is you kill things by doing things you don't need to do to survive when you make the choices you make while living. Whether you cared to think about it or not does not matter. You only buy things you "need to survive" I doubt that. You have killed many insects walking and killed many insects and probably more than insects while driving and that infrastructure you use... well thats killed billions of things just so you can be a little bit more comfy. Its hypocritical to say the least. Just because you didnt acknowledge it doesnt mean it didnt happen.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

@@rakutzimbel4539 lol the irony of you acusing me of being judgemental.

@rakutzimbel4539

Жыл бұрын

@@ttonAb2 I only say that killing insects for prestige isn't OK. Have a great day. You allow me having an opinion or what?

Micael, I'm sure your KZread followers would be happy to see you photograph other things during the Swedish winter. You don't need to photograph dead insects nor encourage companies to source and kill insects. Just my opinion, please don't do it.

@Tokyomodeldetective

Жыл бұрын

One way to lose subscribers!

@ozabot

Жыл бұрын

Totally agree with this comment. No need to go against your ethics and feelings. We all know how much you love insects and you always convert your passion into amazing photos and stories we all enjoy.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

@@Tokyomodeldetective Do you drive a car? Do you walk outside? Do you buy electronics you dont need? Do you buy anything you dont need?

@Tokyomodeldetective

Жыл бұрын

@@ttonAb2 To answer your ridiculous questions:I don’t drive, no. I live in Japan, i can catch trains here. Although my wife drives. 2. Buying electronics i don’t need? 😂 I work in games studio, I don’t need to buy anything techwise. I can rent Sony cameras, and i use work’s computer and free software (adobe) etc. And lastly, buy things i don’t need?! All the time. I’m not sure how your questions are related to ; buying dead insects or macro photography. Instead of asking stupid questions, it may help asking me questions on what i think of killing insects for photography.

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

@@Tokyomodeldetective Exactly my point, you end up killing things by doing things in your life you dont need to do to survive. All those electronics and infrastructure you use and all the things you purchase that you dont need to survive killed many insects and probably more. The negative impacts likely even lead to some human deaths but you're over here sitting on your glass throne implying its terrible to kill an insect to take a photo of it.

4:25 this 👌👌👌

Well I do kill mosquitoes, roaches and houseflies and drainflies. Just cuz I killed them even if I wasn't gonna photograph/ microscope them. Else I take dead insects from around, still live insects are most fun

"hope these insects were killed in the proper way" Let's all think clearly about this. The proper way? how about this. An insect that has been entrapped in a chamber, the only way to reasonably for this purpose (be able to sell it) is to probably gas it somehow so it dies with minimal damage to its body and so it can be collected and packaged. The idea that there are people out there "poaching" insects, stomping their heads just to sell is ridiculous. It's an insult to everyone's intelligence to even worry about this at all. Insects will gladly eat you alive or dead, eat each other, kill and waste the meal.

I think it's never okay to kill any animal, unless it is necessary to survive or defend yourself. For me it's an absolute no go. Micael, I like the way you normally work, with pretty simple equipment, enjoying nature, looking for tiny creatures to capture thier beauty just that moment in their lives, while they are doing whatever they are doing. To me there is nothing beautiful about a dead animal. Please don't go that way.

It's very shameful. We must respect natures and try to capture macro in natural habitat

@ttonAb2

Жыл бұрын

Do you drive a car? Do you walk outside? Do you buy electronics you dont need? Do you buy anything you dont need?

How many people saying it's wrong to kill insects for photography are having a steak for dinner tonight? If they're going to argue one is necessary and the other isn't, then explain how many people manage to survive without doing either. If you're not vegan you're cognitively dissonant.

NOUU!

No I don't feel right about killing insects just for photos or freezing, gluing them! Hahahaha unless they get into my house, but I have caught beatles and released them outdoors! Outdoor bugs don't deserve to die just for me!🙂🙂🙂👍

It's funny, but I don't have any problem with you photographing dead bugs, but I think I'd be less likely to watch your videos if I knew you were killing bugs yourself just for this purpose. I could philosophize about why that is, but I think it makes a difference!

It's funny, the less you kill, the more sensitive you get about it. I'm kind of shocked by most people's automatic reaction to insects -- that is to try and kill them, with no real reason to do so. I draw my own line somewhere though -- mosquitoes and clothes or food moths I go into attack mode and kill if possible. I reckon it's them or me and mine ... So, I would add my voice to the "no, please don't do it" people. But I'm not going to unsubscribe or anything.

The question should not even be asked...

Do the people that kill creatures for pictures monetize their content? Seems gratuitous, selfish. Killing bugs while walking or driving is unintentional, and a stupid comparison.

when you kill an insect everybody seems to be uncomfortable with killing animals, yet the same people still eat meat regularly. this is not more wrong than a carnivore diet. I am a vegan myself, but the amount of meat eating people now claiming the moral high ground when it comes to killing insects is crazy. you don't even now if they were killed intentionally or might just be sent in by random people giving away their dead "pets"

Where's the real challenge in photographing dead insects? As for killing an insect, who hasn't put their foot on one, accidently or otherwise? Some have a very short lifespan too - I try not to kill wasps.