The macro bug
André Neves barely had to travel beyond his doorstep to find and photograph this incredibly detailed series of insect portraits
MISSION: Aspire to photograph fine art portraits of various insects in their natural habitats PHOTOGRAPHER: André Neves LOCATION: Foxton, Cambridgeshire KIT USED: Nikon D850, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro, Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8e FL ED VR with AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II WEBSITE: www.aaneves.com INSTAGRAM: @andre_neves_photography
Ihave been fascinated by nature and photography since I was a child. I started my photography journey in Portugal some three decades ago by borrowing my father’s reliable Nikon SLR. I enjoyed the simplicity of the mechanics – and sorely miss the light weight of the camera body!
I didn’t start taking my hobby seriously until about five years ago, when I joined the Melbourn & District Photographic Club, a very welcoming community that has been a great source of knowledge and inspiration. Over time, I have developed a strong interest in nature and macro photography, and have photographed a variety of species including butterflies, foxes and puffins.
The Nikon D850’s high-resolution sensor and good performance in low light have allowed me to capture insect details with great precision. I find combining it with my 105mm prime or 70-200mm zoom to be particularly effective for static or dynamic insect photography respectively.
Miniature worlds
I was very keen to leave the house with the camera after the long lockdowns of 2020. I missed the gentle sounds and smells of nature and started to admire my local insect species. Waking up at first light
(or before) on many misty mornings in early summer, I started to realize that an insect’s day starts at a slow pace, but rapidly catches up with the sun.
The differences in early morning temperatures, light quality and insect activity, between May and July, can be enormous. I was fortunate to find a reasonable variety of insects, not far from my doorstep. Given the smallest
As the key pollinators of most of our fruit and vegetable staples, we owe these little creatures…