Moth Trapping

Maria was kind enough to buy me a Moth trap recently.  It's a simple UV light over a white canvas box that I can run overnight in the garden.  The moths are attracted to the light and hide in the box, tucked away in egg boxes till morning.  Come the dawn I close the trap down, have some breakfast and then investigate the contents (if any).

Obviously my main objective is to photograph any moths that are lured to the light.  Many settle on the white canvas of the trap or on a white backdrop behind the light box and can be photographed in situ.  Fine for record keeping but hardly creative, the weave of the canvas or backdrop failing to add anything to the image, no matter how beautiful the moth.  For example, this shot of a Jersey Tiger, Euplagia quadripunctaria, doesn't do the moth justice.

Better to display the moths in a more attractive, natural looking setting.  

Fortunately many moths are torpid in the morning after the trap is opened.  Although some do immediately fly away many others can be coaxed onto a finger or a suitable twig and then moved onto a more photogenic environment.  This Buff Ermine, Spilosoma luteum, happily sat on my finger and could then be transferred onto some dead tree fern fronds for photography.

Sometimes the transfer is to a leaf or leaves, as with this Poplar Hawk Moth, Laothoe populi...

...or onto a twig, as with this male Four-spotted Footman, Lithosia quadra.

The objective is always to produce an uncluttered shot with a natural looking background ro set off the moth. One complication is that I'm shooting with my STF-8 twin macro flash and the Olympus 60mm macro so the light fall off behind the subject is fairly swift.  Hence I use a pale green background, which darkens a little with the light fall off to produce a pleasing neutral background for many shots.

I've even set up a little studio scene for outdoor use which gives me a number of scenic options.  It's only a couple of branches and some interesting stones housed in a small planter with the backdrop behind but the results are looking good.

Here's a Knot Grass moth, Acronicta rumicis on one of the branches...

...while a Square-spot Rustic, Xestia xanthographa, sits happily on another...

...and a Black Arches, Lymantria monacha, perches happily on the stone.

I've only managed a few trapping sessions so far and am limited to shooting only in my Plymouth garden, restricting the range of species that are likely to be attracted to the trap, but already it's proving very satisfying in photographic terms and it gives me an idea of what's around.  Different moths have different flight times so it will be fascinating to see the range as the seasons roll around.

A final word.  All shooting was outdoors and all moths were released unharmed into thick vegetation after shooting.  None were additionally cooled or stunned.  They could - many did - fly away before I got the chance to shoot them but that's all part of the requirements for ensuring their ethical treatment.

Using the Olympus STF-8 macro flash

A lot of field macro work is only possible using flash to light small, often moving, subjects.  In the past I've used external flashguns and small softboxes, either singly or as a pair, mounted on a attached bracket and fired either with a connector cord or wirelessly. They worked - but cumbersome is an apt description of using them for photographing insects in leafy areas.

So I was delighted to find a used Olympus STF-8 twin flash for sale at Wex Photo and Video earlier this year.  The price was very reasonable compared to new so I raided the piggy bank and took the plunge.  After all, I'd easily recoup the investment, wouldn't I.  Gear aquisition syndrome strikes again.

The macro flash comes in it's own elegant carrying case.  I think I've used it twice since the first opening.  Assembly and fitting of the flash unit to the camera and 60mm macro lens is pretty simple and results in the following compact unit.

Small, compact, lightweight and weather sealed it's ideal for field use in terms of easy manouverability. The individual small flash units and diffusers can be rotated round the filter ring to provide optimum lighting directions and the control unit sits and locks neatly to the flash shoe.  Four AA batteries - I use rechargeables - power the whole thing.

Flash exposure is set from the back control panel.  I use manual exposure on the camera to set up aperture and shutter speed (max 1/250 sec on the EM1 Mkii) and, for most uses the left hand dial is on the camera/RC setting to allow TTL flash exposure.  It's possible to set the flash power manually but field working often doesn't provide enough time to play with the settings.  The right dial allows the user to balance the light between right and left flashes to enhance modelling.

So, does it work in practice?  And have I recouped any of my investment?  Short answer, yes.  Long answer, read on.

It's certainly easy to use in the field.  I can hand hold it for hours and even use it one handed, allowing me to hold a leaf or card for background colour to avoid the classic bright subject / black background unnatural flash 'look'.  In this case the background is a dock leaf.

The diffusion is not quite as good as I would like, the flashes generating small hot spots on shiny insects such as this greenbottle fly.

Having said that, even fairly sparkly subjects such as this iridescent eyed Dolichopus griseipennis fly come out well.

Duller subjects such as this tortoise shield bug, Eurygaster testudinaria, are no problem.

Overall, I'm very happy with the STF-8.  I'll do some experiments next year to increase the amount of diffusion to see if that generates superior results.  I'll also look at more focus bracketing / stacking to give a greater depth of field.  I've had a couple of goes.  It's not as easy as it sounds!

Finally, have I begun to recoup my investment?  Yes. $70 (to me) sales thus far. Hopefully there will be more next year.