While some dragonflies and butterflies are large enough to be photographed using the long end of a tele-zoom, most invertebrates are small, and you will need a close focusing lens in order to achieve good shots (without the need to crop). A macro lens is the best, but the most costly option but at a push combine extension tubes to reduce the focusing distance of a 50mm lens.
All types of subjects photograph well in close-up, but surely the most impressive (and challenging) is nature. Spring through to autumn is the best time of year to find weird, wonderful and colourful insects to snap. And so, we throw down the gauntlet for you to try these three techniques:
SHOOT ON A DEWY MORNING: Insects tend to be calmer in the early hours of the day and after a cool, still night are covered in dew drops. These little water droplets add extra sparkle and detail. Look for dew-laden spider webs, too, to shoot their delicate strings of pearls.
CHANGE YOUR ANGLE: Insects often suit being photographed from a side angle or directly overhead – particularly butterflies and moths with outstretched wings. But instead try a worm’s-eye view or shoot head-on to emphasise the insect's head and eyes.
TRY FOCUS STACKING: To get front-to-back focus of magnified subjects, try blending several images shot at different image depths to artificially extend depth-of-field. You can use dedicated software for this, automate the stack in Photoshop or manually blend the images.