Start a Digital bug collection

I recently have wanted to show how insects can be studied and collect insects in high resolution digital images. No longer do we have to put up with breaking up bug collections and spiders loosening there color. And last but not least, with a few well placed high res shots you can get all you need to view the subject as completely as you could without killing the insects and spiders you don't want to. No more feeling bad or bad bug collections. Learn macro photography and if I can do it--anyone can create what I would like to call a digital bug collection. I think it's time to use currently more and more inexpensive technology in the study and collection of spiders and insects in a guiltless and less impacting way.



There are still serious reasons in some cases to preserve some insects and spiders the old fashioned way, but for the most of it-- with a bit of training and a good camera people can create more useful insect or spider collection then they could get using traditional means. And by no means do you need 1000s and 1000s of dollars in gear.



A shot from near where I live here in The Dalles. Those clouds caught my eyes as the edge of thunderheads over in Washington state. Here are a number of recent pictures I took with my Nikon SLR. I may add captions and info about these pictures soon.



I did not show here fully how I would carefully shoot a 1cm jumping spider to produce as much info as possible and have it at a high enough resolution as I would to describe and prove a species. Basically that would be a high-res shot from every angle in a very clear container. to be completely certain of species and other factors. Using my Nikon SLR I took these shots and cropped them in camera. Reaching F30-f40+ it is possible to photograph nearly any sized insect or spider without a very expensive microscope.

For now--check these out-