Hazards of macro photography - Part 2 - photographing wasps
/In my opinion, there aren't too many macro photography subjects that make for a more striking picture than the eastern yellow jacket.
A female eastern yellow jacket.... Vespula maculifrons to her friends
But unfortunately, this group of insects apparently hate macro photographers more than Jude Law hates paparazzi. Seems like all these grumpy venom-injectors wake up on the wrong side of the flowerbed every morning. A couple of useful things to know about yellow jackets:
They are highly social and all share in the work of protecting and nurturing their cuddly little wasp-babies. If they feel the nest is threatened, they will launch a vicious attack.
Apparently, yellow jackets consider the mere presence of a macro photographer to be clear evidence of a planned assault on the nest.
They usually nest underground, which means our primary warning of an impending attack is a small hole in the ground. Great.
Though hard to believe, they become much more aggressive as the summer wears on. The growing nest needs more food than is readily available so the females go looking for office picnics where they can score a mouthful of your Dr. Pepper, before stinging you and heading back to the nest.
A few of these hungry, aggressive, foraging wasps get drunk by gulping fermented honeydew from flowers. No kidding. What could possibly go wrong!
The species name, maculifrons, comes from the latin "macula", a spot, and "frons", the forehead.
There is a fairly decent chance that you will run into one or more of these common pests as you search for less venomous subjects to photograph. If you shoot macro during the summer months, especially later in the season, you will almost certainly get stung eventually. The treatment for a yellow jacket sting is much the same as for any insect sting.
Clean the site with soap and water or disinfectant and use an ice pack, if you have access to one, which may help lessen the swelling and redness, but will do little for the acute pain. Over the coming hours and days, the affected area can itch intensely, and an over-the-counter antihistamine like Benadryl may bring some relief.
Be aware that some people will be allergic to the venom, and in the most extreme cases a sting may cause a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. If hives, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid heart rate, or loss of consciousness develop, even if it is hours after the sting, seek immediate medical attention.
Too close for comfort...
So, if you still want to photograph wasps, here are a few techniques and precautions to consider:
Try to find a deceased specimen. It's not hard to do. I always carry a few small containers filled with pure alcohol in my camera bag. I will take any well preserved specimens that I find back to the studio for some super-close-up focus-stacked shots, like the ones above.
If you are into catching and preserving live specimens it is a good idea to get plenty of practice netting and transferring less belligerent bugs, before you tackle an irate wasp. This is the best technique if you are actually trying to get stung.
Don't go out into wasp territory (basically anywhere outside) wearing cologne, perfume, or any scented skin or hair products. Many such scents will attract wasps as effectively as rubbing a whole jar of marmalade into your scalp before the shoot.
If you come across a spot where several wasps are flying in circles, close to the ground, you should turn around and head the other way. This is usually a sure sign that you have found the entrance to a nest. If the irascible guardians of the colony decide that you are up to no good, you will be attacked.
Finding a solitary yellow jacket, maybe taking a breather on a fencepost, is your best bet for a good picture. But this is neither the place or time to pull out your 40mm macro lens, or worse, a reversed lens on a set of extension tubes. With these lens setups your working distance will be minimal and the wasp will be easily alarmed. Stick with your longest, dedicated macro lens for these shots. The Nikon Micro 105mm f/2.8 allows you to stay well back while capturing tack-sharp images.
If a stinging insect does come in for a closer look (at you), resist the urge to engage in hand flapping, vigorous hopping, squealing, or other undignified antics. These are exactly the behaviors that will freak the wasp out - and you know what will happen next - right?
Yellow jacket collecting wood fibers to mix with saliva - the resulting mess is used to build the nest
I would love to hear about your techniques for shooting these beautiful creatures, especially if you have any wasp-related misadventures to share. If you have learned any new ways to trigger a vicious attack, leave a comment below. Stay safe!