Fabien Lasserre

Tiny Grasshopper

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:06 +0000

Last weekend, I was lying in the grass taking pictures, and while I was shooting a flower, there was this little dude looking at me. He couldn't be more than 2cm big, and I was able to snag this picture before watching him taking off.

Bee

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:05 +0000

A worker bee, doing her hard work. You can see she's done well so far by the pollen sac on its tiny leg.

Mantis (detail)

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:06 +0000

My dad caught a praying mantis in his garden the other day. 176 shots and 15 minutes later, I'm left with this only picture worth posting. Time has come to get some new gear I guess, as I'm constantly unsatisfied with my macro shots lately. Either I'm out of focus (because of my AF (non 'S') 50mm), or because the light is poor. I'm planning to get myself new macro rings in the next months so that the body of the camera can talk to the lens, which will allow me to use external flashes ! Anyways, I still like this shot. The exoskeleton of a mantis is fascinating, whichever the angle might be.

No Rest For The Wicked

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:13 +0000

This is the very first photo of a macro light I've made, using a LED camping light. I'm pretty amazed by the final results, as this shot was taken by night, the only light source being the one coming from the LED ring ! On a side note, this little fella has been living on our balcony for the past weeks. It was a test subject of choice :)

Something's Off

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:47 +0000

This is the perfect example of a failed series. I've spent around 15 minutes taking pictures of that leaf. It was the perfect afternoon, with lots of fresh air and tons of bright light. I've shot that leaf on all possible angles, with all possible backgrounds. I've even played a bit with natural lens flare trying to grasp the beauty of its red color. Yet, something's off. The whole series is ruined. Either the focus is not right or the frame is wonky... I couldn't transcribe the beauty of that moment on a picture, and as often when failing a whole series, I've chosen to publish the first picture of the pack, for it feels to be the most natural shot.

Reaching Out

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:28 +0000

I was trying to photograph a wasp eating a flower, and ended up failing. But while doing it, I didn't notice this tiny one trying with all its force to reach out in order to get some sugar out of this flower. And as it was working its way, I took a picture. I hope you got all the sweet, little wasp !

Edit: Turns out this bug is not a wasp, but a kind of hoverfly... Thanks for the input guys :)

Green Grasshopper

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:21 +0000

First encounter with this insect, and it wasn't an easy catch. Unlike others, the grasshopper is pretty shy and very alert about its surroundings. I had to (really) slowly approach it for it not to get scared. After three failed attempts, it finally let me take a portrait, right before jumping away.

You Can't See Me

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:17 +0000

Hooked to a tiny branch was this small bug, trying to hide from me, and looking as if I couldn't notice its black robe on all this light grey background. Well, gotcha !

Leaf

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:52 +0000

What's beautiful with macro photography is that it allows you to see what you don't usually simply care. This leaf is like any other, yet with this angle, at this scale, it shows you how complex it is, from its spike shaped edge to its range of color. I wish I had framed this shot a little lower so the leaf wouldn't be cut, but I still love its simplicity.

Watch Me In The Eyes

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:55 +0000

Taking a picture of a dragonfly is always fun. And quite easy too. Most of the time, you need to carefully approach your prey, trying not to make sudden movements. You'll often see it fly away when it sees you. But dragonflies love to come back to their branch, offering you the necessary time to take a snapshot. They're unlike any other insects, and often display a great patch of colors. This one was pretty dull, covered with its green/yellow robe. So I had to be extra cautious in order to get a good glimpse at its eyes.