Finally got my new Cognisys Insect Rig (more on this in a future post!) for photographing insects in flight all dialed in. It combines all of my favorite things: high-speed flash, a dual laser-triggering system, and an electromagnetic shutter that decreases shutter lag to just 5 milliseconds! For anyone who enjoys working with fast, unpredictable subjects, this system feels like opening a whole new world of possibilities.
Photographing insects in flight is one of the most technically challenging pursuits in nature photography. These little creatures move erratically, change direction without warning, and rarely pass through the same place twice. That’s why a setup like this is so exciting — it allows me to freeze a moment of motion that would otherwise be impossible to see with the naked eye. After some fine-tuning and a lot of trial and error, everything finally started to come together.
This “teddy bear” moth was one of my first successful captures with the rig, and it just makes me smile. The combination of its soft, fuzzy texture and the precision of the technology that made the shot possible is exactly what I love about high-speed nature photography — a perfect intersection of art, science, and patience.
More experiments (and more species!) to come as I continue to put this rig through its paces.
Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve