A more difficult subject. - A bit 'Techno'
24th August 2025
In previous blog posts I outlined how I manage to photograph wildlife in flight. I for one would never try to tell people how to achieve this, instead I prefer to just outline the methods I use, and this may, or may not, help somebody in their photographic endeavours.
Undoubtably modern mirrorless camera have made this process slightly easier, and shots are appearing now that would have been more or less unachievable previously. Two particular features are the 'Eye Tracking' (of birds in particular) where the camera's focussing system locks onto a bird's eye and providing a photographer can retain the bird in the camera viewfinder the eye will be kept sharp. This is such an improvement over DSLR cameras with which you had to just hope the focussing system would find something to 'Lock' onto.
However, this system does not work so efficiently with some insects e.g. moths, butterflies and bees. This is because of their wing patterns and bodies which are often adorned with colourful geometric shapes which can obviously confuse the camera's focusing system. The tendency is for the camera's autofocus to jump around looking for the 'Eye' to track.
This is where 'Double Back Button Focussing' is critical;
If you assign one button to activate 'Eye Tracking' focus, and another button to activate single point focussing then when the former is struggling to achieve focus the latter will focus the system wherever the single point is located. In short your thumb cam be poised over the button which activates 'Single Point' focussing with your index finger on the shutter button. Then inevitably when the insect moves you can refocus without fear of activating the shutter when focus hasn't been achieved and then fire the shutter at the appropriate 'In Focus' moment.
The second feature is Canon's 'Pre Capture' mode, this is achieved when the shutter button is half pressed allowing the camera to continually record the images seen until the shutter button is then fully depressed when the last half a second of the images it has been recording are downloaded to the camera. - in effect going back in time.
These two modes when used in combination can achieve good results.
To illustrate;
An insect like a Bee is crawling around a flower collecting pollen and 'Pre Capture is activated. 'Eye Tracking' is also activated but is not suitable because the Bee is continually going out of focus because of its movement and the system is therefore continually 'Hunting' to achieve focus. Activating single point focus with your thumb on the appropriate back button allows you to continually keep up with the insect, focussing as it moves simply by touching said button. Then with your index finger half depressing the shutter button which is recording images continually, the shutter can be finally depressed with the bee in focus.
If you are shooting at twenty frames/sec obviously ten images will be committed to the camera and these are the frames you would have almost certainly missed, unless you are possessed with the reactions of a fighter pilot, which most are not.
Now come the composition problems, because to achieve a sharp pleasing image you need to avoid cluttered backgrounds and this is solved by, if possible, choosing a flower that is isolated with no obstacles in the background. This is not always possible but is always preferable, because to have an OOF stem e.g. in your image is distracting and can spoil what otherwise would be a nice shot.
Secondly, again if possible, I chose a situation, when the Bee in this case, flies into the air, it will ideally fly into a clear space and importantly this must be provided in the viewfinder by the photographer!
Sometimes a Bee will take off at an angle but sometimes it will take off in the same focal plane as the flower and this is a bonus because then both are sharp.
Having in theory achieved the above then very high shutter speeds are paramount to 'Freeze the action'
It might seem involved but with practice it can become second nature, and is well worth the effort.
Shooting info;
Common Carder Bee examining Verbena flowers.
Canon R6Mk2
Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro Lens
6400/sec - ISO 2000 - F3.5
Undoubtably modern mirrorless camera have made this process slightly easier, and shots are appearing now that would have been more or less unachievable previously. Two particular features are the 'Eye Tracking' (of birds in particular) where the camera's focussing system locks onto a bird's eye and providing a photographer can retain the bird in the camera viewfinder the eye will be kept sharp. This is such an improvement over DSLR cameras with which you had to just hope the focussing system would find something to 'Lock' onto.
However, this system does not work so efficiently with some insects e.g. moths, butterflies and bees. This is because of their wing patterns and bodies which are often adorned with colourful geometric shapes which can obviously confuse the camera's focusing system. The tendency is for the camera's autofocus to jump around looking for the 'Eye' to track.
This is where 'Double Back Button Focussing' is critical;
If you assign one button to activate 'Eye Tracking' focus, and another button to activate single point focussing then when the former is struggling to achieve focus the latter will focus the system wherever the single point is located. In short your thumb cam be poised over the button which activates 'Single Point' focussing with your index finger on the shutter button. Then inevitably when the insect moves you can refocus without fear of activating the shutter when focus hasn't been achieved and then fire the shutter at the appropriate 'In Focus' moment.
The second feature is Canon's 'Pre Capture' mode, this is achieved when the shutter button is half pressed allowing the camera to continually record the images seen until the shutter button is then fully depressed when the last half a second of the images it has been recording are downloaded to the camera. - in effect going back in time.
These two modes when used in combination can achieve good results.
To illustrate;
An insect like a Bee is crawling around a flower collecting pollen and 'Pre Capture is activated. 'Eye Tracking' is also activated but is not suitable because the Bee is continually going out of focus because of its movement and the system is therefore continually 'Hunting' to achieve focus. Activating single point focus with your thumb on the appropriate back button allows you to continually keep up with the insect, focussing as it moves simply by touching said button. Then with your index finger half depressing the shutter button which is recording images continually, the shutter can be finally depressed with the bee in focus.
If you are shooting at twenty frames/sec obviously ten images will be committed to the camera and these are the frames you would have almost certainly missed, unless you are possessed with the reactions of a fighter pilot, which most are not.
Now come the composition problems, because to achieve a sharp pleasing image you need to avoid cluttered backgrounds and this is solved by, if possible, choosing a flower that is isolated with no obstacles in the background. This is not always possible but is always preferable, because to have an OOF stem e.g. in your image is distracting and can spoil what otherwise would be a nice shot.
Secondly, again if possible, I chose a situation, when the Bee in this case, flies into the air, it will ideally fly into a clear space and importantly this must be provided in the viewfinder by the photographer!
Sometimes a Bee will take off at an angle but sometimes it will take off in the same focal plane as the flower and this is a bonus because then both are sharp.
Having in theory achieved the above then very high shutter speeds are paramount to 'Freeze the action'
It might seem involved but with practice it can become second nature, and is well worth the effort.
Shooting info;
Common Carder Bee examining Verbena flowers.
Canon R6Mk2
Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro Lens
6400/sec - ISO 2000 - F3.5