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They crawl, they creep, they burrow, they swarm. Every day, hiding in plain sight, they are doing important work to keep ecosystems in balance. And yes \u2014 bugs are beautiful. Just ask Dara Ojo.<\/p>\n
The Edmonton-based macro photographer has made it his mission to reveal the astonishing diversity of the insect world. His frames are both captivating and unsettling, a window onto a small world that most people never see (and indeed, often actively avoid!). Six years after first beginning to experiment with macro photography as a pandemic lockdown project, Ojo has built a loyal following on Instagram<\/a>, where the comments on his images run the gamut from amazed to squicked out, but always appreciative of his skill. A book of Ojo\u2019s photography, titled Tiny Titans: The Silent Keepers of our Ecosystem<\/a>, comes out next month from Rocky Mountain Books.<\/p>\n Here, Ojo shares how his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria fostered his love of the natural world, how he developed his \u201cbug eyes\u201d and the bucket-list shot he has yet to make.<\/p>\n On early encounters with insects<\/p>\n I planted my first yam when I was 11. I love farming and I used to play with earthworms all the time. I was obsessed with how earthworms are beneficial to flowers and soil. In Nigeria, we got a lot of mosquito bites, so I may have some PTSD from that \u2026 but now I\u2019ve been able to understand the circle [of nature] better. It\u2019s just what has to happen!<\/p>\n On how he got into insect photography<\/p>\n It was during the COVID lockdown period that I first picked up macro photography. I had been living and working in China [when] the pandemic began. Being unable to travel and spending more time in the natural world was really what started this whole journey. I wanted to understand how photography works \u2014 the nitty-gritty of using a camera in manual mode. I started with photographing water drops to master my shutter speed. I didn\u2019t want to take photos of people because everybody does that, so I started taking photos of birds. I ran out of local birds [in China] and couldn\u2019t travel, so a friend suggested I show people the insects in China.<\/p>\n There weren\u2019t a lot of resources online about shooting insects [at the time]. There\u2019s a substantial amount now, but I was basically self-taught. I had to make a lot of mistakes. But something whispered to me, \u201cIf you master this, you\u2019ll create a niche for yourself,\u201d so I held onto those words and I went back to the drawing board again and again.<\/p>\n On developing his \u201cbug eyes\u201d<\/p>\n You wouldn\u2019t know these insects are there if you don\u2019t have the eyes for it, so I call it developing your bug eyes. They\u2019re so tiny, they can be hard to find. And now I\u2019m always looking for them. Sometimes [my bug eyes] don\u2019t work, though. I\u2019ll go out for three hours, 7,000 steps, and find nothing. Other times I\u2019ll spot a green bug on a green leaf instantly.<\/p>\n When it\u2019s cooler, they\u2019re more approachable \u2014 when they\u2019re not buzzing or it\u2019s not sunny yet. But if you want them in flight, it has to be daytime because you need a lot of light. If you want to get close, it has to be the morning. You have to be really patient to get the shot you want.<\/p>\n As I\u2019ve developed more of a portfolio, I also have become more picky. I\u2019m always looking for that extraordinary thing. Sometimes I feel like I\u2019ve taken a shot before so I don\u2019t want to do it again. I once spent two hours with a single moth in Costa Rica.<\/p>\n On defending insects<\/p>\n One of my videos of a spider went viral, with more than two million views. Despite that, the comments are still \u201cI\u2019m gonna step on it!\u201d But 99 out of 100 times, a spider wouldn\u2019t do anything to you, so I just don\u2019t understand those comments. I\u2019ve finally gotten people to see how beautiful they are, even if they might still hate them. They\u2019re just really cool creatures.<\/p>\n On his bucket list shot<\/p>\n In Canada, I\u2019ve been trying to shoot a tiger beetle. I have one from Costa Rica, but they\u2019re quite different here. They can be difficult to find in the areas I photograph, particularly as some of the specialized habitats they depend on are being lost or disturbed. I\u2019ve been looking for one for three years now. The search continues!<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been really surprised to find such cool insects in Canada, for a colder country. My favourite place to shoot has been Costa Rica, and Nigeria also has a lot to offer, so I\u2019m hoping to just go to more places too.<\/p>\n