Macro photographer Lee Frost has a passion for insects and spiders. Bill Gibb finds out more.
LOOKING at sweeping landscapes and vast vistas, many people naturally think big when taking a photograph.
But the subject matter is – quite literally – a small world every time Lee Frost picks up his camera.
Lee, from Newcastleunder-Lyme in Staffordshire, specialises in incredibly close-up photographs of some of the planet’s tiniest creatures.
Capturing the remarkable images of insects takes supreme skill and such dedication that he frequently heads off on his photographic missions in the dead of night.
He has such a talent that he recently picked up a prestigious macro photography award.
Although he is now known for his photographic prowess, Lee says his camera days are a relatively new thing – but his insect infatuation goes back an awful lot further.
“I’ve always been interested in wildlife and nature, especially insects,” Lee, who is thirty-four, says.
“As a kid, I’d look out for them in the garden and in a field opposite. Something different and unusual appealed to me.
“But I didn’t pick up a camera until about eight years ago. I got it because I wanted to photograph the wildlife in general.
“Then I took a picture of a ladybird with the Nikon camera and a macro lens, and I was just blown away by the detail and beauty of it.
“That was it – I was hooked from that moment.”
Lee admits he didn’t have a great idea of what he was doing, and progression really was a case of learning as he went along.
After dabbling with
landscapes and more general wildlife and bird photography, he was drawn back to the insect world and invested in the best camera equipment and technology.
As he is working at incredibly close quarters, he needs to shoot off a burst of up to 150 images and use computer software to blend them into one final image.
“To be able to fire off so many shots, the insect really needs to be still,” Lee explains.
“That’s why I go out very early when it’s quite cold and the insect hasn’t woken up. I often get up at three or four a.m. if the conditions are right.
“When it is cold, you can get quite creative with the backgrounds and also the morning dew.”
Lee has set up a network of bug hotels in his garden to attract insects, as well as an area where he’s let the grass grow longer.
