Andy Byrne Photography

Andy Byrne Photography Professional photographer specialising in macro, landscapes, property and wildlife.

Eggcellent Adventures Part 1/4
22/09/2020

Eggcellent Adventures Part 1/4

Chorthippus parallelus (Field Grasshopper) 🦗Found a very photogenic grasshopper whilst camping in Dorset this summer. Th...
22/09/2020

Chorthippus parallelus (Field Grasshopper) 🦗
Found a very photogenic grasshopper whilst camping in Dorset this summer. This little guy found his way into a bag left out and sat on a loo roll 🙃
We take photo opportunities where we can get them, right?

The Eyes!This little guy is actually about 0.4cm long. He was very accommodating towards me getting a nice photo and poi...
19/08/2020

The Eyes!
This little guy is actually about 0.4cm long. He was very accommodating towards me getting a nice photo and pointing a flash in his face 😬
This has easily been the best piece of macro photography advice I've received so far. DON'T waste your time on bugs that won't play ball. Unless it's a particularly rare sighting, it's not worth your time and patience as you'll find another one that is more photogenic soon enough.
What's the saying? There's plenty more bugs in the garden..? 🐜🌿

Here's looking at you!I think this is a young Flesh Fly of the family Sarcophagidae. Flesh flies are common in the UK an...
11/08/2020

Here's looking at you!
I think this is a young Flesh Fly of the family Sarcophagidae. Flesh flies are common in the UK and can often be found outdoors feeding on decaying flesh of animals and other insects (hence the name).
They're pretty gross creatures and are generally considered as pests, especially if you find them in your home. Seriously, you should get that looked at if you find them inside!
But, they do have these big pretty compound eyes! 👀 The compound eye is very interesting. It gives them an almost 360° vision, due to their size and protrusion from their head. If you zoom in enough, you'll notice that the eyes are made up of hundreds of tiny circles..
These are called Ommatidium (plural), individually called Ommatidia. They are coned in shape and are well adapted for the flies needs. Whilst providing near 360° vision, they do not provide a clear image. A fly can make out basic form and movement, but not much else beyond that. Evolutionary speaking, they only really NEED to survive and do so by being very good at dodging larger predators. This is what makes them so annoying to swat!
P.s. what do you call a Fly that can't fly?
A Walk!

Found this strange beetle under a log at white horse the other week 🐜I am currently using a new setup to capture macros...
06/08/2020

Found this strange beetle under a log at white horse the other week 🐜
I am currently using a new setup to capture macros and it's mad exciting!! Using the Raynox 150 (I bought the wrong one, will be returning in order to get the extra magnification of the Raynox 250) I can see closer and more readily than ever before.
Using extension tubes can be very tricky as those who use them will know already. At such a close range, your field of view is very tight. You need a steady hand and a calm approach, one wrong breath can knock you off balance and you are left with an unusable shot..
How to get around this?
Yes, you can work on your balance and your precision. This will definitely help in reducing the time spent on each shot. Timing is crucial as insects like to move around a lot (so inconsiderate!).
But, the best method that works for me and I'm certainly not the first, is to simply take more photos! It's not irregular to take dozens of photos of a single angle of a single subject. Sometimes, i can take 100 photos and only be satisfied with 1 or 2. This process has really proven to me that in macro photography, dedication is key above all else! 👊
What are some of your top tips for shooting macro?

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) 🐞Leading on from my previous post about the native 7-Spot Ladybird, I welcome the...
24/07/2020

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) 🐞
Leading on from my previous post about the native 7-Spot Ladybird, I welcome the notorious Harlequin. Known as the invaders from Asia, they have settled and made claim in Europe and your vegetable patch!
Whilst consuming a similar amount of aphids per year as the native 7-Spot Ladybird, they are particularly problematic due to their hunger for moth, butterfly and other ladybird's lavae. They even sometimes resort to cannibalism of their own kind, because they can.
The science is not yet settled on the Harlequin though. Whilst some studies say they having a negative effect on native species of ladybird and the like, other studies say otherwise. They are still relatively new to the UK, having first been recorded in 2004. So, we will have to wait and see what the result will be! 🤔
Anyway, enjoy this colourful critter enjoying his lunch! 🐞🍽🐜.

Unsure what this one is to be honest 🙄 I just love the detail on the buds and the bokeh effect 😍 This isn't my most spec...
20/07/2020

Unsure what this one is to be honest 🙄
I just love the detail on the buds and the bokeh effect 😍
This isn't my most specific photo or most scientifically valuable. BUT, it is very pretty and that's just fine by me 😊
I try to tread the fine line between science and art with my photography. On the one hand, you have beautiful imagery that is very appealling to the eye, but with little to no scientific value. Then, you have the 'colder' scientific approach which yields much in the way of learning opportunity and specific information about the subject.
No one approach is correct, but to have both can be difficult. And that challenge is what makes it interesting!!

7-Spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) 🐞The 7-Spot Ladybird is the most common ladybird species found in the UK and...
15/07/2020

7-Spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) 🐞
The 7-Spot Ladybird is the most common ladybird species found in the UK and Europe. They feed on the abundance of aphids found in gardens and allotments (introduce them to your house plants if you find aphids!). This species of ladybird can eat up to an estimated 5,500 aphids in its 3 year life span!!
7- Spot ladybirds are easily identified by, you guessed it, the number of spots! You'll find 3 on each elytron (hardened wing casing).
They are not to be confused with the increasingly dominant Harlequin Ladybird. This species has up to 22 spots!

European Tarnished Plant Bug (Lygus rugulipennis) 🦗This species is globally considered a pest. It loves potatoes, cereal...
13/07/2020

European Tarnished Plant Bug (Lygus rugulipennis) 🦗
This species is globally considered a pest. It loves potatoes, cereals, alfalfa and many other staples and thus determined to be a serious pest.
Studies have been conducted to try to better understand their mating behaviours, in order to give us more accurate methods of reducing their effect on crops. One study sent vibrations through speakers and plant substrates to stimulate the bugs into a response. They found that certain signals corresponded to certain actions and are now better able to understand this pests' behaviours.
Oh, and they also have a super cute love heart on their backs 💟😍

Black Garden Ant or Common black ant (Lasius niger).Well known to us, we see them all the time, sometimes as a pest. It ...
11/07/2020

Black Garden Ant or Common black ant (Lasius niger).
Well known to us, we see them all the time, sometimes as a pest. It didn't take long to find this one in a flower bed, an exercise I've recently found to be quite fun! Scanning the ground with a macro lens is kind of like snorkeling in the ocean, looking for animals far smaller than us. It's quite a strange experience, but a very rewarding one, from the comfort of your own back yard!
Ants can be tricky as they move so fast, which appears amplified when under intense magnification. In truth, I got very lucky to capture this one dangling from the vantage point of a single blade of grass, barely an inch off the ground..
Did you know that studies show a single ant can live up to 4 years? Yet, a queen ant can live for up to a staggering 15 YEARS?!
Ants are incredibly resilient creatures and even more so as a colony. Their hive mind can transmit data (warning signals, potential food, new pathways, etc.) super efficiently through pheromones passing from one single ant to another at an exponential rate. This information, mostly unbeknownst to the individual ant, creates a vast network of hive intelligence and responsiveness to changing factors.
Ants are pretty sick.. 🤙

Hollyhock 🌺🌱We have this planted at our allotment at .arts for its pretty flowers, but mostly for its special powers!Not...
09/07/2020

Hollyhock 🌺🌱
We have this planted at our allotment at .arts for its pretty flowers, but mostly for its special powers!
Not only is Hollyhock very appealing to look at, it is also excellent at attracting the best pollinators to our crops!
Hollyhock is great for bringing in butterflies and bees, which then help out everything else on our plot too 😁
Whilst the flowers are very pretty though, I am more interested in the buds. The buds are formed in geometric patterns (they also look like Ice Gems).

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