MASTERPIECE

The Ladybird Chronicles

“If people like and appreciate insects, everything on the way up the food chain is cared for. Unfortunately, people are generally very insect-phobic, especially women, but everyone loves ladybirds “

Insight

Jane Davenport loves photography and especially loves photographing insects. And her mission in life is to show the world how wonderful and beautiful insects really are - but she has to be a little bit sneaky.

“People don’t find ladybirds threatening and this gives me an opportunity to sneak in other insects under the same positive light. Insects are not just scary mini-beasts. For instance, some people think a stick insect will chew your finger off, but it is really the most gentle insect of all. By adding a little story to my photographs, maybe I can change people’s perceptions.

“Generally in nature, anything with bright colours is poisonous or tastes terrible. That’s why ladybirds are usually bright and not camouflaged. They can march about like garden show ponies because birds and animals know not to eat them. On the other hand predators know that little green things that are hard to see taste delicious!”

Obviously, ladybirds don’t taste too good, but they look great and are an exceptional insect because they are so popular. This is why Jane began with them for her photography, even if they are particularly difficult to photograph camouflaged in its natural environment, I will often coax it onto flowers and places where they normally would not tread for fear of being eaten by birds or other predators.

“For instance, today I bought some beautiful big chrysanthemums which should contrast nicely with some ladybirds currently living in my garden. I’ll set up the flowers against an appropriate background and introduce the ladybirds, creating a miniature studio lit by natural light from the window. Working inside or in a light tent on-location is also much safer as there is no wind to contend with, the macro photographer’s natural enemy!

“I don’t use a tripod either because, with all my subjects so tiny, a tripod wouldn’t allow enough freedom of movement to follow my subject around. My subject only has to move a couple of millimetres and it will be out of focus - if not out of shot! I vastly prefer to hand hold the camera.”

Equipment

Jane uses a digital SLR for most of her work, finding its relatively light weight greatly advantageous when she’s hunting her subjects. She uses a 50mm macro lens and Kenko extension tubes which allow her to focus very closely.

“Even the screw on close up filters are great fun. They produce some aberrations around the edges of the image, but if you’re just starting out with close-up photography, they are a much cheaper alternative. That’s how I started and, once I was hooked, I upgraded to a 50mm macro lens. Jane has also just added a SONY DSC–F828 Cyber-Shot to her arsenal “Who can resist 8mg’s and a Zeiss lens?”

“I keep my lens wide open and fast for most of my work so I can capture the moment and the movement. I don’t want all the detail in the universe, just specific parts. This is the way our eyes work, especially when looking closely. It’s not about the detail, its about the interest.

The Final Print

Jane was introduced to photography through fashion and the catwalk. Her mother left her camera behind in London where Jane was living, and Jane wanted to see if the super models were really as beautiful in real life as they looked in the magazines. Her solution was to grab mum’s camera, apply for a press pass and go to a fashion show.

“I discovered two things, that the super models were more beautiful in real life and that I had a passion for photography. For me, a photograph is a remnant of the emotion you felt when you were taking the photo. If somehow you can get other people to experience that same feeling by looking at your photos - well, wow! This is what really attracted me to photography”

Jane entered a few art prizes and her photos of bugs did very well. She then won a Guru Award in Los Angeles and an educational grant from Getty Images in New York where she studied with John Paul Caponigro. “He as an amazing teacher - we would do poetry and relate it to our Photoshop sessions!”

While in America, Jane also visited Santa Fe and met a number of practising photographic artists. “It was so inspirational and artistic, and I received such a good reaction to my work that I thought this is what I really want to do with my life.

“My first exhibition and book was called Follow Your Bliss because this is exactly what I was doing, but it was such a scary thing to jump from a normal job and doing photography as a hobby, to actually doing art photography full time and earning a living from it.

“My husband Angus and I have been establishing our art studio for three years and it is an all consuming passion. I really had no choice but to turn professional and find a niche for my work.”

Jane seems to have her niche nicely sewn up. She is exhibiting her work all around the world, often at botanical gardens and horticultural shows. Her ladybird images have been printed onto 1.8 x 2.2 metre metal panels, allowing her exhibition to be displayed outside in the elements. It is a novel and powerful use of photography.

In addition to her exhibitions, she sells smaller prints, cards, ladybird propaganda and her books. The Ladybird Chronicles is more than a series of amazing insect photos, including a story with a message - in many ways, a community service.

“I produced the story book to explain the exhibition. When you get a little story book, you think back to when you were a child, so your mind is more open to the fantasy and mystery of the images.