These spine-tingling photos of jumping spiders and bees were taken by hobby photographer Matthew McDonald in his Tatura garden over the Easter weekend.
Spending more time at home due to social distancing rules, Matthew was inspired to take macro photos of the insects around his property after seeing people post their pictures in Facebook groups.
“Over the last couple months not being able to go anywhere, I photographed what I could; these were all found around the house in the garden,” he said.
Matthew carries his camera — a Nikon DC400 — around his yard while looking for the insects, some no larger than a five-cent coin.
When he finds one, he sets up his camera in the right position, and tries to get his shots as fast as he can.
“They do move around a bit quickly, so you have to have an idea before you start.”
He said the reason the photos were clear — to the point where you can see individual hairs on the spiders — was due to a technique called ‘focus stacking'.
It involves taking multiple photos of the insect while focusing on different aspects, and then digitally, you combine all these photos together.
Matthew has only been taking photos for the past two years, buying his camera about the time his son Spencer was born.
Since then, he has captured special family moments with his son, his wife Rebecca and his six-month-old daughter Sadie.
In sharing these captivating photos of insects, Matthew wants to show there is so much to discover at home as we remain in isolation.
“While we may not be able to explore the world or our country, there is a whole new world to explore in your backyard — you just have to have a look.”
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