Upon seeing Yudy Sauw’s extreme close-ups of insects, you might think he is an entomologist who collects rare specimens from around the world and photographs them with expensive lab equipment.
Turns out he's a 34-year-old who owns a building supply company in Tangerang, Indonesia. He found these bugs, all of which are quite common in Indonesia, in his yard, often in the garden. His gear is no less common. None of this, however, detracts from the fact that he makes gorgeous, intriguing photos we want to hang on the wall.
“I like bugs and it’s just a hobby,” Sauw says.
Sauw uses a Nikon D7000 camera and a Nikon 105mm AF f/2.8D lens. To get those creepy cool close-ups, he uses Raynox super macro conversion lenses. Lighting comes from a Nikon R1C1 wireless close-up speedlight system, which attaches to his lens. High-end stuff to be sure, but certainly not professional-grade. He does a little color correction and sharpening in Photoshop, but there's no sleight-of-hand beyond occasionally superimposing the macro images on a different background to give them a little added pizzazz.
Most of the insects he's photographed are as common as, well, house flies. And horse flies. And yellow jackets. Most of them are dead because, as you can imagine, it isn't easy getting a bug to sit still for a portrait. At the moment, Sauw has dozens of photos and plans to just continue shooting whatever he finds around the house. Although he's gained a large audience online, he's got bigger things in mind.
“I really want to make a book,” he says.
