A quick Google query indicates that beginner hikers average about 1 – 2 mph, intermediate hikers 2 – 3 mph and experienced hikers 3 – 4 mph. I recently checked and so far I have hiked about 80 miles of trail at the Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) in 100 hours, which is 0.8 mph. And I’ve been hiking these trails extensively for the last 4 years now so I would call myself experienced in this regard.
Why do I bring up how slowly I hike? Because my slow pace is key for the type of up close nature photography that I enjoy. One of my favorite photographic subjects are insects, of which there are an incredible variety at the IDNP. But here is the thing, you won’t see many interesting insects if you are cruising along the trails at speed. They either buzz off when they see/hear you approaching, or you simply never see them in the mass of detail present in the foliage. If you just stop, remain motionless and simply look around you will be amazed at how much you start to notice.
It is approaching mid-June. Most of the showy spring wildflowers have passed. This is typical of what the river trails in the park look like right now. Overwhelmingly busy and green. Most people I encountered on the trail this day were lamenting that there was not much to see compared to a few weeks ago when the forest floor was carpeted with white, yellow and blue wildflowers. But the way I see nature, one feature simply gives way to the next……this is the time for insects to take center stage. While moving slowly along the trail this tiny Orb Weaver caught my eye. It was a couple feet off the trail by a fallen tree. In the midst of all the surrounding greenery this little speck of tan and white, seemingly suspended in mid air caught my eye. A lovely spider in the classic pose, just sitting in the center of it’s web. Not far from the Orb Weaver, I spotted this fella slowly stalking across a leaf. Often referred to as a Daddy Longlegs it is actually a Harvestman and while it is an arachnid, it is not technically a spider. Among other differences Harvestmen do not inject venom into their prey to liquify their innards. Unlike spiders, Harvestmen are capable of eating solids. You can see that this one has just brought something into its mouth with one of its legs.One of the things which I do frequently is stop and observe what is around me. When you are moving along the trail you scare off many interesting creatures. Insects like Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies are particularly quick to relocate when we come lumbering along. Chasing after them just causes them to keep moving further away. But once you stop, and remain still they will soon go back to their normal routines as if you were not there. Soon enough you will find them landing nearby and hanging around long enough to get some good photographs.For these subjects it is really important to be using a camera with a lens that has the combination of a long focal length and high magnification. Macro lenses have 1:1 magnification which means a Damselfly like this one can fill the entire frame of the image without cropping. But usually you have to get really close to your subject with macro lenses which causes them to fly off. My primary lens for this work is an unusual combination of being a macro with a long focal length of 200mm which is well into the telephoto range. This allows me to get reasonably close up images from distances of up a few feet.By moving slowly and taking your time, you greatly increase your chance of seeing not just interesting insects, but interesting scenes as well. I spotted this spider a couple feet off the trail, suspended from a nearly invisible thread of silk, chowing down on its lunch. Near as I can tell its victim was fly of some sort. I was able to get several good shots of it from a few feet away. When I repositioned to try and get a closer image, it sensed my movement and almost instantly vanished into the foliage, leaving behind the mostly drained husk of its meal. Anyone walking down the trail at a normal pace would would have sent him scurrying away long before getting close enough to spot.Flies are another favorite subject. Many people associate flies with filth and decaying meat, and view them as ugly and disgusting creatures. But breaking down decaying flesh and feces is an important job in a healthy ecosystem. And when viewed up close they are fascinating creatures. But they are very quick to take off and require quite a bit of patience to find and photograph.As it turns out, not all flies bite and feast on filth. There are over 400 species of Hover Flies, also known as Flower Flies. These flies are second only to bees in their importance as pollinators. In fact when it comes to doing the work of pollinating wildflowers, Hover Flies make the better known Butterflies look like slackers. They feed on nectar, and they are stunningly beautiful. Most of them mimic other insects like bees and hornets as a form of protection.And there are many other lovely species of flies such as this Golden-backed Snipefly. I never would have suspected that the variety, function and appearance of flies was so immense. When I tell people I meet on the trail that I am photographing flies the looks of disgust I frequently get are pretty amusing. But once I start showing them some of my images people are really amazed. The thing is they are all over the place and not hard to spot at all if you are looking. You just have to look, and there they are.But of all the “bugs” out there, I think I like spiders the best. They are really fascinating predators. Some, like the Orb Weaver shown earlier, sit patiently in their web just waiting for something to fly into it and get stuck, then they pounce. Others like this Crab Spider are ambushers. They sit and wait for something to get close enough, then they spring their trap and snag their prey in powerful forelimbs, drawing them in for a paralyzing bite. Then… it’s lunch time.Other spiders are active hunters, like this Wolf Spider. They are large and strong enough to catch and subdue their prey.
Oh, and the absolutely stunning spider at the top of this post? I have yet to positively ID it. I think it is some sort of Orb Weaver, but I am not certain. I do know that its body was larger than my thumbnail, and that pattern on the abdomen is just awesome. You can easily see all these wonderful creatures, and many more by just slowing down, occasionally stopping and just looking around.
