You may have seen huge high-end studio set-ups with giant seamless backgrounds big enough to hold an SUV, which can cost a fortune. For the macro photographer, it's a simple matter of making a smaller version yourself with some basic tools you likely already have in your shed and around the house. If this costs you more than $10, you've spent too much! (And depending on whom you live with, you may want to consider shooting these in the garage!)
Catching and Cooling Your Subjects.
• Make a holding container out of a glass jar and either punch tiny holes in the lid, or use a piece of cheesecloth and rubber band to hold your bugs in the jar.
• Insects are cold-blooded, so cooling them off for a few minutes in the refrigerator will slow them down and make them more relaxed subjects.
• Flies are easiest to capture early in the morning while they are still half asleep and cold.
• Nocturnal (night-active) bugs, such as beetles and moths, are generally attracted to lights, so take a flash light and place it on a table, cover it with white fabric and wait for them to come to you, then scoop up the cloth and drop the beetle or moth into your collection jar.
• Bees sting and can be very aggressive when agitated, so I do not recommend trying to capture them!
• If you are unsure if an insect or spider is dangerous, presume it is and be cautious in handling: use plastic forceps to move and catch the bugs -- not your fingers!
• Once you've caught and cooled your subject, (which should take about 5-10 minutes, depending on the insect) you're ready to make insect studio shots, but work fast -- they'll be active and run or fly away after just a few minutes.
• Your subject may be in the legs-in-the-air dead beetle position, but it'
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