'Shining flea beetle' and other small creatures

by Editor Michel Romaggi in collaboration with the author Summer Lu
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 6th of August 2025

'Shiny flea beetle'

My name is Summer Lu and I am a 60-year-old retired woman. I took up photography in 2016. I love travelling, and whenever I come across a beautiful scenery, I take pictures to record it.

Before taking the photo 'Shining Flea Beetle', I always used natural light, but due to the influence of time and weather, I was never satisfied with the results. I came across some wonderful macro photography online, especially the beautiful lighting effects, which fascinated me. So, from that moment on, I started using a light diffuser and a flash, and I'm still learning and improving.

The photo 'shiny flea beetle' was taken in the park. I noticed that the leaves of a plant were full of large and small holes. Upon closer inspection, I found several insects with red and blue stripes on their bodies; the blue parts shone with a metallic lustre. Unfortunately, before I could press the shutter, they all jumped away without a trace. The next morning, I went back to take pictures again. The leaves were messy and not very attractive. So I placed a background behind the plant, holding a leaf in one hand to act as a stand for the insects while taking pictures with the other.

However, after the novel coronavirus outbreak, I was no longer able to travel or take photographs. So, I started growing vegetables and flowers at home. One early morning, the chive field was shining with a lustrous light and every leaf stood straight up as if it had been carefully wiped with green jade. Suddenly, a bright red colour caught my eye. It was a seven-spotted ladybird, slowly walking on a chive leaf. Its red, satin-like back was neatly adorned with black, shiny dots. This splash of red stood out strikingly against the green backdrop, and the sunlight filtering through the leaves gave it a golden edge, making it the most charming creature in this green ocean. It was so beautiful!

'Ladybug'

That's when I fell in love with macro photography. Also, unlike landscape photography, macro photography does not require me to travel far. I can take pictures around my home, in the park or in the neighbourhood, which is convenient for me as it allows me to spend time with my family.

'Hummingbird Hawk-moth'

I use a Fujifilm X-H2 camera with a 30mm macro lens. I also use a 4FLT flash diffuser. I adjusted the brightness and saturation during post-processing. It's best to photograph insects in the morning when it's cool and they're not very active.