Frank chose a wasp burrow out of direct sunshine so as not to let too much light into his camera. He then set up an infrared beam, which, when broken by a wasp, triggered a very fast shutter system. In this perfectly balanced composition, Frank captured not one, but two, of the small subjects – the wasp on the right measuring only six millimetres.
These two wasps have very different approaches to laying their eggs. The cuckoo wasp (right) lays its eggs in the burrows of solitary digger wasps. When its young hatch, they feed on their host’s egg or larva and then the food store. The redbanded sand wasp (left) lays eggs in its own burrow, supplying a caterpillar for each of its young to eat.
France
Frank is a professional photographer who specialises in high-speed photography and diffused-lighting macro techniques using flashes and diffusers. His focus is in spectacular and little-known reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. His goal is to show the beauty of animals with simplicity - without significant post-processing and in their natural environment, reducing disturbance.
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.
