Speed flyers: Le vol des insectes révélé

Description:

Text French. Butterflies, flies, dragonflies - flying insects are such a part of our daily lives that we only pay attention to them when they bother us. This book reveals them in a new light: through ultra-high-speed photography, the fleeting nature of their flight is finally revealed.

The reader discovers that the smallest patch of greenery harbours a world of tiny creatures on which gravity, time, and the laws of physics do not have the same effects as on us, and that even the most common insect is a marvel of engineering.

The techniques and equipment developed by the author over the years have allowed him to create these images, achieving a level of detail and precision unmatched in this field. But the aesthetic aspect is not sacrificed: the insects appear in their environment, the backgrounds are carefully chosen, and the handling of light gives the images a wonderful softness.

After a chapter presenting general information on insect flight, the book delves into the visual aspects, forming its core and organised into eight chapters, each focusing on a specific type of flight. Throughout these chapters, numerous sidebars explain, in clear language and with the aid of infographics, the biological and physical principles of insect flight, butterfly migration, the structure of dragonfly wings, and more.

In the final chapter, the author recounts the adventure that led to these exceptional photographs. A detailed presentation of the equipment and information-rich captions reveals the secrets behind his shots to the reader.