Name: Emanuele Biggi
Picture title: Underwater Spectre
Category: Insects
Nationality: Italian
Occupation: Naturalist and conservation photographer, Italian tv presenter

Emanuele says:
‘When I shot this image I was actually looking for salamander larvae and tadpoles in a small stream in North-Western Italy, close to Genoa. Then I saw something moving slowly on a submerged rock and after a second glimpse I noticed this nice Western spectre (Boyeria irene) larva which had just molted (the molt is just visible in this very image).

I was lucky enough to have my camera in a small, silicon underwater case already, so I placed it on the water line, to show the present habitat of the larva and its future aerial one once it leaves the stream as a fully grown dragonfly.

To balance the scene, I had to use a submersible LED mounted on a tiny tripod to hold it still in position. I couldn’t shoot such an image with a classic underwater bulky case, because the water would have been too shallow.’

Technical information:
Nikon D850
Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5–4.5 fisheye
ISO 640
f/13
1/40 sec
Accessories: Outex silicon sleeve with glass dome, LED on a small tripod.
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom.

Website: www.anura.it
Instagram: emanuele_biggi
Twitter: EmanueleBiggi
Facebook: EmanueleBiggiPhotographer

Read more: Close-up with Emanuele Biggi – Photography and Conservation