Location: Tuscany,  Italy

These amazing insects visit the lavender in the garden at our house during the summer months. They spend their time darting from flower to flower at incredible speed. They don’t settle on the flower but grasp it with two legs, their probosces flick out and back in a tiny fraction of a second and then they are off to the next flower. Capturing their images therefore required a bit of patience and experimentation. I used flash for some, extension tubes and various lenses. Some of the shots remind me of old photos of military aircraft refueling in mid-air. There are at least three types, some quite elusive. I’m not sure the last three shots are a humming bird moth since the proboscis is fixed. It reminds me of Gonzo from Sesame Street.

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