Nests Of Silk

Weaver ants use their larvae in a skilled demonstration of their engineering techniques.

- Indranil Banerjee

I am an insect photographer and extremely passionate about my hobby. Starting my journey in 2015 with my first macro lens, I have come a long way now. After spending more than a thousand hours of field work, I have learnt the hard way to be there when action happens in nature. While preparing for shoots, I have no specific destination or subject in mind – only a strong hunch depending on my experience and intuition. So I just pack up my gear and start travelling where my soul tells me. Upon reaching my destination (either a remote jungle or the forest next door), I don’t identify or follow any specific route. Strong observation skills have led me to places where moments are being created. Sometimes, it makes me feel as if the drama of nature was just waiting for me to unfurl its magic!

It was a very humid summer. The mercury was touching almost 40°C as I went out in search of new subjects for my macro-shoot that evening. Venturing into a different zone inside a forest in South Bengal, this time I wanted to focus on hard red soil for an unknown discovery.