John Beetham’s setup

John Beetham is a moth’er in Central NJ and a NMW supporter through his ‘A DC Birding Blog‘. John sent us a picture of his mothing setup and a description: I use a 13-watt CFL blacklight (which I think is a 60-watt-equivalent in terms of brightness) clipped to a tripod and projected on a white sheet draped over a latticework fence. I set it up a little before sunset and then take it down whenever I get too tired to stay up longer (usually around midnight, but I’ll go later if mothing is really productive).

John Beetham's setup

3 thoughts on “John Beetham’s setup”

  1. William, I usually photograph moths on the sheet by light of the on-camera flash balanced by a handheld LED flashlight. Other photographers might use more sophisticated setups, but this works for me. Occasionally I capture, photograph, and release moths, but I usually only do that with moths that I have trouble photographing without capture.

  2. William Geoghegan

    I’m interested in the next step. Do you capture and kill moths or do you capture and photograph live moths?

Leave a Reply to William GeogheganCancel reply

Scroll to Top

This Website Uses Cookies

We use cookies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. By clicking “Accept,” you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. You can manage your cookie preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by accessing the cookie settings in your browser. For more information about how we use cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.