About MothShots.com

This site is in no way intended to compete with the other excellent moth-related websites already in existence, but I do hope to provide a good selection of high quality images of as wide a range of species as possible. Although visitors are welcome to use my images to help with species identification, I strongly suggest the UKmoths and Jeff Higgott's UK Lepidoptera websites, amongst others, as much more comprehensive guides.

I first got interested in trapping and photographing moths in August 2003 and bought a standard 125W Mercury Vapour lamp Skinner trap from the very helpful Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies and a copy of the excellent 'Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland' by Waring, Townsend & Lewington to help identify the trapped moths. Although I have no desire to collect set specimens, I realised that by using the right camera equipment I would be able to take high quality images of these fascinating creatures, so I also bought a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera and started to learn the new discipline of 'macro-photography'.

The new trap was first used in my Ravenstone, North-West Leicestershire garden in early September 2003 and I was soon catching and trying to identify a wide variety of species that I never suspected lived in and around my garden (see Garden List). In order to keep a proper record of the numbers and species of moth visiting my garden trap, I created this website which also serves as an easy means of sharing my moth-shots with fellow enthusiasts.

In addition to trapping at home, I now have a couple of generators and several locally-produced mercury-vapour light traps based on the Robinson design. I enjoy visiting a wide variety of locations in search of new species to photograph. In October 2004 I also upgraded the garden trap to another Robinson-type box-trap. My Trapping Results include records of all moths trapped, both in my garden and in the field.

To photograph each moth for the site, I use my original Nikon Coolpix 4500 and a Canon EOS-40D.
I have deliberately chosen to use fairly large pictures to ensure that each image is crisp and clear, so visitors without a broadband internet connection will have to be patient I'm afraid.

Good Mothing!

Keith Tailby - MothShots.com