Lee Ruth

I am 60ish, single, and live alone on my 25 acres of North-east Texas rural woodlands.

I got interested in digital photography and bug close-up imagery a couple of years ago. I use a Nikon 7900 Coolpix digital pocket camera and rarely use a tripod. Almost all my images are hand held and taken within a few inches of the subjects. I probably average 200+ shots a day but only manage to do it right a very small percentage of the time, lol. I have upgraded my equipment and now use a Nikon D40X with a 55-200mm VR lens for the larger bugs and the Coolpix for the smaller ones.

I spend an hour or so each day wandering around the pond, creeks, or open grassy areas on my property as I look for new or interesting little critters. For me, the hunt and close approach is almost as exciting as getting the image. I am fascinated by the diversity of life that surrounds us and by the amazing body shapes and colors of the bugs that I find. I am thankful for finding like minded people who share my fascination with and respect for all this life that goes unnoticed by most people.

I post most of my photos at [http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/browse.php?username=leeco]. If anyone is interested in seeing much larger versions of my critters and such, that is the place to go. I also have images posted at MPG (Moth Photographers Group)under the contact name (Lee Ruth) as well as many here at BugGuide.net under the contributor name Lee R.

Lee