Insect Pest Photography

Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Photo: James Gathany

Institutions that provide information on pest insects often use photos to communicate with the public. Go to any Cooperative Extension website and you will find photographs of pests. The public is often clueless when the name of an insect is mentioned, but show them a picture and the response is more often, “I’ve seen one of those.” Scientific information, no matter how good, is only useful if it can be communicated adequately. Photography has been a critical component of the communication efforts of many institutions.

Institutions often have a photographer or someone trained in photography on staff. The Centers For Disease Control is no exception. James Gathany has been a photographer with CDC for 30 years. His photographs, especially of mosquitos are widely distributed and used such as the photo at left. Gathany uses an artists touch to make his images compelling and aesthetically pleasing. The CDC honored his work with an exhibit in the CDC Museum. The Atlantic Magazine has an article featuring James Gathany that includes some of his photographs.  Check out the article to learn more about his career, techniques and see some awesome photos.