Gemma Sains qualifies with The Society of Photographers

Gemma submitted her panel and was recently awarded a Fellowship qualification by our fantastic team of qualified judges at our London Photo Convention IFSWPP

Bug of War – Statement of Intent

Hello, my name is Gemma. I’m a photographer, a Society of Photographers Judge, and in 2023, I achieved my Fellowship with a portrait panel titled Kings and Queens.

Last year, I had a conversation with another photographer who asked me what I specialised in. My response? “I want to specialise in photography—not just one genre!” After a moment of reflection (and probably an awkward pause), I blurted out that I might try a macro panel. And that’s when the idea clicked: why not dive into the tiny world of bugs? It sounded like fun—and, frankly, a bit bonkers. Perfect for me.

I’d taken a few macro shots before, but let’s be honest—they weren’t exactly groundbreaking. Determined to do it properly this time, I went on a shopping spree, grabbing every gadget and gizmo I thought I’d need. Then came the real challenge: learning how to actually use it all. Lighting quickly became my nemesis, but after a lot of trial and (hilarious) error, I started to get the hang of it.

Of course, I also needed some willing bug participants. Ethically sourcing them wasn’t easy, but eventually, I figured it out. Let’s just say there were a few moments when I imagined them coming back to life and invading my house!

But I didn’t want to create just another “standard” panel—because that’s not me. I wanted to push boundaries and do something truly unique. After some brainstorming, the concept of The Bug Tug was born.

The idea? To immerse viewers in the miniature world of bugs and imagine what they might get up to when we’re not watching. Bugs don’t just crawl around aimlessly—surely they must have hobbies! Tug-of-war, for instance. Why not?

As you’ll see in the panel, these bugs take their games seriously—so seriously, in fact, that some of them cheat. Like any good competition, there’s a crowd: cheerleaders, friends, family, and a few who’ve clearly had enough of the drama. There’s even a bit of scandal, with a flirtatious moment that causes quite the stir in the audience.

Creating the panel took 8,414 individual shots to build the final compositions. Each image was a labour of love—requiring patience, precision, and more than a little caffeine.

Bringing this world to life was a blend of creativity, humour, and countless “oops” moments. Through macro photography, I’ve aimed to showcase not just the intricate beauty of these tiny creatures, but also a playful narrative that invites you to see them in a whole new way.

Thank you for taking the time to view Bug of War. I hope you enjoy exploring this miniature universe as much as I enjoyed creating it. Please feel free to ask any questions or share your thoughts about this quirky and imaginative journey.

I’ve always believed that photography shouldn’t just capture moments—it should tell stories. With this panel, I hope I’ve done just that.

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