How to keep flying insects from front of lens while filming?

[Jonathan Levin]

I just returned from Smoky Mountains to film some b-roll type things. A problem that kept recurring was how to keep flying insects away from the front of the lens when filming. I tried shooing them away with my hat just before actual filming, but that seemed to help for only a few seconds.

Some of my footage has the little buggers, I'll be able to work with the parts that don't have them. But trying to do a shot longer than a minute.

Any suggetions from you wild life guys?

Thanks.

Jonathan

PS- not sure if this is the right place for this thread. Chris, feel free to move.

[Allan Black]

If they're right in front, just before shooting, try a light spray with an insect repellant in front of the camera.

Or for longer shoots, spray a small towel and wave that around .. OR confiscate their union cards :)

Cheers.

[Garrett Low]

Bug Wrangler. Newly created production position.

[Trevor Dennis]

I'd be very careful using a DEET type spray near my camera. It has been known to melt some plastics

DEET - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Rainer Listing]

I think I understand your problem. Cannot help with solution.

[Trevor Dennis]

Some colours are thought to attract insects. Perhaps a towel sized fabric in that colour might draw them away. Otherwise, find a buddy who has a big problem with bugs, and take them along to attract the bugs away from your camera.

I am not so sure how valid the colour thing is.

[Don Bloom]

C'mon guys. Get real. You need to have an female bug flying around to attract all of the guy bugs and then she leads them off and away! EVERYONE knows that!
I was talking to my 5 year old grand-daughter when I read this thread. read it to her and this is what she told me to do. Out of the mouth of babes!

[Mark Watson]

Put a few fake grass hoppers (or any other bug-eating bug) on your camera, clothing, tripod. Works best if you can make them mean looking. Think leather jackets, tattoos...

[Mike Sims]

Flying insects are generally less of a problem very early in the day when temperatures are cooler. If you need to resort to insecticides, a fog of Raid YardGuard sprayed in a 360° arc will get rid of them for several minutes to an hour in a radius of about forty feet (it will also dramatically increase insecticide pollution locally). Most insecticides leave an oily residue and insect repellents containing DEET will cause rubberized parts to become tacky and eat holes in the antireflective coatings of optics.

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Garrett Low

Bug Wrangler. Newly created production position.

What union will that position belong to? What are the benefits and what is the journeyman pay?

[Mike Beckett]

Aussie solution, rub Aerogard all over the camera!

(Caution: I've never tried it, but it keeps flies away from me!)

[Paul Mailath]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

What union will that position belong to? What are the benefits and what is the journeyman pay?

The pay is miniscule cause you can't see what they're doing but it sounds impressive "allright you guys on the left - loop the loop, Great! did you see that?"

[Noa Put]

Not sure what exactly you are filming but since light does attract flying bugs you might use a videolight of some sort on or nearby off the camera but like I said maybe that doesn't work when shooting wildlife.

[Jonathan Levin]

OK. Everyones a comedian. I am concerned that I would have to get a model release signed by these little ba****ds.

Allan, Your solution seems reasonable and possible. And I think Noa might be onto something by setting up a light to divert the offenders away from camera briefly.

I've learned my lesson years ago during a mosquito jihad and was spraying a deet based product and the spray melted the plastic lenses of my eyeglasses and left a bumper of my VW Eurovan poked with marks. Fortunately no camera and optical equipment damaged in this event, but I figured I lost about a pint of blood.

Rainer- I think that could possibly be the money shot right there!

I, too, would be hesitant to start spraying foggers and such. Something doesn't seem quite right about that when in a beautiful national park....

I am going to make a female grasshopper costume in hopes that it will attract bugs away from my rig, or at least make for an interesting "happy hour" some sunsetting evening.

On a more serious note, I am thinking that the hard core nature guys set up something like an EZ-Up awning with sides, spray repellent in that and use that shelter to shoot from.

Any other comments or suggestions welcome.

Thanks for your posts.

Jonathan

[Trevor Dennis]

Don, I love your daughter's idea, but with the notorious New Zealand sandfly, it is the females that do the biting.

Wikipedia to the rescue _again_. It never fails :-)

Sandfly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I love the idea of using mouth wash as a deterrent. Who ever thought of trying that?!!!

Sandfly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It also mentions Vitamin B in the above list, and the preferred method of exuding a Vitamin B Shield for New Zealand trampers (wilderness hiking) is to take vitamin B tablets and eat Marmite. An interesting side affect of this is bright yellow (almost orange) pee.