Bloomberg Photos

A Facebook “Like” button sits on a wall display...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:30:32 -0400

A Facebook “Like” button sits on a wall display beside clocks inside Facebook Inc.’s new data storage center near the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden, on June 12.

Photograph by Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

A worker carries out radiation screening on the window of a bus...

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:30:30 -0400

A worker carries out radiation screening on the window of a bus at the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on June 12.

Photograph by Toshifumi Kitamura/Pool via Bloomberg

Attendees try out games on the Microsoft Corp. Xbox One video...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:30:41 -0400

Attendees try out games on the Microsoft Corp. Xbox One video game console at the Xbox booth during the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, on June 11.

Photograph by Patrick Fallon/Bloomberg

A marker in the road delineates the international border between...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:30:39 -0400

A marker in the road delineates the international border between the U.S. and Mexico at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, California, on June 7.

Photograph by Sam Hodgson/Bloomberg

Light trails made by passing passenger trains are seen as they...

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:30:36 -0400

Light trails made by passing passenger trains are seen as they pass Battersea power station at night in London, on June 4.

Photograph by Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Various types of packaged cheese are displayed for sale in the...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:30:26 -0400

Various types of packaged cheese are displayed for sale in the retail store at Heini’s Cheese production facility in Berlin, Ohio, U.S., on Thursday, June 6.

Photograph by Ty Wright/Bloomberg

One-ounce silver Liberty coins sit in a tray at the United...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:30:39 -0400

One-ounce silver Liberty coins sit in a tray at the United States Mint at West Point in West Point, New York, U.S., on Wednesday, June 5.

Photograph by Scott Eells/Bloomberg

Workers walk across the construction site of a residential...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:30:35 -0400

Workers walk across the construction site of a residential building in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sunday, June 2.

Photograph by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

A worker operates a circular knitting machine at the Viyellatex...

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:31:02 -0400

A worker operates a circular knitting machine at the Viyellatex Group garment factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, on Thursday, May 30.

Photograph by Jeff Holt/Bloomberg

An employee draws designs for necklaces at the Myanmar VES Joint...

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:30:34 -0400

An employee draws designs for necklaces at the Myanmar VES Joint Venture Co. gems and jewelry workshop in Yangon, Myanmar, on June 3.

Photograph by Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg

A man stands in an empty office floor at the Brookfield Place...

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:30:00 -0400

A man stands in an empty office floor at the Brookfield Place complex in Battery Park City in New York, on May 15.

Photograp by Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

Workers stand on the balcony of a residential building under...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:30:35 -0400

Workers stand on the balcony of a residential building under construction in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on June 2.

Photograph by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

A worker assembles a Boeing Co. 777 airplane at the...

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:55:54 -0400

A worker assembles a Boeing Co. 777 airplane at the company’s production facility in Everett, Washington, U.S., on May 29.

Photograph by Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

The Apple-1 computer is arranged for a photograph in Washington,...

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 10:30:29 -0400

The Apple-1 computer is arranged for a photograph in Washington, D.C., U.S., on May 28.

Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks after laying a wreath at the...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:30:30 -0400

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns during Memorial Day activities at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on May 27.

Photograph by Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg

Walt Disney Co. Mickey Mouse balloons are displayed for sale...

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:30:48 -0400

Walt Disney Co. Mickey Mouse balloons are displayed for sale outside the Carthay Circle Restaurant in the Buena Vista Street area of Disney’s California Adventure Park, part of the Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, California, U.S., on Friday, May 24.

Photograph by Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

1000Words is a column featuring a Bloomberg Photo Service...

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:52:00 -0400

1000Words is a column featuring a Bloomberg Photo Service photographer and his or her insight on how the shot was obtained.

The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! A few of them are already in photographer Julia Schmalz’s Virginia backyard; she’s trying to capture their beauty and prevent her dog from snacking on them. -– Jane Hwang

1000Words: This is such a gorgeous photo of something most people find icky. How did you get this shot?
Julia Schmalz: One night when I was walking my dogs, I saw something white in the light of my car’s headlamp. I didn’t know that at night the cicadas change from nymphs into adult bugs. I had already started shooting the bugs for this assignment, and I was really excited to see a situation that I hadn’t seen a ton of photos of. As the car’s headlamp shined through the wings of the bug, I played around with how to capture this. This bug was at about face level on a dogwood tree in my front yard. I used an off-camera flash from behind and below, and a white card to kick in a little reflection.

1000Words: I love that you focused on its beautiful wings. They’re so symmetrical and delicate, it’s enough to make one forget the impending invasion. Was it intentional, or just luck?
J.S.: I approached this assignment as a picture story. What were the storytelling images I needed, and how could I make good images of a subject that other photographers would soon be covering? So in one situation I shot more of a scientific side shot to clearly document the adult emerging from the skin from the nymph stage. Once I had a safe shot I wanted to make a more elegant, creative image, so I concentrated on the wings. This image is full-frame with no toning.

1000Words: Did you have to wait long for this moment? How do you stay focused and present?
J.S.: Actually, the good thing about an infestation is that there are many bugs to choose from! What surprised me was how fast the wings emerged –- I think the process took about a half an hour. It was beautiful to watch. The bugs don’t move that much, so it was easy to experiment with different lighting arrangements.

1000Words: Do bugs not freak you out?
J.S.: Spiders freak me out. Bed bugs freak me out. The adult cicadas are just cool. They are harmless, and you can hold them in your hand –- they are big enough that you really feel their grip! The one thing that freaks me out is going into my yard after they’ve started to emerge. There are so many holes in the ground that it looks like it boiled. It’s like an old-time horror movie -– it’s scarier to imagine the thousands of bugs coming up from the ground at once than to see a few flying around.

1000Words: Are you looking forward to their return after 17 years?
J.S.: Yes, but I have only been waiting since 2004, when Brood X came out in force here in Virginia. I think if we had this many bugs every year, it would get old really fast, but it becomes a really fun news story. I remember the bugs covering a Buddha statue I had, driving pets crazy and drowning out conversations with the loud, whirling sound they make. They don’t damage anything, so it’s all fun stuff.

1000Words: Are you doing anything special for their arrival?
J.S.: I am trying to figure out how to keep my dogs from eating them. So far I have not been very successful — hard to beat free snacks that buzz.

Specs — Canon 5D Mark II; 100mm f/2.8 macro lens; off-camera flash; bounce card

Julia Schmalz is a multimedia producer at Bloomberg Government. Her day job usually involves illustrating stories related to the impact of government actions on business. Other times she is out hiking or kayaking, photographing nature.

Bloomberg Photo Service clients can access additional amazing imagery here. If you’re not a client, click here for licensing options

Bales of crushed aluminum cans sits stacked at the Novelis Inc....

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:30:43 -0400

Bales of crushed aluminum cans sits stacked at the Novelis Inc. production facility in Yeongju, South Korea, on May 23.

Photograph by Woohae Cho/Bloomberg

Electric lighting illuminates the windows of residential...

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:30:41 -0400

Electric lighting illuminates the windows of residential properties at night in the old town of Bern, Switzerland, on May 13.

Photograph by Valentin Flauraud/Bloomberg

Light trails made by passing automobiles are seen at dusk near...

Tue, 28 May 2013 10:30:28 -0400

Light trails made by passing automobiles are seen at dusk near Vaduz castle, the official residence of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on Monday, May 20.

Photograph by Valentin Flauraud/Bloomberg