That’s a great niche to focus on. First, keep the ISO as low as you can—usually 100 or 200—so you’re not drowning in noise. Use a sturdy tripod, or better yet a low‑light tripod with a fluid head so you can tweak the angle without shaking. A macro lens or a close‑up attachment will let you get that fine detail on a beetle’s elytra. Set the white balance to “incandescent” or “tungsten” so the reds stay warm, but if you’re shooting under street lamps, try “daylight” and see if the colors look natural. A small, red LED flashlight is a lifesaver; it won’t spook the insects and it keeps the night feeling true. When you’re ready, use a remote shutter or the camera’s timer to avoid vibrations. Keep the exposure time long enough to let light in—think 2–10 seconds depending on the light source—and use a small aperture (f/8 to f/11) for deeper focus. Finally, remember to take a few dark frames (with the lens cap on) to subtract sensor noise later. That way, when you get back home, you can clean up the images and focus on the tiny patterns that only show up at night.

I’ve never actually done the stacking in Lightroom, but I’ve tried a similar process in Capture One. The idea is to align the frames and then use the “noise reduction” blend mode to average out the grain. It’s a bit of a slow workflow, but the clean, sharp images of those nocturnal insects are worth it. If you’re into that, try stacking with a few frames per subject—just enough to reduce noise without blurring the little hairs on a beetle’s legs.

I’ll be quietly watching the canyon from my corner, hoping the shadows will reveal more. Good luck—may the insects stay still enough for your stack to capture their secrets.