I took this in a landscape photo but have learned at NPN here that focus on the subject is the key and that is the bee and blue flower. So I took out most of the stems of the flower. Canon 90D and 180 macro. 1/1000 f/10 iso 1250 no flash. She just landed when I took this shot and was trying to get her footing on the flower. I am still working on that perfect speed to catch some movement in the wings just as a bee lands. I like the flowers that show nice color contrast.
Comments welcome
Dean, this is first class. Wonderful position of the bee on the flower, the details are spot on. On my monitor, the image looks a bit bright. Otherwise, I have no nits. I know what you mean, trying to show some motion (l like having that), but each bee/insect moves at different speeds, and so what might be the perfect shutter speed for one critter, might not for another. It is certainly a learning curve of the species as well as what works best for the one we are shooting at the time. Great job.
Thanks Shirley, it was a little bright when I saw it this morning so I lowered the exposure just a bit so I would not clip the shadows. This is what I had when I started. I prefer landscape mode but I do agree that a 4x5 aspect is better for this kind of subject.
Hi Dean, I agree with Shirley on all points. The bee really stands out against the blue flower and I thoroughly enjoy all the fine detail, including the body hairs, and on the legs too, as well as the intricate lace-like patterns on the wings. Even the stamens and pistles on the flower are pretty good. Everything holds up well in the enlargement too. Very nicely done overall.
Dean, your cropped view is excellent, with its strong focus on the bee against the blue flower. The one minor issue is the clipped flower tip at the top. Seeing the full frame has me thinking that tilting your camera up a bit would have solved that. You could also reduce the impact of the buds and leaves in front by moving a bit to your left, although that would make getting the stamen and pistils sharp more challenging…those decisions are always part of getting a macro image.
Excellent color and depth of field in this one. The orange in the insect and the blue of the plant contrast so well. I do agree with Mark’s comments. But good job anyway.
Thanks Jim, Mark, and David. I should learn to back up and get more FOV with these flying insects because even though they slow down when coming to a flower they still move pretty quick. I need to double think while focusing on the bee keep in mind of the FOV. I agree I wish the top of the flower was also in there.
Dean: I like your crop and the clarity of the bee. With regard to the top petal, rather than shoot wider or move the camera POV up a bit, I might just go ahead and crop a little so that the clipping seems more intentional than a near miss. Still one of your best bees. >=))>
