October Bees are back

Image Critiques
1

Original - bees-kittpeak-9987.jpg
Original - bees-kittpeak-9987.jpg3000×2005 630 KB

Critique Style: Standard

The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.

Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive

About This Image

I still work at Kitt Peak Observatory and there were a lot of the yellow flowers bees love. I wanted to practice getting as close as possible with the macro.

Feedback Requested

The bees like yellow flowers, but the color of the bee is similar. I wonder if there is too much of a single color range here. Also wondered if focus stacking was possible since these insects move around so quickly. This is HH, so thinking maybe a monopod would be better used here.

Technical Details

Camera: Canon R5 ii
Lens: RF 100 f/2.8
Focal length: 100
Shutter speed: 1/1250
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 5000
Flash: no

I darken the background to help bring out the bee.

2

I think the bee still pops nicely even with the image mostly shades of yellow/orange, Dean. The detail in the bee is outstanding. If your camera supports focus bracketing, which I think it does and you set it for high speed burst mode, you might get lucky enough to have a few images to stack without motion between them. I haven’t tried a monopod for macro, but I use one for birds most of the time, if I’m not handheld. I think it’s largely a matter of how steady you can hold your camera. Makes me wonder if there’s a Tai Chi for photographers.

Anyhow, I do like this image. Excellent detail and a pleasant composition.

3

Nice action here Dean. Perhaps the yellow may be a little saturated. I would also lighten that black area in the background