Bees and a Beetle

Images taken in a controlled environment or with a posed subject. All subject types.

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Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Bees and a Beetle

Post by Dalantech »

Posting these here because it's just not possible to get images like these without disturbing the critters at least a little. Sometimes I have to bait them to give 'em a reason to let me get close. All hand held, all single frames, and as a general rule I don't crop in post. The view finder can hone my composition skills, but the cropping tool can't ;)

Technique: I found this European Wool carder bee snoozing on a Lavender stalk before sunset and woke up early the next morning to photograph it before it warmed up and got active. I placed an artificial flower in the background to keep the background from being black. This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 200 with highlight tone priority) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 2x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering with -1 2/3 FEC).

ImageEuropean Carder Bee IV by John Kimbler, on Flickr

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 200 with highlight tone priority) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (5x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering with -1 2/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.

ImageEuropean Carder III by John Kimbler, on Flickr

Male of Megachile (Chalicodoma) parietina.

Technique: It was a cool day (18C) with partly cloudy skies and intermittent light showers -perfect weather to go looking for solitary bees since they'll have a tough time keeping their metabolism up. I got lucky and found this Mason bee semi-dormant in my Lavender.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (3x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

ImageMason Bee VII by John Kimbler, on Flickr

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 2x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering).

ImageMason Bee IV by John Kimbler, on Flickr

Technique: I found this Chafer beetle feeding early in the day and it didn't seem to mind me getting close. I held on to the flower's stem with my left index finger and thumb, and then rested the lens on that same hand to keep the scene steady.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 200 with highlight tone priority) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering with -1 2/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.

ImageFeeding Chafer Beetle by John Kimbler, on Flickr

I plan on doing some limited stacking this year, probably no more than five or six frames. Got a few compositions stuck in my head that I just can't get into the camera no matter how much I stop the lens down. Going to see if I can use a Helicon FB extension tube to take stacks of scenes like this one:

ImageFeeding Honeybee VIII by John Kimbler, on Flickr

tevans9129
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:03 am
Location: TN

Post by tevans9129 »

Amazing images!!

ChrisR
Site Admin
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

Fine shots!
How rapidly can you fire using the Helicon FB?
Chris R

Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Post by Dalantech »

tevans9129 wrote:Amazing images!!
Thanks!
ChrisR wrote:Fine shots!
How rapidly can you fire using the Helicon FB?
I think as fast as the flash can recycle Chris. At F11 and ISO 200 the MT-26 can keep up with the shutter, at least for a few frames. I plan on shooting at F8, so that should help.

nanometer
Posts: 324
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 10:14 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Post by nanometer »

These are awesome. A lot can be done with single images as you show!

Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Post by Dalantech »

nanometer wrote:These are awesome. A lot can be done with single images as you show!
Thanks!

Indeed, and like any technique anyone can do it. Just takes practice.

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