Cool temps and partly cloudy weather provided the perfect conditions to go looking for a dormant solitary bee. Not sure about the species, and unfortunately it took off before I could get a full body shot. Image taken in Bacoli, Italy in November of 2019.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to under 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, slightly cropped, frame taken hand held.
Pollen Covered Solitary Bee by John Kimbler, on FlickrThis European Blue Mason Bee is emerging from its cocoon. The female creates cells (usually in reeds or other hollow cavities), makes a pollen ball inside of a cell, and lays an egg on it and then closes that cell before making another one. When the egg hatches the larvae eats the pollen and spins a cocoon in about ten days, becomes a fully formed adult near the end of summer, "hibernates" through the winter and waits for the spring to emerge. The yellow bits stuck to its fur are left over pollen that it did not eat when it was a larvae.
Osmia Caerulescens, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
Emerging European Blue Mason Bee II by John Kimbler, on FlickrAfter making some modifications to the diffusers that I built for the MT-26EX RT macro twin flash I decided to make a brand new set from scratch. The diffusion is so good that the specular highlights are merging at life size magnification and it looks like I am shooting with a single light source. This will be my light quality for 2022.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/125, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to 1x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC. This is a single, slightly cropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI but did not use Clarity. Shutter and ISO set to expose for the natural light in the background.
Foraging Honeybee III by John Kimbler, on FlickrA Hairy Footed Bee was a rare visitor to my yard when I lived in Bacoli, Italy and I have yet to see them in Lago Patria. Image taken in March of 2020.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Clarity, and Denoise AI in that order.
Hairy Footed Bee Portrait by John Kimbler, on FlickrFound a little Scissor Bee (Chelostoma florisomne, male) semi active in a Buttercup flower and when he would pause I'd look for a new composition.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (4x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC. This is a single, cropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Clarity, and Denoise AI in that order.
Scissor Bee V by John Kimbler, on FlickrI must have caught this female Sweat Bee right as she started foraging for Sourgrass pollen because she does not have any on her abdomen. Image taken in Bacoli, Italy in April of 2020.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC. This is a single, slightly cropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Clarity, and Denoise AI in that order.
Foraging Sweat Bee III by John Kimbler, on Flickr