bee and cameleont
Aug, 2014Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken during our vacation in Knyssna, South AfricaTime
It was right after breakfast, maybe at 10 a clock and we were just about to take a walk in the city of Knyssna. I had, as always, my camera with me. There was a huge bumblebee flying around in the garden and I tried to get some photos with it. The house that we stayed at had a terrace right above the bush where the bumblebee decided to spend some considerable time. I had quite some time to position myself in a good location where I could get close and in the same time remove the background. A few shots before this image I realised that I had got a cameleont on the side of one the images. I got extremely lucky that the bumblebee decided to do another flyby of the cameleont!Lighting
There was a slight overcast during the morning making the photography very easy with no harsh shadows but still a lot of light.Equipment
The picture was taken hand held with a Nikon AF-S 70-300 on a Nikon D7000 in manual mode with ISO100, f5.6 and 1/1000s. The shutter speed was set to get som motion in the wings of the bumblebee.Inspiration
I am an amateur photographer but a scientist by profession. Using the camera as a tool to study animals, flowers and insects is for me extremely rewarding.Editing
With the manual settings above the picture was actually a tad underexposed. To correct for this, the exposure was increased slightly using post-processing. To get a bit more balanced photo I lightened up the shadows a bit, making some parts of the bush a bit less dark. I also increased the clarity a bit to make both the cameleont and bumblebee stand out a bit more.In my camera bag
I am currently using a Nikon D7000 ann I am extremely happy with it. It has a nice weight to it, it is reliable and sturdy and all the settings that you would need are just a button or wheel away. The lens used for this photo, Nikon AF-S 70-300 f4.5-5.6, is one of my favourite lenses and I tend to always bring that with me. It is fast and reliable and works great for birds, insects and people. I also have a Sigma 10-20 that works very well with a DX camera as the D7000. If I have room I also bring some kind of macro lens, Nikon AF-S 40 mm or AF-S 105 mm for the insects or flowers not moving too fast. One of my favourite equipment of mine is actually the bag itself, a Lowepro Photo Sport 200 backpack. The backpack makes it possible for me to bring my camera wherever I go, regardless if it is a hike, skitrip, mountainbike ride or stroll in the city.Feedback
I know that I was extremely lucky to be there at the exact right moment to get the picture. Bringing your camera all the time being ready to capture unexpected moments might be a way to increase the chance.
