The Metallic Green Bee
A Metallic Green Bee collects pollen a tiny yellow flower. The stamen on that flower is the size of a small chocolate chip!
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A Metallic Green Bee collects pollen a tiny yellow flower. The stamen on that flower is the size of a small chocolate chip!
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Jul, 2015Views
1921
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Featured
Contest Finalist in One Is Enough Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Tiny Things Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
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pedronunoferreira
September 07, 2015
I like this photograph so much, green bees, sweet bees are so beautiful and with this beautiful yellow flower background they are even more beautiful ... voted again, this time for Magic of Green Photo Contest
nandicmb
October 25, 2015
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Tiny Things Photo Contest!
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in a flower garden in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, USA, that was filled with multiple species of bees and flies collecting pollen from the blooming flowers.Time
This image was taken in the late afternoon when the sunlight wasn't as strong and harsh as it would have been mid day, which would have most likely overexposed the photo.Lighting
When I shoot macro, especially insects, I only rely on natural light. For this reason you would think you need to shoot between noon and 3, when the light is the brightest. But, that is also when it is the harshest. And when shooting macro, you want soft light so as to not overexpose your subject matter or it's environment. Shooting macro photography earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon will produce images that are not only exposed correctly, but also have richer color tones and hues.Equipment
To capture this photo I used a Nikon D7100 and a Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D Macro lens. No flash, and no tripod. Sometimes these insects move fast and you don't have time to fumble with a tripod because the shot will be gone before you can even mount your camera to it. In those cases, use your body to anchor your camera by tucking your arms in close to your sides to steady your camera, or try propping an elbow against something to try to keep the camera shake to a minimum. Like your knee if you are crouching down to take your photo.Inspiration
There is nothing I enjoy more than planting myself smack in a middle of a garden filled with every type of flying insect possible, all of whom are busy collecting pollen or going about their business. Just being out in nature and breathing in the aroma of the blooming flowers while marveling at the energy and life that is buzzing all around you is enough to put a smile on anyone's face. Well, at least someone who likes to take photographs of insects! The inspiration behind this photo was just to capture this type of moment of time, in this particular bugs life. And to accomplish this, I wanted to frame the photo in such a way that the flower it was collecting pollen from was also in the shot, as it complimented the colors of his beautiful shiny green metallic body perfectly while it enveloped him.Editing
The only post processing techniques I used on this photo were very minor adjustments to the sharpness of the image, namely the insect itself. Other than that this photo was pretty much exactly how I wanted it to appear when I shot it. When I do post process my photos, which usually is for minor color or saturation adjustments, sharpness, or the stray dust spot that snuck in during the exposure, I love using Photoshop Elements 13 for my post processing. It's an easy to learn application that has different skill levels you can work with whether you are a beginner or pro photographer. Bonus, it isn't too expensive either!In my camera bag
I carry one camera in my bag, a Nikon D7100. Along with this I'm usually toting around my Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D Macro lens, one telephoto lens which is a AF Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, and a standard AF-S Nikkor 18-140mm lens. Plenty of lens cleaning cloths are essential as you do NOT want to shoot any photo, let alone macro, with dirt, smudges, or specs of dust all over your lens. You will be wasting your time! I personally prefer the Pearlstone Lens Cleaning Cloth with Grip. I also have a MC-DC2 Remote Release Cord tucked in there somewhere between my fruit snacks, granola bars, cell phone and bottled water.Feedback
Insects are not the easiest subjects to photograph. And when you shoot them with a macro lens, you are trying to capture a living creature in it's environment, in it's day to day life, as close up as possible. Most of the time you're going to have to shoot fast because unless you are up with the sun and shooting a dragonfly or butterfly covered in dew drops, they usually will not sit still and wait while you adjust your camera's exposure. Take care of your camera settings before you start shooting. Or just shoot on automatic. Believe it or not even though you might feel "unprofessional" for shooting on automatic, it will work when you are in a crunch for time because the lighting changed after your subject went under a leaf instead of sitting on top of it. Remember though you are probably better off trying to focus manually as with macro and your limited area of focus, you will want to zoom in on the more interesting parts of the insect. And finally, move slowly. Then be still. Be part of the environment, not an intruder in it. Bees and flies that are busy collecting pollen will take off, land, and fly around you as if you are an air traffic control tower once they get used to you hanging on their turf. For more interesting shots, try to shoot them in their environment by framing your photo with the surrounding flowers or plants included, not just super close on their "face". Insects are beautiful, they are intricate, and they are magnificent. And your insect photos will be better when you respect, appreciate, and work with your subjects without disturbing them too much.
