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snowdon

Foraging Bee

Just dropped in for a drink

Just dropped in for a drink
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OLYMPUS E-M1

settings

Aperture f/6.3 ISO 250 Shutter 1/200 Focal Length 60/1

upload_date

Aug, 2015

Views

2551

Likes

+489

Awards

Contest Finalist in The Textures Of Insects Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Shallow Depth Of Field Photo Contest

Featured

Contest Finalist in Plants And Critters Photo Contest

Curator's Choice

Peer Award

+200

Superb Composition

+43

Absolute Masterpiece

+28

Top Choice

+27

Magnificent Capture

+18

Superior Skill

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Genius

Emotions

Impressed

Happy

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

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A Lars Gibbon seen at Welsh Mountain Zoo, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. A heart shaped face and a ferocious mouth

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There is a large herd of Kashmir Goats living on the Orme, they were there today and I took advantage of the opportunity to photograph them.

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Early mist and clouds rising over Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi.

The Mer de Glace is a glacier below Mont Blanc. It is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery.

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took the photo at Bodnant Gardens which is a National Trust property in North Wales UK. There are a number of terraces to the garden and many of them contain nectar rich flowers such as these Verbena Bonariensis which are very attractive to bees and other insects.

Time

I took this photo in the late afternoon .. the bees were visiting the flowers consistently and it was case of choosing the right space with the warm sun behind me to illuminate the face of the bee. The bee has a straw-like tongue called a proboscis used for drinking liquids and also for tasting. When extended, the proboscis is about a quarter-inch long, the length needed to reach nectar deep inside flowers. So my intention was to photograph a bee head-on with extended proboscis. I was successful on this occasion as it was in the act of extending it.

Lighting

The light was good sunlight but not glaring and so it enabled me to use a fairly fast shutter and low ISO .. I did not have a flash and like to take photos with ambient light ..

Equipment

I used an Olympus EM1 micro four-thirds mirrorless camera fitted with an Olympus M60mm f/2.8macro lens. This is an excellent lens for macro use. I used an aperture of f/6.3 in order to get enough depth of field for sufficient detail and ISO 250 for good light and speed. The picture was taken hand-held with in-camera stabilisation. I don’t often use a tripod in fast moving scenarios.

Inspiration

I love taking pictures of insects and this was taken on a warm sunny August day when the insects were busy feeding .. I had the intention of getting a head-on shot and so it took some time moving around the flower head and waiting for a bee to feed in the right location. After a while it all came together. The inspiration was my love of insect photography and my intention of getting a good head-on shot. I also take inspiration from thinking of scenarios for future ViewBug contests .. I find that my head is always switched on to that idea.

Editing

I always take my photos in RAW in order to maximise my post production options .. JPEG photos are excellent but the camera makes decisions based on settings made. Raw photos on the other hand need some processing to bring them to an acceptable standard but the options are more varied and without JPEG artifacts to contend with. So there was some work required on sharpening and contrast but this 60mm macro lens is an excellent one for contrast..

In my camera bag

I normally have one camera and one lens based on my own decision for the day before I go out. If I make a wrong decision, I have only myself to blame. I have a number of lenses normally tend to favour a mid-range zoom 12-100mm or 80-150mm. I also carry a lens cleaning cloth, lens wipe, and blower. Whilst photographing, I use a Blackrapid Strap to carry the camera by my side with a wrist strap for extra security.

Feedback

I am an amateur photographer and am aware that some know a lot more about photography than me but in my own zone, I am capable of computing shutter speed and aperture considerations for my perceived outcome.. all I can say to people wanting to know how to take photos like this is know your camera capability and don’t make silly mistakes like too slow a shutter speed. Be ready to increase your ISO if required to get sufficient shutter speed to freeze the action and give you an aperture that gives sufficient depth of field. Let as much light into the lens as possible without blowing out highlights. Also be careful to squeeze the shutter release carefully and deliberately, don’t snatch it because that can induce camera shake.

See more amazing photos, follow snowdon

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snowdon

Foraging Bee

Just dropped in for a drink

Views

Likes

Awards

Emotions

Top Ranks

Categories

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Discover more photos See all

Behind The Lens

Location

Time

Lighting

Equipment

Inspiration

Editing

In my camera bag

Feedback

See more amazing photos, follow snowdon

snowdon

Foraging Bee

Just dropped in for a drink

Views

Likes

Awards

Emotions

Top Ranks

Categories

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

Same photographer See allBehind The Lens

Discover more photos See all

Behind The Lens

Location

Time

Lighting

Equipment

Inspiration

Editing

In my camera bag

Feedback

See more amazing photos, follow snowdon

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens