Bees Feasting
Hatley Castle in Victoria BC has some beautiful Gardens which are loved by people, and nurtured by the insects that do their part too....
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Hatley Castle in Victoria BC has some beautiful Gardens which are loved by people, and nurtured by the insects that do their part too.
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Feb, 2016Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
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Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
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Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This Pic was taken in Hatley Castle's Royal Garden. (Victoria, BC, Canada) This is the same location that Xavier's academy scenes from the X-Men movie series were Filmed.Time
This shot was taken mid afternoon. The sun was nice and high.Lighting
The sun was my friend with this shot. I had very little worry about shadows.Equipment
This shot was taken with my D7000, and my AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm, and my lens hood.Inspiration
I was inspired by the following: * These flowers were so fragrant - the bees could not resist them. * It can be impressive what shots can be had with one bee - but to have a collective such as in this shot, is more rare. I was fortunate. * It's fascinating watching insects do what they take for granted - which we could never accomplish. * Greens, and purples are a favorite combination of mine.Editing
There was no post processing with this picture.In my camera bag
I should probably invest in a bag with wheels - Save my husband's back, as he is most often my camera caddy. My D7000 is my primary DSLR for now. I'm considering stepping up to a D780, so I can still enjoy the dual SD feature, and have the perks of Bluetooth and wi-fi. I carry 3 primary lenses. Nikon 52mm macro, Nikkor 18-105mm, and my bird lens my Sigma DC 150 - 500. I have a Tokina At-x 80-400, but it doesn't see much use since I picked up my Sigma. Spare batteries and storage cards are essentials. I recently picked up a collection of filters for my 67&55 mm lenses. This is a new area for me - so I am looking forward to exploring my ND,CPL,& FLD lenses. I can see sunsets and waterfalls taking on a new perspective for me.Feedback
* With insects, timing is important. * Considering the elements around your subject in natural settings is crucial, such as time of year, time of day, and what attracts your subject the best. * This shot was a matter of being in the right place - at the right time of the year. A little later in the year, and those tasty flowers would have been history. a little earlier... the flowers wouldn't have bloomed - the bees wouldn't have been so abundant. * Take a LOT of shots at different angles. In this world of digital miracles, there is no excuse to feel that taking just one or two shots is going to be the best and none more are needed. Sometimes my best shot was an unexpected afterthought. Make the time to slow down and 'see' what's there. I thought I was coming to just take castle shots, and scenic garden shots with the castle in the background, and was attracted by the bee's activity. Also, these days, I get a lot of my outside shots during walks where my kit is at home. Because of this, I've invested in a high end phone that takes amazing photos, and have had some great success. Many times what started out as just a walk turns into some exciting photo opportunities. I never want to have a moment missed because I wished I'd remembered to bring my camera.
