Honey Bee On Purple Flowers
Jul, 2020Views
119
Likes
Awards
Summer 2020
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I have a favorite spot in South Park, Pennsylvania that has a nice wildflower garden. I go there to practice my photography. It gives me a wide variety of interesting subjects to shoot... Plants, insects, animals and people.Time
This was taken in the morning about 11 am. I was trying to beat a thunderstorm that was approaching. I was actually concentrating on a baby spider building a web. The bee was kind enough to land on a flower right next to me. I took several shots of the bee. He seemed to not mind and was one the best models I have shot, very easy to work with... lolLighting
It was natural light. I prefer natural lighting when I shoot outdoors. I can use lights and a lighting package... I have used it for outside shots, but lately I have been shooting in natural light. I think it is more of a challenge and makes for a more honest photo.Equipment
I used a Nikon D800. The lens was my trusty and favorite Tokina AT-XM100 PRO D 100mm F2.8 MACRO. I used a YoTilon Tripod. I find it very easy to use and gives me a variety of options when I shoot macro subjects as well as other photos.Inspiration
I thought I would be taking pictures of concerts and fashion shows by now. I thought I would be a big fashion photographer. Life has a way of changing your big plans ...lol.. With the events happening in the world right now I made the best of what I could with my time. I discovered flowers and insects and animals as my new subjects. It takes patience and skill... I practice photography every day. I practice how to focus faster, how to be in a predetermined position for the best shot. Timing is everything. A flower will sit still unless the wind blows... a bug or baby animal won't stay in one place for long. Bees are the worst. they never stop moving. I find them the challenge I need to get better and push myself as a photographer. I am always pushing myself to be better. I am in pursuit of the perfect Bee photo. I am always trying to catch them in flight and having it in complete focus or catching their face as they land on a flower.Editing
There was a little bit of post processing. My favorite lens sadly, has some dust and fungus in it and I need to clear some spots up regularly after I use this lens, but it's my favorite lens... There may have been some slight light adjustments. I try to use the photo that is most in focus or has exceptional color to start with rather than fix it up in post processing.In my camera bag
I have a Nikon D800 that is my main camera now. I was given a Nikon D300s by a friend when I started learning Photography and I use that as a back up. I have a variety of lenses I use regularly Nikkor, Tokina, Sigma, Opteka, and Lensbaby. I am a gear junkie... I will buy a lens to see what it does. My main lenses are a Nikkor 24-120mm f/4.0, AF-S ED VI, My favorite Tokina AT-XM100 PRO D 100mm F2.8 MACRO. and a variety of Nikkor Lenses 28mm, 35mm, 50mm. I also have started using a LENSBABY 2.0 lens fo a little something different and PRISM LEN FX for some fun filter effects.Feedback
Patience is the key when taking macro photos of insects. In truth, I will end up shooting 50 photos and find maybe 3 that I like...lol...Ok I will take 1000 and pick 3... lol. I am picky and hard to please. That is why I practice so much lol. My advice is to take a lot of shots. Use a tripod and a hand held shutter remote when doing macro shots, this will help with the photo being in focus. Be PATIENT!!! I repeat BE PATIENT!!! lol... Live insects are always on the move and unpredictable as to what they will do... You may think the shot is set up perfect and suddenly the wind blows and the shot is blurry. Stay patient. The other key here is also the main thing I say about photography --- Enjoy what you are doing.. Enjoy the subjects you are shooting... I am loving the fact I can see bugs and flowers up close like I have never seen them... Not to get heavy here, but enjoy the moments you capture. Get lost in them... That moment, that instant in time, that moment was captured by you. You were the only one to see it as it happened. That moment will never happen again as it was, as it happened, as you clicked that shutter. You have the opportunity to share a perfect fleeting moment in time that you were the only witness to, and you have the chance to share this moment with many people. HAPPY SHOOTING!!!
