Fun with macro (sort of)

[peter_4059]

I decided to try something different today. Take the 14-150mm zoom lens into the garden with in camera digital zoom also on giving a focal length of 300mm on my OMD EM10 mkII.

Being summer in Queensland there were a few willing models.

This is my first attempt at this type of photography. I'm still trying to learn to use this camera and get a good exposure, depth of field, composition and focus.

Comments and advice welcome, thanks for looking.

[Wilso]

Bonus - nice native blue bee capture also!

Have tried a couple of times to shoot them in the past.
Haven't seen any around this summer yet, hopefully they will drop in .
Doing better than me!

[peter_4059]

Thanks Darren. There were three of them and they really like that flower so kept coming back to it.

[Wilso]

Lucky to have them in your garden!

They don't have a hive like normal bee and are a loner that makes a nest in the dirt. :thumbsup:

[gts055]

Nicely done . Images 1 and 5 are interesting in that you can see the native bee has the proboscis fully extended to take up nectar as the flower is approached. Mark

[RickS]

Nice catches, Peter!

[peter_4059]

Thanks Mark. They are quite distinct compared to regular honey bees.



Cheers Rick. With months of cloudy weather ahead it seemed like a good extension to the imaging hobby. Plenty of different challenges and so much new gear to consider :D

[allan gould]

Nice images Peter. Wait till you get the 60mm, then there will be tears.

[multiweb]

Very nice pics. They're great looking bees. Only found in Oz hey?

[peter_4059]

Thanks Allan. I've now got my hands on the 60mm - no tears yet :D



Cheers Marc. Seems like they are native to Aus and inhabit tropical and subtropical regions. They prefer blue flowers, hence the reason they keep coming back to this plant. Very convenient for macro photography with the tripod. ;)

[astronobob]

Nice going Peter, tricky capturing bees in flight eh, they are hardly ever in the focus zone, let alone in the frame at right time,,,,
My 'hint' that i've tried to more success is to be patient, watch the bees flights, using a tripod & have a flower in frame and focused, turn off auto focus if have it, and lean the camera back with the tripod just a centimeter or two, this helps the focus accuracy when the bee enters the flower, then move tripod forward till on all three legs again and your focus should be good for when bee lands ,,, but that said, everyone has their own tactics after experimenting !
I find that auto focus is just not quick enough for anything moving quick, Lol.
Another tip, try keeping your exposure as fast as possible if you havent, may need to increase the ISO to near max, this helps keeping the F/Ratio up, maybe F/10 or more 'depending on the available Light' higher F/Ratio's helps increase the depth of field, this enables the bee to be slightly further away from the exact focus point but still remain quite sharp, it is only a matter of millimeters, but it all can make a difference..

I do like the photos, and the arachnids look great with their web in your compositions - great angles there :thumbsup: :thumbsup: