Flowers and bugs

[invisible]

I'm still in awe at the almost absolute lack of DOF that you get when shooting macro...

All shot with Nikkor 18-200 with a Canon 500D close-up lens.

1.


2.


3.


4.


Can someone help me identify these flowers and bugs? I think the flower in 1 and 2 is a Zinnia 'Zowie Yellow Flame', but I'm not certain. The bug in 4 seems to be a bee; if so, do you know the species?

Thanks for looking

 

[invisible]

Nuttin'?

 

[LaFoto]

Sorry, though I like flowers, crawlies and macros, I seldom know their names.
What I do know, however, is that I like how you captured the changing colours on the wings of that hover fly (I think it is one ...) in the first photo, and how you nailed the focus within your very shallow DOF.

Composition of Photo 2 looks very good to me.
Photo 3 shows quite an elegant, proud looking wild flower, I like that one, too!
And I love the colours in Photo 4! And the once more perfect focus on the bee (yes, bee seems to be just about right). We have plenty of those yellow, button-like flowers here, too, on the sides of meadows and alongside ditches etc, but don't ask me for it's name ... I don't know ...

 

[invisible]

Hey LaFoto, thanks for your kind comments.

I just googled it and the insect in #1 is, in fact, a hover fly. Good call.

About #4, even if I caught the bee in focus, I think the lack of DOF kind of ruins the whole thing. There's probably less than 5 cm (2 in) in focus here! Is there any way (technique, lens, etc.) to get more in focus in a situation like this?