Blue Banded Bees

OzPhoto · Mar 12, 2010

Here's a few shots of some Blue Banded Bees, an Australian native that are probably my favorite insect to shoot. They are solitary bees that roost at night by hanging onto small twigs by their jaws. They bite down and lift up their bodies to clean themselves. They can be very hard to shoot as they are spooked very easily and fly more like a hoverfly than a honey bee. I love their large multi lensed eyes and colourful bodies. They also have a particular affinity for blueish coloured flowers which is a great fact when hunting for them.

NateS · Mar 12, 2010

Wow...I'm so glad I get to be the first to post in here.

These are GREAT. The DOF, clarity, colors, composure, etc... are all great. Especially that in-flight shot which couldn't have been easy (I know I've tried). Those green eyes are pretty amazing too.

LBPhotog · Mar 12, 2010

"Wow" is right (it was also the first word that I uttered when I opened this thread)

Great shots!

That 105 macro lens is amazing, just look at the detail in these images ... mind you I am not saying that there isn't any talent behind that camera and lens; because, obviously, there is.

mobius121 · Mar 12, 2010

I need a macro XD

DigitalScape · Mar 14, 2010

Well done, Darren.

Overread · Mar 14, 2010

Great work again! You certainly know how to push your lens to get the most out of it and the most out of your subjects as well! Lighting might be a little top heavy, it would be nice for a little more detail in the underside of the insects to show.

Also since you are a fan of bees and close shots have you by chance come across Dalentech's (John Kimbler) work? I think you might find it very interesting:
No Cropping Zone

OzPhoto · Mar 15, 2010

Overread said:
Great work again! You certainly know how to push your lens to get the most out of it and the most out of your subjects as well! Lighting might be a little top heavy, it would be nice for a little more detail in the underside of the insects to show.

Also since you are a fan of bees and close shots have you by chance come across Dalentech's (John Kimbler) work? I think you might find it very interesting:
No Cropping Zone

Hi Overread, thanks for the feedback. There was definitely a lighting issue here, i've had similar CC on this shot on other forums. I use a homemade snoot on the popup flash which I can usually position at different angles for individual lighting situations. In this case the Blue Banded Bees were particularly skittish and I just took a few shots and hoped for the best. I had trouble getting down low enough to the bee without scaring it off which is why I think it came out a bit top heavy, but anyway, I learn from every shot I take. I really am very new to photography in general and only purchased my first DLSR about 12 months ago and have been practicing macro for about 3 months so I still have a lot to learn. Ideally I am aiming for 2:1 in the future with additional compatible equipment, but until then I'm just pushing the 105 mm to the limit, hopefully with success. Appreciate the feedback and the site you suggested looks great!

Cheers

Overread · Mar 15, 2010

I've seen one of those snoots before for the popup flash (over on Juza forum) so I know they can work very well. You might want to consider attaching a bit of white material/paper to the underside of the lens with it angling forward - so that it catches some of the flashlight and reflects it back up at the underside of the subject.

OzPhoto · Mar 16, 2010

Overread said:
I've seen one of those snoots before for the popup flash (over on Juza forum) so I know they can work very well. You might want to consider attaching a bit of white material/paper to the underside of the lens with it angling forward - so that it catches some of the flashlight and reflects it back up at the underside of the subject.

Great idea. I'm currently building a new snoot and will try and this technique. The snoot works great and it is really a cost effective way of achieving great lighting, though it can be a bit of a "pinocchio" at times.