Another Bee in Flight
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Bees are like birds in flight, your speed, both shutter and reflexes need to be optimal. And the results can be worth it.
A Fly
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I am a sucker for insects even evil ones like flies.
A Bee
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My posts this week are all about not missing opportunities and trying new things. In this case it’s improving my bee in flight technique.
American Lady
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They come by their name honestly. A lady wouldn’t flee a camera would she?
Mayfly
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I took this mayfly on some patio glass, the background is just great.
Ants Love Peonies
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I assume they look better like this than through the gardener’s eyes.
Ant
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Ants love peonies and just before the flower blooms, they crawl all over the globe.
Cabbage White
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Sooner or later all butterflies stop for a moment and might take some efforts to hide. This cabbage white made itself as thin and still as possible. An interesting dorsal point of view.
On the Prowl
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Caught this one slinking along, looking for prey?
At Work
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Most of the bees I come across are so busy, the last thing they care about is me or my camera.
Painted Lady
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Found this on the lawn in front of a school. Nature’s beauty often knows the best place to be.
Jumping Spider (Three Photographs)
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They say you’re never very far from a spider. That does not mean they are easy to find or conveniently located. This one’s on the wall behind our bed. My wife called me to grab my gear and get a shot, the best of the best are here. For the record I captured him alive and released him on our balcony. Hopefully he’ll be back.
Excitement on the Trail
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All kinds of wonderful things happen in the forest, most unpredictable. But when a mating pair of dragonflies landed on my wife’s hat when she was taking a photo it was hard not to laugh!
Butterfly
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Overcast skies make for great soft light. But just like soft light in studio you lose a bit of brightness and detail. In addition, nature photographers have to deal with trees and shrubs blocking light. Challenging but fun.
Colourful But Back-lit (Two Photographs)
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There are many ways to be creative in photography. As cameras advance in technological sophistication we get new possibilities. One of which is the ability to ignore ISO and pull more out of shadows with little noticeable grain. It worked in these shots of a sweat bee.
Butterflies (Two Photographs)n
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When I am shooting in nature I try to get some context, contrast, or framing. Not always possible but I find focusing on just the subject is bit too clinical and not necessarily creative photography. An added bonus is it makes shooting some subjects just a touch more challenging.
Hummingbird Moth (Two Photographs)
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The second photograph could be my ode to Halloween. Hummingbird moths look better just a bit further away. Their flight pattern is more like helicopter than a plane which makes some shots a little easier.
Monarch in the Light (Two Photographs)
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If you read my last couple of posts on colour and shadows you will notice in these photos taken a few seconds apart, the change in colour due to shadow and positioning. It’s not a question of which is right or closer to reality, but that colour and shadow are variables. As a result there are choices to be made when taking the photos and some latitude when it comes to processing. In this sense (and others) photographers interpret reality.
Painted Lady Butterfly (Two Photographs)
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By far the most compliant insect I have seen. They pose! It takes a bit more movement to frighten them off, and they usually have great eyes. Whenever I find one there are dozens and its great fun for photography.
Contrast (Two Photographs)
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In photographing insects its always great to have colour contrast. Many insects blend in with camouflage so colour contrast is nice to have rather than a must have. Besides beautiful flowers add to any subject.
Awkward Angles (Two Photographs)
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Since I started writing about photography, I have made a point of suggesting that photos taken from different angles or perspectives make it more likely you get a unique photo. And it is true that some angles result in awkward looking shots but sometimes those angles may be all you have to work with. In my case that means taking more shots however I can when the subject is interesting, in the hope of a successful shot.
Studio Setups (Two Photographs)
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Studio work is something I’d recommend trying. I worked in pro studios as a teen and it taught me the basics. Since then I occasionally take the opportunity to try setups at home. I continue to learn new techniques, about lighting, backgrounds, exposure etc. For backgrounds here I used scarves; the camera was fitted with a 50mm lens and the light was generated by flash.
Wonder (Two Photographs)
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In the past I was wary of any insects and scared of spiders. As I spent more time on nature photography, I learned a lot more about insects and spiders, bought some books did some studying and I was amazed. The feeling quickly translated into my photography. The butterfly you see here, I believe is a common white admiral, but its colouring, its eyes its pose, its patient work, are a wonder of nature.
Tree Frog (Two Photographs)
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Cute little frog but unfortunately small and somewhat skittish. I say unfortunately as everything around it in the bush was bigger. It’s great when you can show scale and relative size of something in a photo, but it is not always possible.
