Bee on lavender

[billtils]

Weather has been really bad here lately, but wind dropped and sun came out this afternoon - and so did the bees. (Not sure if it is required to explicitly state it, but C&C welcome).

[Geoff F]

Bumblebees are surprisingly difficult to photograph well. This works fine.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[DanK]

I second what Geoff wrote. My yard is full of them most years, but I find them very tough to photograph, in part because they immediately dive in head-first once they land. Of the various bees and wasps I have photographed, they are about the hardest.

I do have a suggestion: for more interesting shots, try to put yourself to the side or (if it hasn't dived in yet) in front.

[billtils]

Dan - tried that but nobody told the b**** bees!

[DanK]

Dan - tried that but nobody told the b**** bees!

I know. In a good year, our garden is full of them, and I have spent hours chasing them, with almost nothing to show for it.

Honeybees and some native bees (at least here) are a little easier.

[billtils]

I did get a side on one of a bee of the non-bumble variety, at rest on a leaf of a hebe shrub:

[DanK]

That's a fly, not a bee. The eyes are very different, and it has paddle-shaped antennae, both of which are indicators. I don't know bugs well enough to know whether it is a bee fly or some sort of hover, but perhaps Geoff will chime in.

For comparison, check out the eyes and antennae of this hoverfly:



and compare it to this honeybee:



On this side of the pond, the hairs in the compound eye are not found in any native species, but most other bees and wasps have eyes that are somewhat similar in shape and placement, e.g., this much smaller native bee:

[billtils]

Thanks Dan - my bug knowledge has just doubled

[IzzieK]

Bill -- your shots though wrong IDs are wonderful. I have a lot of bumble bees on my sunflowers at the moment...but I only have a P&S at the moment so I am lazy to take any kind of pictures. I like your original post better. It looks like a rolly-polly bee. The second one is also full of nectars. Good shots.

[billtils]

Something like this perhaps?





(It's on a sage flower - my floral IDs are slightly better than my Insecta ones).

[billtils]

Thanks Izzy. It's all a bit of a novelty at this time, but I think I agree with Dan re "side on".

[DanK]

Something like this perhaps?

Nice one



(It's on a sage flower - my floral IDs are slightly better than my Insecta ones).

[ccphoto]

I usually don't have much difficulty in shooting bees but then I don't get quite that up close an personal, either. I reserve my shooting to my telephoto because I have allergy reactions to their stings. I am always so appreciative of you and others who shoot them at this range with such clarity. Thanks!

[JBW]

Something like this perhaps?




personal taste is crucial in photography. But (Dave is one of my mentors) all of these shots have the bee/fly in the bottom half. Possibly they would work better placing them higher in the frame?

(It's on a sage flower - my floral IDs are slightly better than my Insecta ones).

[billtils]

Brian, yes, indeed personal taste is a strong determinant ... and there were several reasons for placing the bee and flower where you see them. But I did take a look and think that this is better (but still with the bee very much on the bottom third).

[JBW]

Brian, yes, indeed personal taste is a strong determinant ... and there were several reasons for placing the bee and flower where you see them. But I did take a look and think that this is better (but still with the bee very much on the bottom third).

I do like this version. was this shot with the tamron 90? I ask because I just got a T-90 for my sony and would like to be able in time to get shots this good.

[billtils]

Thanks Brian. Yes, all these were taken with the Tamron - I have had their 150-600mm since its release and like it so much that when it came to adding a macro I went there too, rather than the Nikon 105 (which is highly regarded). It helped that Tamron has just released the updated F107 version and that it came in a little less costly than the Nikon. I'm sure that you'll like it.

[DanK]

I like the tighter crop.

[DanK]

I usually don't have much difficulty in shooting bees but then I don't get quite that up close an personal, either. I reserve my shooting to my telephoto because I have allergy reactions to their stings. I am always so appreciative of you and others who shoot them at this range with such clarity. Thanks!

For years, I thought I was too, but some years ago, the tests became more specific, and I found that I am allergic to wasps but not to bees, so I can photograph them without much concern. Most species of bees are pretty unaggressive anyway. In years of shooting them, I haven't been stung once, even though I usually shoot at minimum focusing distance with a 100mm lens and an extension tube, so I am very close. Some wasps are quite a different story--just walking near a nest will set some species going. I am VERY careful when photographing them.