So give me your opinion on these flower shots I took today

[RagingInMiami]

I went back the park I discovered last week because apparently that is one of the only places in Miami that has natural flowers growing where I wouldn't have to trespass on private property.

Are you able to spot the bee in the second photo right away?

[Blue_In_AK]

1. How did you get that bee to stand still like that?

I was chasing a butterfly all over my garden today, but it was just too fast for me. The photos are beautiful, by the way -- as always.

[RagingInMiami]

7. Butterflies are much faster and more erratic than bees

I think they're more apt to get spooked so they are harder to capture on camera.

And these are just two of more than 200 photos I took in an hour's time yesterday. This is why I love digital because I would have never have taken that many shots of the same subject with film.

I use my 100mm macro lens and set the camera to multiple shot, so I can shoot several photos by pressing the shutter only once. This is a method I would recommend to take these types of photos. Not only can you capture spontaneity, but your photos can come out more focused.

Thanks for the compliment.

[F.Gordon]

2. When I grow up I want to be 1/2 as good as you are

That first photograph is remarkable, and yes I can see the bee in the 2nd photo.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I tried and tried to get a decent bee/flower shot but got nuttin' anywhere near as nice as yours. To capture that bee in flight. 2 kewl. All my "in flight" bees were out of focus.

[superconnected]

3. the bee stole the picture in the first

the 2nd one the flower stole it.

both very beautiful. I'll pick the 2nd as my favorite because I love the color but the bee from the first sure is intriguing.

[superconnected]

4. those have got to be hybrids. That 2nd pic is just too

awesome. yellow on the out side/pink in.

I love it.

[F.Gordon]

5. What's the FotoPoop on these?

Was this your new telephoto? Is that a "L" glass lens? Were you shooting in burst?

[RagingInMiami]

6. I took these with the 100mm macro

It is not an "L" glass. I'm not sure what you mean by shooting in "burst".

These photos are two of more than 200 photos I took in an hour's time yesterday. It's quite a challenge to capture the bees in flight.

Basically, I would see the bee on the flower and focus my lens on it. Then I would try to inch in closer without scaring it away, which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

Then if the bee is still there once I'm closer, I re-focus and start snapping photos. I got a few photos of the bee on the flower, but the bee was in the center of the flower and not the pedal, which didn't make it stand out too well.

These photos of the bee flying above the flowers actually came out by accident. I had the camera set to multiple shot where I take several shots by pressing the shutter once. Like a machine gun. That's a method I use to keep things focused. So during one of the series of shots, the bee was captured. Is that what you mean by "burst"?

Anyway, after I saw how cool the first photo came out, I started composing the photo in the hopes the bee will take off and I could catch it in flight as opposed to standing directly over it and trying to capture the bee on the flower. It makes a better picture, I think.

But these bees are so fast and it's hard to get the right focus at such a close distance that it is nearly impossible to get these shots. And if I simply focus on the bee while it's on the flower and wait until it takes off before pressing the shutter, I will end up with a picture sans bee (I swear there was a bee on that flower)

After a while, it seems as if the bees got tired of being paparazzied and disappeared altogether from the small flower bed.

I'm going to check out this other park today that hopefully might have some flowers. I'm looking for a photo with Biscayne Bay as a backdrop. I haven't found anything like that yet, but it might be a cool photo.

Thanks for the compliment on my photos.

[F.Gordon]

8. "Burst"? Yes....

I had the camera set to multiple shot where I take several shots by pressing the shutter once. Like a machine gun. I may not be using the correct term. It's just what I call it.

I tried to do what you did. Just focus and wait, but in the snapshot above the flower things were swarming with bees and they started landing on me and the camera. Since I don't have a great fondness for bees and I had to get extremely close...

Regardless.. luck, whatever. You did an incredible job. That's a very cool photo.

I only managed one bee/flower shot that I liked. Since no one in my "test voting" group liked this one:( , I'll post it here. This was just a single HUGE bee that I sat on the ground and waited for. Everytime I tried to move to get a "face" shot the sucker would turn and give me an "ass" shot. Maybe the bee was trying to tell me something. :eyes:

[RagingInMiami]

9. I think the bee was trying to tell you something

Aren't their stingers in their asses?

I like the colors on that flower. I would like to see it fill the whole frame, with of course, a bee buzzing around it. What kind of lens were you using?

[F.Gordon]

11. What kind of lens?

Ummm... a round one?
:shrug:



I've actually been using this camera quite a bit. Little project I've been working on...

The lens? I bought a used 2.5 compact macro on eBay, but I've not been happy with it. Something is wrong with the focus. So much for trying to save money. I plan on selling my old manual video equipment on eBay (everything it seems is digital these days) and using the money to buy a good new lens.

I was more interested in the bee than the flower in my snapshot. But you make a good point.. I should have gone full frame with the flower but I don't think I could have caught this bee in flight because every time the bee moved.... I moved. I think the focus problem in this snapshot was me being a little too nervous about pissing off the bee.

:scared:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

10. You must have friendlier bees in FL than we do in NYC

I got stung trying that trick yesterday.