Leaf Cutter Bee


Posted by frank-williams on Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:14 pm

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Hi Everyone,
 Its been a while since I've posted as been renovating my house and no time to take pictures.
 Now that I have finished the renovation I have had time to take at least this image.
 This was taken in my garden a few days ago. The setup was quite easy and was as follows.
Nikon D800 in manual with a 105mm Macro lens @F40 to take out the ambient light. two SB900 flashguns, @1/128th power to freeze the bee in flight. One on the side facing the bee and one on the background. Cable release. The hardest thing to do is focus as the DOF is only millimetres. The best way to focus was to wait for it to leave the nest and place a stick in its tube and pre-focus on that using live view. Then cross your fingers and hope for a good image. My only gripe is I should have put a cleaner fake background in. The bee collects pollen on it abdomen to bring back to the nest then once it collects enough it lays an egg then collects leaves to fill in the tube to seal it. I hope you like it and feel free to comment.

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by Tom Whelan on Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:20 pm
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Excellent in-flight capture with super detail. Is the hive on the left?
Tom

http://www.whelanphoto.com Portraits and Abstracts (web site)
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by PaiR on Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:50 pm
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Just superb. Wonderful sharpness for the bee and thanks for sharing the technique. I never knew leaf cutter bees existed.
Ram
A photograph is usually looked at – seldom looked into~Ansel Adams
 

by Matthew Pugh on Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:55 am
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Hi

An incredible in flight shot with plenty to be proud of - I am not quite sure what you mean by a fake backdrop, but you could always use an extra flash just for the background

All the best
Matthew
 

by wtracyparnell on Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:42 am
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Excellent flight capture, very nice setup and well thought out.
W. Tracy Parnell
Comments on my images are greatly appreciated!
 

by frank-williams on Mon Jul 28, 2014 12:39 pm
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Matthew Pugh wrote:Hi

An incredible in flight shot with plenty to be proud of - I am not quite sure what you mean by a fake backdrop, but you could always use an extra flash just for the background

All the best
Matthew


I mean putting in a large coloured piece of card to create a smoother background. 
 

by frank-williams on Mon Jul 28, 2014 12:41 pm
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Tom Whelan wrote:Excellent in-flight capture with super detail. Is the hive on the left? The hive is a small box with bamboo tubes facing out and this is were the cutter bee lays it egg, then seals it up. 
 

by frank-williams on Mon Jul 28, 2014 12:42 pm
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Thanks for the comments as well appreciated.
 

by guz on Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:00 am
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really well done. a difficult shot this. compliments. flavio
 

by Jonc on Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:08 pm
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Impressed how you've captured such detail whilst in flight
 

by Blck-shouldered Kite on Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:51 am
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I like this background better than the fake one probably would have been.  The fake one often looks fake.  This one has natural bokeh.

Excellent work here!

robert king
www.itsaboutnature.net
 

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