Blossoms and Bees

The Bradford Pears are blooming here in Fort Worth! So I decided to take some pictures of a pair of trees in the park with low branches and found it teeming with bees. What is photography without a little danger?

I tried to get blend of blossom composition and good bee angle. Critique is welcome as I would like to improve my technique and processing.

1.

If you're talking about good bee angles, #2 and 3 are the best. #2 us marred by the distracting background. Consider cropping very tightly. In #3, the bee is too far away.

Going forward, I would pick a well-placed bunch with a nice background and good lighting and wait for the bee. If you're chasing the bee, it's very hard to get all the other elements in place.

Thanks for the feedback. #2 is already crop but I may be able to crop more. Hurray for 18 MP. The background is more pronounced than I intended because I didn't realize that I was at f/10 for the first couple dozen shots.

#3 isn't a crop so maybe I can get in tighter on the bee.

I agree on waiting as trying to chase the bee is next to impossible. I would pick a cluster of blossoms and wait but the little fellas would only be on it for a second before flying off. Hurray 8 fps.

Get yourself a macro lens. The old Canon 100mm should be a bargain now that a new one is out.
It will make a world of difference for dramatic insect shots. And so will some flash which will let you stop down your aperture to get better dof.