POST YOUR BEE SHOTS (any non-butterfly all pollinators are welcome - wasps, etc.)

I think that this Sweat Bee (L. leucozonium) is a male since there's no pollen on its back legs.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (under 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I'm holding on to the stem of the flower with my left hand, and resting the lens on that same hand to keep the scene steady.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hCf​XFw

This is a male Red Mason Bee that I photographed in April of 2015. I watched a female build nests in the same tree, and I saw her offspring the following year.

Tech Specs: Canon 70D (F16, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (about 1.5x) + a diffused MT-24EX (-2/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held in Bacoli, Italy.

Technique: I had to camp out in front of this tree, early in the morning, for quite some time before the little guy got use to me and the camera. We played a lot of "Bee-Ka-Boo".

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hCR​57y

Only a few bees left around after the typhoons....

Due to the partly cloudy weather and a drop in temperature I went looking for a critter that might have sheltered in place and I found this Wasp on my Mint. It was semi-active and I only managed to take nine frames.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hDJ​6pS

Male of Megachile (Chalicodoma) parietina.

Technique: It was a cool day (18C) with partly cloudy skies and intermittent light showers -perfect weather to go looking for solitary bees since they'll have a tough time keeping their metabolism up. I got lucky and found this Mason bee semi-dormant in my Lavender.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 2x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black. In post I used Topaz Labs Sharpen AI, Denoise AI, and Clarity (in that order).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hFG​khj

Male of Megachile (Chalicodoma) parietina.

Technique: After photographing this mason bee in my lavender I turned it loose in a plant on my patio while I went to have lunch. Evidently the little guy got active and had lunch as well, because this is how I found him later on that same afternoon. This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (about 3x) + a diffused MT-24EX (both flash heads on the Canon flash mount, E-TTL metering).

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hGb​ub3

A few of mine from March this year.

Cool temps and partly cloudy weather provided the perfect conditions to go looking for a dormant solitary bee. Not sure about the species, and unfortunately it took off before I could get a full body shot.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hHF​fWR

From today

Cool temps and partly cloudy weather provided the perfect conditions to go looking for a dormant solitary bee. Not sure about the species, and unfortunately it took off before I could get a full body shot.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hJa​oP3

Cool temps and partly cloudy weather provided the perfect conditions to go looking for a dormant solitary bee. This is the last composition I was able to get before the critter took off.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (3.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT (E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hJS​aQF

Buff-tailed Bumbles (Bombus terrestris)
Single frames, using a Yongnuo flash with a DIY diffuser.