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

A male Red Mason Bee resting on a Sourgrass flower.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 3x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iYx​yQz

I had a tough time photographing female Sweat Bees while they were collecting pollen in Sourgrass flowers because it wasn't windy enough. There was only an intermittent light breeze, so when I grabbed onto the flower's stem to keep it steady she noticed me and stopped foraging. Much easier when the vibration of the wind can mask the vibration that I cause when shooting these scenes.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI, Denoise AI, and Clarity in that order.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iYL​6y4

Another one that's not really a macro, being shot with the 150-600.

I noticed this Mining Bee cleaning out debris from her nest and camped at the entrance to see if I could get a few photos. Once she decided to come out we played "BeeKaBoo" cause I accidentally scared her back down into the tunnel a few times.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (almost 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iZr​VV1

Common Mourning Bee

Very nice Lesley did you see any cuckoo bees? In my garden the cuckoo bees seem to arrive after and stay longer than their hosts.

davholla wrote in post #19060848
Very nice Lesley did you see any cuckoo bees? In my garden the cuckoo bees seem to arrive after and stay longer than their hosts.

It's Lester!

The mourning and Nomada bees are all Bivoltine cleptoparasites.

Lester Wareham wrote in post #19060894
It's Lester!

The mourning and Nomada bees are all Bivoltine cleptoparasites.

Apologies Lester, I didn't know that the mourning was a cleptoparasite and had missed the nomada bee.

Tree is across a small stream and couldn’t get as close as I wanted

strightleg wrote in post #19061365
Tree is across a small stream and couldn’t get as close as I wanted

Hosted photo: posted by strightleg in
./showthread.php?p=190​61365&i=i188893193
forum: Macro

Hosted photo: posted by strightleg in
./showthread.php?p=190​61365&i=i20038779
forum: Macro

Lovely bee-in-environment shots.

I ran #2 through Topaz DeNoise AI on a separate Layer (Default settings) and then set that Layer to 67% and it did a good job of taming some of that noise.

Cheers

Dennis

Looks good thanks

Found a little Scissor Bee (Chelostoma florisomne, male) semi active in a Buttercup flower and when she would pause I'd look for a new composition.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (4x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2j1G​x6L

There wasn't enough wind so this Sweat Bee felt me grab onto the stem of the Sourgrass Flower that it was foraging in and climbed to the top of it to investigate. But when it did it was facing away from me. So I carefully turned the flower so that the critter was facing the camera. Gotta be gentle, cause I didn't want to spook the bee into taking off and I didn't want to damage the flower. I managed to get the shot and leave the Sourgrass unharmed.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (3x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2j21​wcb

I used a syringe to inject Agave Nectar into a flower so this Honeybee would have a reason to let me get close.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/25, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (1x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order. I dragged the shutter to expose for the natural light in the background, and the flash froze most of the subject's movement.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2j2v​Uv7