Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Macro World Resource
  

FM Forums | Macro & Still Life | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2016 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)

  
 
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


At this time of the year the Bee-flies Bombylius major appear in my garden. Some pose on the ground, or on leaves close to the ground. Others feed on flowers, Honesty in particular, and some rise vertically, always facing in the same direction, dropping to just above my head height, to repeat the ascent.

These were around on flowering currant, or nearby honesty, when I was trying to photograph black bumblebees. Bee-flies are recognisable by their sword-like proboscis, always full extended forwards.

EM-1, Kiron 105 at f16, twin flash, hand-held.

The images are of various individuals.

The highlights on the hairs used to give quite severe pixel overload with my EP-2 but the EM-1 seems to cope much better.

Harold



© Harold Gough 2016





© Harold Gough 2016





© Harold Gough 2016





© Harold Gough 2016





© Harold Gough 2016



Edited on Apr 24, 2016 at 11:09 AM · View previous versions



Apr 23, 2016 at 12:43 AM
Dalantech
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Wow -excellent set Harold!


Apr 23, 2016 at 02:23 AM
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Dalantech wrote:
Wow -excellent set Harold!


Thanks, John.

I find their eyes difficult to judge the focus of in the viewfinder (lens at stopped-down f16) so I get a lot of near-misses. They are more tolerant of, careful, close approach than are bees. Their wings never stop beating when they are feeding.

Harold



Apr 23, 2016 at 02:48 AM
surfnron
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Very well done Harold ~ Ron


Apr 23, 2016 at 02:14 PM
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


surfnron wrote:
Very well done Harold ~ Ron


Thanks, Ron.

Harold



Apr 23, 2016 at 02:42 PM
Warkari
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)



Awesome photos, Harold. Your macros are amazing.

- Amit



Apr 23, 2016 at 03:10 PM
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Warkari wrote:
Awesome photos, Harold. Your macros are amazing.

- Amit


Thanks, Amit.

I am fortunate to be retired and able to spend lots of time, on almost any day, photographing. Also, having a large garden adjacent to open countryside helps. The more we shoot, the more keepers we are likely to get.

Harold




Apr 23, 2016 at 03:16 PM
morris
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


#4 is great Harold

Morris



Apr 23, 2016 at 05:04 PM
John Koerner
Offline
• •
[X]
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Wow is a good descriptor.

I've seen a thousand bee-fly shots and these are among the most intimate, detailed I can remember seeing in awhile.

Nicely done.



Apr 23, 2016 at 09:37 PM
Lance B
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Amazing looking critter. Great detail and compositions.


Apr 23, 2016 at 11:37 PM
LordV
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Lovely captures Harold
Brian V.



Apr 24, 2016 at 12:45 AM
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


Thanks, gents.

John,

I have shot similar ones before, some with pollen on the proboscis. Pixel overload colours made them less good than the present set.

I have just posted an Andrena image here:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1426234/0?nc=1#13526316

Harold



Apr 24, 2016 at 01:43 AM
e6filmuser
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Fluff-Balls On Stilts - Bee-flies (Image added)


e6filmuser wrote:
Thanks, gents.

John,

I have shot similar ones before, some with pollen on the proboscis. Pixel overload colours made them less good than the present set.

I have just posted an Andrena image here:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1426234/0?nc=1#13526316

Harold


I have traced one, a daylight exposure at ISO 400, having failed to get results the previous day at ISO 100. I was quite pleased with it at the time (2012) but would probably reject it now.

Olympus E-P2, Elmarit 60mm macro, ISO 400, hand-held, all cropped by over 50%:

Coming in to land:

Harold





© Harold Gough 2016




Apr 24, 2016 at 11:03 AM





FM Forums | Macro & Still Life | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.