Gathering nectar in the garden
One year I visited a local park that was also home to a series of gardens. One garden had a nice range of flowers, which of course attract various insects. I found one flower that appeared a bit past its better days, missing some petals. And yet that didn’t stop the insects from visiting. So I stood by, camera in hand, and attempted to photograph what I could.
One particular subject was this bee. It kept moving all around the flower, gathering nectar and giving me different views. Though I would have preferred just a bit more depth of field, this shot ended up being my favorite. The focus is on the very top of the bee’s head, where the antennae are horizontal. And there’s a ring of focus around the bees abdomen. But otherwise, the majority of the photo is a blur of color.
I was hand-holding my camera, using a 50mm f/1.4 lens with the aperture set to f/4. Normally there’d be a bit more depth of field, but I had on an extension tube to let me get a little closer to the subject, which also has a side effect of reducing the depth of field.
There’s always room for improvement, and I might have tried some things differently if I were to do this again, but overall I’m pleased with how it turned out. What do you think? Anything you’d do differently?
Do you enjoy these posts?
Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.
I appreciate your support!
