Bombus hypnorum, the tree bumble bee

[Alastair]

Bombus hypnorum is a relatively new species to the UK, but I think locally it's the most prominent species and the research suggests it's not displacing any long-term native species. They've been spreading north and west for the last decade or so. We've two nests this year, one under the roof tiles of the extension and one in a nestbox. I spotted the activity a week or two ago and thought I'd have a go at photographing them this week. Insets aren't something I photograph very often, and it's rare I try for insects in-flight.

My first go yesterday..



I like the atmosphere of this shot, it captures the business in front of the hive as the males hang around waiting for virgin queens to emerge (they're not guard bees, and the males have no sting).


But.. there's an inner detail-freak that occasionally emerges so today I thought I'd try for a more technical result..



That's a slight crop, going in for the 100% crop..




I still prefer the shot from yesterday, a lone bee misses the essence of a busy nest.

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Don't really know whether I'm struck by the inner detail freak, or the essence !! Do know I'm looking at pics made by a guy that makes some damn cool pics and has some fine abilitity with a camera. How did you focus please. Very informative and a carftsman at work
love this
nuff said

stu

 

[Peter123]

Today's is good Alastair.

 

[Alastair]

How did you focus please.

Thanks Stu. Both shots were manual focus, pre-focused for the zone I predicted the bees would be in. The bees move too fast to track in-flight. On Wednesday I was rattling off a burst of shots with quite a shallow depth of field, in total about 100 shots that gave me about a dozen that made the first cull and about three that met my final standard. On Thursday it was a different rig, still manual focused but single shots. I introduced flash so I could stop down and gain some depth of field. I think I took around 50 shots to get five that worked.

This is the "detail-freak" rig..

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Alistair,I'm learning,have pretty much zero experience with flash,with the type of shooting I do mainly wildlife and birds it isn't something I have really looked at much as of yet. TBH I have some concerns with flash and beaties,a personal choice Alistair not something i'm violently against just my choice. So your rig is both of fascination to me and almost to the stage I've never seen nothing like it. I honestly do not really recognise anything much in the picture bar a lens even your camera is utterly unfamiliar. Ha ha mate I'm in my own little world,but I love what you did here and have deep admiration for not only the images and the quest for detail but the obvious craft behind them,

If you'ld care to educate me as to the tools cool,as I say I'm not sure I'll ever use anything like this,so please bare that in mind. But as with all in life there is an inate curiosity in me that means I would love to understand and know more about the tools you used.

Buddy on all levels I don't expect you to go out of your way here,I'm simply grateful you shared these images and even more so you took your time to share more with me about how you tackled these pictures,but if there is time and you want too,then I'm all ears

Thanks muchly,,I love craftsmanship Alistair, watching or learning from guys with that touch is and always will be of deep fascination it's hard won and something I will always admire ,the field it's applied in doesn't really matter it's the guy that has grafted to learn I find utterly inspiring

take care kiddo thank you

stu

 

[Alastair]

If you'ld care to educate me as to the tools cool,as I say I'm not sure I'll ever use anything like this,so please bare that in mind. But as with all in life there is an inate curiosity in me that means I would love to understand and know more about the tools you used.

It's an odd set-up, even I'll admit that..

• The camera is a Sigma DP3 Merrill
• On the front is an Olympus T-Con 14B x1.4 teleconverter
• The flash is a Lencarta Atom AD-180 (aka Godox AD-180) with a beauty dish, triggered by the Godox FT-16 radio triggers

The Merrill and this particular flash set-up give me a fast synch speed around 1/800, and adding the extra light lets me stop down for depth of field whilst keeping at base ISO. The beauty dish just happened to be to hand, I'd rather have had softbox. I'd also have preferred to have the flash fixed on a stand rather than mounted on a bracket but a bad back precluded me from dragging some heavy pots out of the way.

I have used flash with birds, I know it can be controversial but I've never come across a bird that has shown any signs of being spooked by it - even shy birds like jays. The only time I've come across a problem with flash and animals is guppies. Every other aquarium fish has been fine, but guppies are not flash-safe.