Photographing Bees

[danieljamesphoto]

Damn these things are fast!

I know it's a pointless thread but my aim is to get a shot of the Bee mid-air nice and sharp. Current settings i'm trying are

AI Servo
f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: auto

am I missing something? i'd up the shutter speed but it's more about the wasp/bee moving further away and the tracking not keeping up. I've got a 7D and tried with spot focus and the zone system but it keeps hooking on to the flowers to track not the insect.

any advice would be appreciated

thanks

 

[indiabravo]

You could try catching one, sticking it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, then posing it wherever you like. It will be very sluggish when cold and take a while to warm up and fly off giving you time to take your shot. Might be hard to get a mid-air shot with a cold bee tho

 

[jomike]

Bees, as you have found, are very difficult to get in flight because they move erratically. Your best chance is to pre focus on a flower that they visit and try to get them as they land or take off.


Bee on a pink bluebell by jomike, on Flickr

Hoverflies and dragonflies are easier because they tend to establish territories and hover in the same places, you just have to watch them and see where they do this.


Hoverfly hovering by jomike, on Flickr

Another alternative is to video them and then grab a frame where they are in focus.


Thick legged flower beetle taking off by jomike, on Flickr

 

[Deleted member 34016]

why not use a flash??

Les :shrug:

 

[yoby]

Had exactly the same issue myself the other day. Whoever coined the phrase Bee-Line to represent the shortest fasted and straightest route to somewhere was, quite frankly on drugs or had never seen a bee.....
When I'm back in the location of the Lavender bush again I was going to try setting up focussed on a part of it, Small aperture, low ISO, 1/250 and flash, using the flash to try and freeze the movement. Not sure how it'll work but determined to get one (never had the flash with me last time).