Canon 450D with MP-E 65 macro lens. F13, 1/160, ISO 100, diffused Speedlight on side bracket, handheld. Taken at 1:1 magnification. Full frame.
Last weekend I was lucky enough to find this bee sleeping in my garden with its jaws locked onto a tiny piece of a conifer. I've seen images of bees sleeping like this before but this is the first time I've ever actually seen one doing it.
I took quite a few shots including some real close-ups but quite liked this one taken at 1:1 which shows the scale of the bee a bit more. The bee was very small, a little over 10mm in length I would say. I'm fairly sure it's a Red-horned nomad bee - Nomada ruficornis.
Posted by David Sewell on April 24, 2009 at 8:49 AM
Very nice macro work.
David
Posted by Craig Jones on April 24, 2009 at 9:19 AM
What i find matt!, lovely photo and very unique, the jaws look very impressive very well captured, nice comp and colours to the image, i like this alot, Well Done
Posted by David Taylor on April 24, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Very impressive. Not a bee I've seen before. Excellent behavioural image.
Nice shot Matt, great detail and exposure. I would've perhaps liked to have seen a vertical comp.
Could well be ruficornis, would like to see the tip of the mandible to be 100%, but unfortunately it's behind the scale of the conifer (though because of this nobody could prove it wasn't ruficornis!)
Greg
Posted by eric weight on April 24, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Wonderful shot and interesting subject. I agree with Craig that a vertical crop would suit it well. Your time is just about here Matt, looking forward to some more quality stuff from you. Eric
Great macro shot. Never seen a bee sleeping like this.
Posted by Andy Shepherd on April 24, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Top shot Matt, I've never seen a bee that looks like this before, so thanks for posting it, excellent use of the MP-E65, very envious, of both the shot and the lense
Andy...
Posted by John Robinson on April 25, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Discussion
11 repliesLast weekend I was lucky enough to find this bee sleeping in my garden with its jaws locked onto a tiny piece of a conifer. I've seen images of bees sleeping like this before but this is the first time I've ever actually seen one doing it.
I took quite a few shots including some real close-ups but quite liked this one taken at 1:1 which shows the scale of the bee a bit more. The bee was very small, a little over 10mm in length I would say. I'm fairly sure it's a Red-horned nomad bee - Nomada ruficornis.
A larger version is available HERE.
All C+C welcomed.
Matt
David
The image doesn't seem very balanced to me but it adds to the subject matter and the way it attaches itself. If I could sleep like that....
Lovely detail in the eyes and the antennae.
Chris
Well caught and excellent use of flash.
Cheers
Austin
Could well be ruficornis, would like to see the tip of the mandible to be 100%, but unfortunately it's behind the scale of the conifer (though because of this nobody could prove it wasn't ruficornis!)
Greg
Top shot Matt, I've never seen a bee that looks like this before, so thanks for posting it, excellent use of the MP-E65, very envious, of both the shot and the lense
Andy...
JR