Bee fly in flight - photographing moving things!

[Monkey Orchid]

I photographed this Bee fly Bombylius major feeding on Cuckoo flower in a hedgerow, back in May. I was using my Pentax Optio W10 on its macro setting; light conditions were pretty dark so I had a bit of a struggle getting the image without camera shake.



I'm just getting started with photographing invertebrates (previously I've tended to stick to plants and trees, which don't tend to move as much!). I'd appreciate constructive feedback on the photos... And also if anyone would like to share their tips and experience on photographing invertebrates, that would be good.

[gez]

nice shots! & so nearly there. & i also think you know what you are doing, but need better light so you have more room for play with shutter , iso etc.

[glsammy]

It would help a lot if you left the exif info on your shots. Without it it's impossible to tell what settings were used, making constructive comments difficult.

[Monkey Orchid]

Thanks both for your feedback - it's appreciated.

Originally Posted by glsammy

It would help a lot if you left the exif info on your shots. Without it it's impossible to tell what settings were used, making constructive comments difficult.

OK, how do I do this?

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Monkey Orchid

Thanks both for your feedback - it's appreciated.



OK, how do I do this?

What software do you use to prepare your images? Most software will strip out the exif info if you use the "save" option. However, if you use "save as" it doesn't.
That should do it.

[Geoff F]

Retaining Exif information depends on your shooting format and software.

If I shot Jpeg I would retain most of it; but because I shoot Raw, convert to 16 bit Tiff for editing/storage then change again to Jpeg for internet uploading, all exif data is lost.

Be careful that you don't save your edited photo over the original in an attempt to keep the shooting details. You may want to return to the original at a later date.

With regard to macro shooting. I did manage a few decent shots with my old Powershot G2 if the conditions were perfect. Although even with that camera I soon found the benefits of a tripod.

But if you want reliable and consistent results I am afraid that we are really looking at equipment with a £1000 price tag; possibly more. Although secondhand, if you can find good quality gear, might cut that by half.

Alternatively, if you are having to use auto macro settings you will have to consider the conditions before shooting. Auto macro settings usually set a narrow aperture, to increase the depth, but do this at the expense of shutter speed.

Using the camera flash can help but auto flash often reduces the shutter speed to 1/60 sec which is too low for flying subjects and can still cause camera shake problems.

Some people get an assistant to shine a powerful torch on the subject, which can help although it could cause some false light colour problems. I think the LED type works better.

But my main suggestion would be to try a tripod, even a cheap one will considerably reduce camera shake.

[Monkey Orchid]

Thank you for the info, most useful.

I use Photoshop 7 to look at/edit my images, and almost always use 'Save As' rather than 'Save'. So presumably this will mean my exif data is still there?

I know a tripod really helps to prevent shake, but often with insect photography there just isn't time to mess around with a tripod. Plus it's one more thing to carry... But I do often use it with my Canon Eos 400D for still subjects, e.g. plants, fungi, landscapes, esepcially if I'm photographing in low light conditions such as inside a woodland.

As for spending £1,000 on new kit... I know good gear costs a lot, but I'll have to 'soldier on' with what I've got until I win the Lottery. If I had £1,000 going spare right now, I'd be spending it on boring stuff like rent and utility bills. I'll work on my technique instead - most people do seem to say that it's the technique that gets you the good shots, provided you've got a camera that is at least halfway decent.

Cheers for your feedback.