It has been cold here and while that is fine since it is winter, I do find myself looking forward to warmer weather and longer sunlit days. A few days ago I was looking back through some photos from the spring and I found one I hadn’t yet edited.
ISO 800 100mm 0ev f/5.6 1/60
I have a series of pictures of this bee and I have been trying to edit them in different ways. Here is one edited version:
ISO 800 100mm 0ev f/5.6 1/60
This version I edited in Aperture. I cropped it, put it in a sepia tone, and sharpened it. I like this version, not really sure if I love it. I think this photo shows one of the downsides to not having a macro lens. With a macro lens, this picture would be sharper, even before editing. My kit lens did a decent job though. I think the 50mm lens I have wouldn’t have worked because I was having trouble getting any closer to the bee.
So, what do you think? do you like sepia for this particular subject matter? Your comments are welcome in the comments section.
Cheers!
Photography Journal Blog 
As you say, using an 18-55 lens means you would have to get in closer and scare it away. Sometimes it’s lens over macro. I wish that I could get in close to bees and especially butterflies 🙂
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I also like to get close shots of butterflies, they are always a challenge, at least for me.
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Yeah when I got the shot I did last year I was happy. It’s nowhere near as good as some of them that I see, but I was fairly happy with it. Maybe one day, I’ll get a good shot of one. I can hope
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You and me both 🙂 I do love getting out there and giving it a try though. You should also see my huge collection of not so great hummingbird pictures.
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Haha I’ll bet. The ones you do post though are fantastic.
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It is funny and ironic. I was deleting some files the other day, and deleted some horrible hummingbird shots, including more than one where the bird wasn’t even in the scene any more…
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I’ve got to go through mine and delete the naff ones
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Nothing like a little bit of electronic housework 🙂
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Haha yes 😀 Once I’ve deleted the jpg’s I then have to delete the corresponding RAW’s. That bit will be the slow bit as they don’t have previews
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OK, now you have made me very(! ) glad I have previews!
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🙂
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Yes, I really like what you have done with the cropping and the sepia tone. It creates an intimate atmosphere like we are in there with the bee, I think the sepia monotone has a unifying effect because it decreases the colour contrast between the bee and the flowers, allowing us it focus on shape and texture.
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Thanks, I agree that the cropping really helps this image. I tried a black and white version, but really liked the sepia better I think for reasons that you just mentioned. Thank you for commenting.
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Pingback: Another day, Another bee | Photography Journal Blog
Love the sepia effect, but the forst one does look very like Spring. 🙂
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You are right, I guess sepia might not be the first choice for spring!
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I like both pictures. However, I do like the crop and sepia!!
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Thanks, and I know you are busy so thanks for continuing to drop by!
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Never too busy to check out great photography and a kind person’s blog 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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A close up of my dreams. Well done!
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Thanks so much, and thank you for visiting.
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