Gerard Blair
About the Image(s)
I went to the local state park (well woods) but got trapped in the parking lot by an abundance of wild flowers.
However, I was not alone.
Canon EOS 6D Mark II - TAMRON SP 90mm F/2.8 Di VC USD MACRO1:1 F017
ISO200 f/8.0 1/100
This round’s discussion is now closed!
11 comments posted
Bev Caine
(Groups 24 & 48 & 58)
(Groups 24 & 48 & 58)
The subject is interesting, but I think it would have stood out better in color. I find the blurred background somewhat distracting and think the bee would have been a better contrast against color   Posted: 10/03/2021 08:37:11
Gerard Blair
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I do recognize that the background is distracting, but for this image I was hoping for the sort of monster, nightmare, 1920's horror film appeal - and so I actually liked the background shapes which to my eyes were repeating the shape of the visible legs as though there were more beyond. In color it is a picture of a bee on a flower, in using B&W I was going for ominous and foreboding ... whether I achieved that though is up to the viewer.   Posted: 10/03/2021 13:19:09
Michael Hrankowski
(Groups 3 & 83)
(Groups 3 & 83)
Gerard, when I first saw your image, it called to mind a sci-fi film from the late '50s called "Them". A nuclear test caused ants to grow to enormous proportions. I was five years old and it scared the bejesus out of me....so you achieved your goal! At first, I was also distracted by the blurry background and wanted to see greater separation between subject and background. But the more I looked at it I, too, started to imagine that the indistinct shapes were the legs of an army of other bees - or maybe spiders - and they were coming to get me.   Posted: 10/03/2021 15:42:31
Michael Hrankowski
(Groups 3 & 83)
(Groups 3 & 83)
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!   Posted: 10/03/2021 18:45:56
Barbara Asacker
Hi Gerard
You were very lucky this bee monster didn't attack you while you were so close. The bee looks like he is coming out of the frame ready to attack. Your feat was accomplished.
Good focus on his face.
  Posted: 10/04/2021 11:18:53
You were very lucky this bee monster didn't attack you while you were so close. The bee looks like he is coming out of the frame ready to attack. Your feat was accomplished.
Good focus on his face.
  Posted: 10/04/2021 11:18:53
Gerard Blair
Thanks Barbara - in fact I took several shots of the bee and only one was in focus on the face: even at f/8.0 it is so hard to catch a moving target in macro :-(   Posted: 10/05/2021 08:29:43
Peter Elliston
Gerard, yes I can see the monster effect you were aiming for. This turns the bee into something quite terrifying! I think I would consider a slight crop of the base up to where the flower becomes sharper as out of focus base and blurred background make this quite unsettling - but maybe that is a good thing if it fits your original intention.   Posted: 10/05/2021 12:09:22
Interesting image, I get the monster/movie references but I also think that the background is too distracting as my eye loses the bee to the background. Maybe soften the background and crop some additional image off of the bottom to bring the bee more attention.   Posted: 10/09/2021 03:55:12
Linda M Medine
I agree with a lots of what has been said. I feel like you can do many things with this image. But, after reading your description. I would leave the background that looks like the more legs. I changed it to a sepia color. I really like the detail you have in the bee and the flower. I used a radial filter in camera raw to bring out the bee. Very good storytelling image.
  Posted: 10/12/2021 13:47:20
  Posted: 10/12/2021 13:47:20
Gerard Blair
It does indeed draw the eye in - a useful addition to so stylized an image   Posted: 10/12/2021 14:54:13