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Shooting Bees with the kit lens

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 5:52 pm
by paulvdb1
Finally got to play in a garden with some flowers in it!

I thought I'd have a play with my D70s at shooting bees, since I would never have tried this with my old film camera. I really enjoyed having a range of shots to play with and trying a range of speeds and exposures. Only PPing was to get contrast right and a bit of USM.

Overall I'm really happy with the kit lens - for the money it's unbeatable.

Image

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:11 pm
by nito
Hey Paul, for poor people like me the kit lens is it! Well until I can get my fiancee to buy me a 70-200 VR. :cry:

You know when you are under the thumb, when the missus puts a one lens per year restriction so I guess I better make it count.

In the mean time the kit lens is excellent. I enjoy shooting with it the most followed by my 50 mm 1.8.

I think the bee shot is excellent. I prefer colour to attract people to the shot, but that is my own personal preference. May be worth while increasing saturation just a little.

Thanks for sharing. :D

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:55 pm
by paulvdb1
nito wrote:In the mean time the kit lens is excellent. I enjoy shooting with it the most followed by my 50 mm 1.8.

I think the bee shot is excellent. I prefer colour to attract people to the shot, but that is my own personal preference. May be worth while increasing saturation just a little.

Thanks for sharing. :D


I like my 50 as well - still need to try out outdoors.

The sat was higher in PS but when I saved for Web it lost a lot.

This one i pushed up the sat a bit to protect the colours...

Image

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:32 pm
by informer
The first one looked kind of busy to me. A lot of information there.

For this reason, I prefer the second one though I prefer looking at the flowers than at the bee.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 9:57 pm
by paulvdb1
informer wrote:The first one looked kind of busy to me. A lot of information there.

For this reason, I prefer the second one though I prefer looking at the flowers than at the bee.

Well noted - next time I'm visiting the relos and shooting bees in their backyard I'll take secateurs with me :lol:

Just thought it's be interesting to try out to see whether the camera can capture bees OK or whether they'd just be a blur.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:10 pm
by mudder
G'day Paul,
The kit lens is a beauty, once you're on the lens merry go round, then it's a 50F1.x, then a... :lol:

Great shot, prefer the first as the highlights in the second and the butt shot of the bee :shock: doesn't do it for me as much as the detail in the first...

Cheers.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 10:17 pm
by paulvdb1
mudder wrote:G'day Paul,
The kit lens is a beauty, once you're on the lens merry go round, then it's a 50F1.x, then a... :lol:


Hi Mudder - my lens lust lasted about a week. I bought the 50mm 1.8 on ebay as a second-hand item a few weeks ago.

That gives me the kit lens, the Sigma 70-300 and the 50. Next item is most likely a TC and maybe a Flash some day. I've got an old flash from my film camera that seems work quite OK - manually.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:43 am
by informer
Basically Paul I know what bees look like, but never really been very very close to one, now that would be a shot worth risking if you know what I mean!

Here was my last shot of a bee :

Image

Using a D50 and kit lens and unedited (like most of my photos).

I couldn't get any closer and wish I could see the eyes and face a bit more and maybe in flight like in your first picture.

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 8:58 am
by paulvdb1
informer wrote:Basically Paul I know what bees look like, but never really been very very close to one, now that would be a shot worth risking if you know what I mean!

Here was my last shot of a bee :

Using a D50 and kit lens and unedited (like most of my photos).

I couldn't get any closer and wish I could see the eyes and face a bit more and maybe in flight like in your first picture.


My bees were a bit touchy - as soon as I got close they flew away. I'll try next time with the 70-300 on macro which I did't have with me.