click photo to enlarge
Every now and then an accidental photographic exposure produces a result that is more desirable than the ones to which you give careful consideration. This image is a case in point. I was wandering around the garden with the macro lens on the camera, taking a few snaps of flowers, when I noticed a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) moving from bloom to bloom on the cornflowers. I took several shots of the busy insect, then went inside to have a look at my haul of pictures. Most of them were technically fine, but boring. This one, however, stood out. The bee had just taken off and I'd moved the lens to follow it and snap it in flight. It was a futile task at these kinds of shutter speed, I know, but it was a reflex action prompted by who knows what.The result pleases me for a number of reasons. Firstly, I like the orange-red of the bee's tail as it buzzes off. Secondly, I like the fact that nothing in the image is sharp and the bee least of all. Thirdly, the overall mix of colours, especially the tones of geen and yellow in the background are pleasing. And finally, without me planning it, I have a further shot in my on-going collection of motion-blurred images!
photograph and text (c) T. Boughen
Camera: Canon
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 100mm
F No: f8
Shutter Speed: 1/100
ISO: 100
Exposure Compensation: 0 EV
Image Stabilisation: On
