How to Photograph Bees On the Move
Photographing on the move!
Taking photographs of moving organisms is challenging, particularly when you want to get them at the right angle! However, your pictures don't have to be perfect or artistic. We just need to be able to see the diagnostic features clearly and up-close. It takes some practice, but before long you will become a skilled member of the bee paparazzi. The goal is to take several detailed, focused images of the bees from different angles to aid in identifying the insect to species. In order to identify bumble bees through photographs, we need to be able to see:
the top of the head
the thorax (middle section)
the full abdomen (3rd segment) of the bee - including all "stripes". This one can be challenging, but it is very important. Some bees will fold their wings back when they are not flying, so we encourage photos "on the wing" when the bee has her wings extended for flying.
Here are some tips that might help:
Get close! Fill the image with the bee and the flower it is visiting. Bees are very unlikely to sting unless they feel threatened, so don’t be afraid to get close! However, they will sometimes fly away it you get too close. Try to take your photos at a distance of about 5-10 inches away from the bee. Macro settings are ideal for close-up photographs; just look for the flower icon!
Get multiple angles. Ideally, you will want great photographs of: (a) Top (dorsal) view of the head and body and (b) Side (lateral) view of the head and body
Use technology to your advantage
Use the 'live' feature, if your phone or camera has one. Your camera then takes a short video. You can change which specific frame from that video becomes the "Key Photo". Just select the "Edit" button for the photograph. Check out our Tutorial for turning on the 'live' feature on iPhones.
Use 'burst' feature, if your phone or camera has one. This works very similarly to the live feature. Your camera takes multiple photographs in quick succession, and you can choose which ones to upload. Check out our Tutorial for turning on the 'burst' feature on Androids
Take a short video, potentially using the ‘slowmo’ feature. You will need to convert that video to a photograph by taking screen-shot of the video. Go to "Edit" the video and select your preferred frame. Then pressing the Power and Volume button (Android) or Power and Home button (iPhone) to capture a screen-shot of that frame.
Invest in a macro-lens to get up-close shots of those smaller bees! We recommend an attachment with a focal length of 2 inches or greater so you do not have to get as close to bees and are less likely to scare them this way. We found that the Apexel Macro 100mm worked for us, but there are lot of options out there to try! You may not need as close of a photo for a larger bee, so if you utilize one of these attachments it would be good to practice taking it on and off.
Bee Patient! Live organisms don't always do what we want or expect them to do. So just be patient, let the bees come to you, and be ready to act fast when they do.
Practice, Practice, Practice! It takes time and practices to figure out what works best for you and your camera. Try out some different approaches to find the best one for you before starting your first official survey.
