Submitter's name:	Joel Wilcox
Title:	Bee among climatus blossoms
Gear used:	OM-1 chrome, winder 2, Zuiko 90/f2
Diaphragm:	f2.8
Shutter speed:	1/500
Film used:	Fuji Superia 400
Technical information:	Focusing was accomplished roughly by keying on the blossom selected by the bee and then moving slightly forward and back to capture the bee in optimum focus -- easier said than done. Bees don't linger long and I've never been able to interpret when they will suddenly take off, not to mention the fact that they are always moving. I wanted a subject and a shallow enough DOF to produce significant blur in both the foreground and background of the shot. Handholding the camera is essential and a winder is very convenient in this situation.
Subject information:	This very fragrant climatus climbs profusely up one corner of our rear deck. Its blossoms are worked extensively both by bees and monarch butterflies, though I have yet to catch a monarch. Since I am a bokeh skeptic, I had truly wanted to submit a "good bokeh" shot from an unexpected source, like my Tokina 60-300/4, and I had the image, but it was yet another portrait of my daughter, who is already becoming the poster child for ADITL and TOPE, so Mr. Bee got the nod. And the 90/f2 is nonpareil, whether you believe in bokeh or not.
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Comments:

Comment left by: Olaf Greve (ogreve@hotmail.com)

Great shop on getting the bee so sharp! Nice composition too.

Comment left by: Giles (no e-mail specified)

Sceptic or not, the bokeh in this shot is lovely. I like the interplay of light and shadow. Great technique.

Comment left by: Warren (wkato@aol.com)

Nice example of bokeh. The various flowers are in various phases of being out-of-focus and show bokeh well, in addition to being a well-composed and exposed photo.

Comment left by: Steve Goss (steveg3@flash.net)

Much better than the "Bee on a Sunflower" that I thought of entering. As far as being a skeptic, would you rather have gotten all the flowers in focus?

Comment left by: Alasdair Mackintosh (vanda@dtn.ntl.com)

There is an added three-dimensionality to the scene produced by the fact that both the foreground and the background flowers are out of focus. If the depth of field had been larger, the entire composition would have looked flatter. As it is, the out-of-focus elements make the bee and the flower really stand out.

Comment left by: siddiq (siddim01@student.ucr.edu)

well, after seeing the other 90/2 shots, i must say, i want one (surprise surprise)! tack sharp for things in focus, "impressionistic" for out of focus parts...must be quite a piece of well engineered glass. quite a feat focussing the way you did, on an active insect, no less! tried that, very hard to pull of a good shot.

Comment left by: Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com)

Out of focus flowers and the composition of this shot leave no doubt as to what is the subject (the bee). This is a clever shot IMHO.

Comment left by: Keith Berry (k.berry@telinco.co.uk)

What an attractive blonde bee! It's helped to keep the whole composition light and airy.

Comment left by: Jay Maynard (jmaynard@conmicro.cx)

The 90/2 really shows why it has its stellar reputation in this image. The out-of-focus flowers draw the eye toward the real subject.

Comment left by: Bryan Pilati (bpilati@yahoo.com)

The limited depth-of-field really brings out the subject, and focuses your attention. The fact that the flowers are all white also contributes. Nice!

Comment left by: Sameer Sultan (no e-mail specified)

Very contrasty and sharp. Nicely done!

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