Bee Assassin Bug

[Nancy Bell]

I was photographing the lilies in my yard and discovered this rather large and imposing Bee Assassin Bug. It seemed willing to stay inside the flower so I carried flower and bug inside to my homemade studio of a cardboard box lined with white paper. (An idea I got on this forum, thank you!). That way I could add flash as well as sit comfortably and not do contortions in my flower bed or be bitten by ants and ticks. It's a wild, wild world out there :S3:! I released this critter right back where I found him. I imagine him telling his friends he was kidnapped by an Alien & had bright lights flashed in his eyes! But he stood his ground and eventually scared the Alien away!

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100 Macro, tripod, 1/160, f16, ISO 100, ETTL +2/3, 2 sec timer.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Wonderful composition and exposure I like the image as it is but two things spring to mind:
1. I am assuming that he was stationary if so I would have got the image you have and then done a focus stack.
2. I would then have gone a little less close to emphasise the fact he is in a large flower head.
I think it is a striking image and I will be looking hard for similar scenarios in my back garden.

[Ron Conlon]

The backstory and the photo itself are of a piece, a wonderful portrait of aggressive attitude and a certain obliviousness. If there are high key photos, perhaps this one is high T.
I part with Jon on the stacking, I think the dof works well here. If you stacked you would bring to the notice the bg behind the bug, and I think it might detract attention from the little aggressor. The rim of flower in focus around the edge of the frame is unorthodox but works wonderfully. Perhaps removing some specular highlights on the legs would help. Very cool.

[John Robinson]

Yes, a good desciptive intro Nancy.
The large expanse of flower makes this for me and then the bug position to boot. Surprised you got hiome to stay in situ after the transportation which to the bug would be the equivalent on us doing a world trip !!

Like it !
John

[MiroslavMaric]

Like the frame, tone and description. As Jon said FS could be the solution for > DOF but I like as it is. Agree with Ron about light. TFS.

[Nancy Bell]

Thanks all for your comments! Much appreciated!

[Adhika Lie]

I really like this composition, Nancy. I actually like this "close up" composition and not having the entire flower visible. It gives some sort of colorful cave feeling to it.

[Nancy Bell]

Thank you Adhika. Colorful cave is exactly what I wanted!