Yes....there's focus stacking.....but they never stop moving! No noise at ISO 64,000 and f128.....I can dream can't I!
From a local garden park......spent a few hours trying......100's of images.....only a few with HA, body angle, and sharpness I found acceptable!
Canon 1D Mark lll with the Sigma 180mm macro and 25 mm tube HH at ISO 1600 at f29 for 1/80 sec and the MT24 twin lights at minus 1/3. Noise ninja run on BG and 1 flash highlight removed off left eye. Full frame.
You used f29 and you think it's not sharp enough? Are you kidding me, Roman? I think it's wonderful! I can see every little hair, every bit of his legs, his face, his body...I got no trouble with this one at all. Even the yellows are well balanced and the angle of the bee is great - giving us lots of eye contact but still showing off his wings and body.
would be nice to have f/128 :) even f/64 ..... and of course, the lenses that could handle that (and didn't weigh a ton!).... The concept of focus stacking a shot of an insect or bug is interesting, but not very practicable, is it? Too bad we couldn't somehow tell our cameras to shift focus points as they moved thru a burst. Maybe in 5 years.
Anyway, I'm babbling and this is still, despite your lack of f/128, a well executed shot with lots of detail.
Most excellent " busy as a bee " photograph. Like your use of yellow on black colors in this one. Lovely sharpness throughout. Hear you on taking 100's of photos HH to get a great one.
Thanks for sharing...
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Really like this image, Roman! Can't add much more than already said above. BTW do you ever stop dreaming? :D Guess that is the reason you are constantly upping the ante and that is a good thing.