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ronragan

Catching a buzz

Updated: May 2, 2022

It really amazes me that my Samsung S20 cell phone camera can take such a crisp, semi-close-up photo, without much effort. I just stuck my phone in front of this bee in this bee and spoke to the camera, "cheese!" The bee smiled, the camera shutter clicked, and the rest is history.

I was surprised. Technically speaking, this is a "macro" photo (of sorts). I had to use Samsung's built-in software to zoom in on the bee. Still, the pixels in the image held together quite well.


Also, by getting close to the bee, the camera lens automatically created a short depth of field (the part of the picture that is in focus). The background is out of focus, soft, a nice, smooth, creamy "bokeh" that you would normally see on more expensive SLR cameras.


As for technique, picture composition is straight forward. I did try to position the photo so the main light (early morning diffused light) was behind the bee, thus creating a nice "rim-lighting" effect where you can see the bee's hair follicles.


The real key to good insect photography is having your phone at the ready. You must know how to use your phone camera well enough to get the camera open and focused on your subject quickly. I promise you; this bee was on the move!

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