Macro photos of a honey bee and bumblebee

Taking macro photos from a honey bee or a bumblebee is not that difficult under a bright sun, allowing a fast shutter speed with a small aperture to create a large field of depth. Just sit in front of a flower which is visited regularly by them and take photos when they come along.

From a distance bumblebees and honey bees look the same, but from nearby there are differences which help in identifying the correct species:

Honey bees		Bumblebees
Shorter, wasp-like bodies about 2-2.5 cm Fuzzy torso, streaked abdomen, and thin wings Have shorter tongues and prefer shallower, open flowers		Fatter, rounder, and fuzzier bodies ranging 2-5 cm Yellow, orange and/or black in colouring with thicker, blockier stripes/bands Have longer tongues so can enjoy a wider range of flowers

These insects can be encountered everywhere; my famous spots are our garden and a nearby nursery. Most of the photos have been taken with a dedicated macro lens; either the Nikon 105mm or the Tamron 90mm lens.