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The variety and size range of bee types here is amazing. To put this

one in perspective, largest of these flax flowers, are an inch across.

And there are still smaller bee types. C&C appreciated!

Beautiful shot Sandy! May be only a little bit over exposed, don't you? But I love it! All the best. MAx

Max -- you are right -- the morning light is very sharp here.  Good and bad -- lets me do macro without flash, but the range is challenging.  I bumped a version in PP that works a bit better, I think. I'll post that as well.

Thanks, Sandy

Less contrast would be advisable

Cheers

PDE

Pierre, thanks! I'll give it another try.  S                  

This is not a bee, it is a hover fly.

Sometimes a bit of shade to protect from the glare of full sun can help bring the dynamic range down to a level which the sensor can handle.  Even the shade from your hand will work.

Simply lowering the exposure would not solve the problem as it would make the hover fly go black and lose all detail.

Gordon, Thanks! Useful info.  I did notice in the second version I lost some details on the insect.  So far, except for one session with on camera flash, it has been camera and lens alone or with 2X extender.  I have a plan to modify a flash bracket, that might allow some options.  I don't have the patience for tripods, and probably wouldn't have gotten most of the insects if I had used one.  I can think of a variety of simple options to produce shade -- as basic as a garden stake and a bit of foamcore.  Thanks again, Sandy

Sandy, I carry pieces of foamcore in my pack both white and black. I also use a small white cheap plastic dollar store umbrella. It acts as a diffuser without lower the light level too much since you want those higher shutter speeds for bugs' n blooms .

Gordon B, another excellent suggestion, Thanks!  Next time I'm in town, I'll have to check out the umbrellas. Best, Sandy

Sandy,

I have a few suggestions. You mentioned morning light. I would suggest trying even earlier or late afternoon when you can have the same quality of light and with some warm tone for added bonus. Also afternoon light remains diffused and less sharp for a longer period than in the morning due to the day's pollutants in the air.

The fly's features are very well discerned at the expense of the flower. In these high contrast situations, ring led lights sometimes work great by filling in the shadows and lowering the contrast (a poor man's choice in leu of the expensive TTL metering enabled ring flash).

F32 is good for increased depth of field in a macro shot, but it also can make the image less sharp due to diffraction effects. I would probably go down to maximum F16. Since you were using F32, your ISO was raised to 1600 even in bright light, and that also reduced your dynamic range leading to more blown highlights.

You can use a slower shutter speed, if you put the camera on a tripod. I think it works in a more controlled fashion, if instead of chasing insects, you settle on a flower, set the camera on a tripod and compose the scene first. Then you can wait for the insect to move in, preferably with a cable release in hand and exposure bracketing enabled. If you choose a high insect activity area, you have better chance of getting a quality shot that way. Insects are more likely to fly away if you 'approach' them as opposed to waiting motionless.

Supriyo -- many thanks for your suggestions, I will certainly try some of them.  Here in Montana, unless there are major wildfires, or wind is blowing dust, we have no air pollution except in the cities. The morning light seems "cooler" to me, and certainly the air is a good bit cooler on a hot day. It would be hard for me to choose between morning or late afternoon light. I will try increasing the aperture in order to reduce ISO.  I suppose tripods will always be a limiting factor for me -- I have a good old one which I use on rare occasions, but my preference has always been to move and shoot.  I am used to holding steady because I target shoot as well, so sometimes I get a better result than I should. Again, I much appreciate the advice and time you took to comment.  All the best wishes, Sandy