When photographing flowers I like to get really ‘up close and personal’; to peer deep into their hearts. And if an insect such as a bee wants to join me on that adventure, so much the better.
Dr B has challenged us this week to see how close we can go. I don’t have any specialist equipment for macro photography so I would define these images as close-ups rather than real macro shots.
The first and last images were taken this week especially for this challenge. But with flowers still in fairly short supply this early in the year, the rest are either taken locally last summer or elsewhere in England in previous summers.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
William Blake
30 Comments
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Tracey
I literally said “wow!”
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tracey, I appreciate that ☺
restlessjo
These are really fabulous, Sarah! 🙂 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Jo 🙂
Terri Webster Schrandt
Stunning collection, Sarah. I love close up photography especially florals. The bees and dragonflies make the image that much more special. I end up using my phone on zoom for these shots and macros. I’ve had a few bees chase me away though!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Terri 🙂 Oh yes, you need a decent zoom to get this close to the bees in particular!
maristravels
Absolutely stunning shots and I can only sit back in amazement. I can’t believe how close you got in some of those shots and I couldn’t choose a favourite from among the ones you’ve posted. A brilliant collection.
Sarah Wilkie
Wow, thanks so much Mari – I’m blushing 😊😊
wetanddustyroads
Great work Sarah! The one photo is as beautiful as the next one … but I do like that close up of the tulip 🌟 … oh yes, and the photo where the bee’s wings are almost translucent!
And what a funny name is “dog rose” 😁.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Corna 😀 I was happy that the tulip one turned out so well as I took it with my phone which isn’t always so good for close-up shots. Oh, and ‘dog rose’ is a name we use for wild roses – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina
wetanddustyroads
Thanks for that … now I understand where the name “dog rose” comes from (rose canina … but dog rose is so much easier to remember 😉).
Anna
Great shots!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anna 🙂
lisaonthebeach
These are beautiful photos! I have a special love for bees, they are so fascinating! And I love bugs. You can find some very cool creatures in flowers! Nice job!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Lisa 🙂 Yes, I love to watch bees at work!
Ryan Garden
Great photos I particularly love the shot of the Allium and the bee. Like you when photographing flowers I love to be able to get up close & it’s always special when a bee or other insect gets in on the action.
Roll on Spring so there can be more flowers in bloom to photograph. I need to get out more with my camera.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ryan 🙂 Yes, it’s great to have a bee or other insect in the shot – I just wish they’d stay still a bit longer so I could capture them more often! There were several buzzing around that blossom but I couldn’t manage to grab a decent shot there 🙁 And yes, I agree, roll on spring and spring flowers!!
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Each one is more beautiful than the last. Well done!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Suzanne 🙂
Simone
Love those!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Simone 😘
margaret21
Lovely! And venture in your own back garden – or not very far afield, anyway.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 🙂 Although none of these was actually taken in our back yard, I can go one better, as the tulip was (and still is!) in our front room 😂 A pretty bunch bought in M&S a few days ago 🙂
Dr B
Absolutely perfect 👍👏👏👏
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m really pleased you like it – although I can’t promise not to go off-piste in the future 😆
Dr B
Well, if folks go off piste, there’s no point in having a piste🤦♂️
Sarah Wilkie
Hmmm – but without a piste we couldn’t go off it 😂 Maybe I’m seeing the piste as suggesting a rough area and direction of travel rather a very fixed route?
Dr B
Then you don’t need a piste at all. The challenge I have tried to run is about challenging your camera, and the theme each week is to gently at first get people thinking about using the camera in different ways. Colour splash was getting folks to think about seeing colour differently even before taking an image, close up was to ask people to challenge their camera in terms of focus whether it’s an iPhone or a digital camera. The kitchen one was to lead into the close up challenge. They are all connected. But if people go off piste or just take images from an existing archive then tell me, how are they challenging their camera, because some of my themes will get more difficult.
Sarah Wilkie
I do understand where you’re coming from. I guess my view is that I already do try to challenge my camera, so in response to your theme I would try to find examples of that which could be from my archive or taken especially. As I have here, mixing archive and recent shots with one taken deliberately, the tulip 😀
It’s an interesting debate 🙂