Nothing says high summer like bumble bees in the Blanket Flower in the sun. And, of course, the bee adds interest to what would otherwise be just another portrait of a flower…not that a Blanket Flower portrait would be without interest in itself…I love the range of reds and oranges. Taken in our yard one morning last week.

This is a telephoto macro, taken in the Nikon Coolpix P500’s Close Up mode with the zoom setting overridden to 320mm equivalent field of view. The reach is good when working with bees, as I am somewhat allergic, but it also offers better separation from the background. With a small sensor camera you need all the background help you can get.

f5.5 @ 1/400th @ ISO 160. Close Up Mode.

Processed in Lightroom for Clarity and Sharpness.

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