coyote's photos

That's just stunning.

Oh wow - gorgeous!

I only see these guys at picnics when the burgers are ready...

cool macro

It may not be this particular type wasp that's visiting your picnic table. This is a European paper wasp, as opposed to a yellow jacket. Yellow jackets have black antennae instead of orange. EPWs eat nectar and other insects, especially caterpillars, but I'm not sure they like hamburger. Maybe they do, I've just never read that anywhere. FYI: they feed the protein-based foods to the new larvae.

I'm glad one of us knows... personally, I was always too busy watchout for the other end to ever notice the color of the antennae

European paper wasps are quite docile. They tend to ignore people for the most part. Yellow jackets are notoriously aggressive and unpredictable. The only time I've had a 'problem' with the paper wasps is when they built a nest next to my raspberry patch, which then became their food source. I learned that I had to pick the berries early in the morning or evening when the wasps were sleepy. If I tried to pick when they were actively 'foraging,' one of them would politely bonk me in the head to get me to leave. If I stayed past the second bonk, he'd go get some buddies. That wasn't much fun, so I developed a two-bonk limit. Never got stung, though.

A stunning macro shot. Knockout!

Thanks! I feel really fortunate to have had success with that shot. I had to position the camera quickly, and shoot pretty much blindly. The camera could easily have focused on the flower bud instead of the wasp.

After you've told me that I'm now going to hang my macro lens up. Even with time & the right conditions, I still wouldn't come as close as getting stunning a shot as this. Awesome.

Oh, silly you :-) The most amazing thing to me is that I managed to capture this image with a little point-and-shoot camera, my friend's Canon Powershot A620. Years ago, I began my macro photography adventure while using a predecessor to the A620 -- the A80. When I switched to D-SLR and a dedicated macro lens, I was astonished by the increase in difficulty re. getting good shots. Of course, at the time, I knew nothing about the 'proper' way to do it, and learned primarily by experience only. I know now that one is supposed to use a tripod or monopod, manual camera settings and a high-speed external flash. But I rarely do that. It feels like cheating to me, and I have such feelings of compassion toward insects, I don't want to intimidate them with the flash! Kooky, I know...

Not Kooky (I love that word) at all. I too use a dedicated macro lens & often find it very unforgiving. I use a Canon 100mm f2-8 USM whilst fast focusing, can become quite heavy, if hand holding, after a time. I try to use a tripod, mostly in the garden if I find something interesting, but out in the field (as it where) I find it a hindrance not to mention a weight after a while. Great for shooting stuff that isn't going anywhere like plants etc, but hopeless if shooting insects & Butterflies. Of course I'll never stop trying to get "the shot". Seeing shots like this inspire me to try harder. But mostly they fill me with deep admiration for the person who took it. & if I never get it? Well I'll have had fun trying. The day I stop having fun photographing things, well, that really will be the day I put everything away. Even me!

My sentiments, exactly! If it's not fun, it's not worth it :-)

I, too, have the 100mm macro, Sadly, I rarely use it, having discovered the beauty of Canon's 60mm f/2.8 macro. What a difference! It's half the size and weight of the 100mm, and I can actually take pictures with it one-handed. (I use a 30D body that has a grip big enough to make that possible.) If you get a chance to try out the 60mm, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

If you're interested in some of the macro techniques I've developed through trial and error, feel free to message me via Fotothing 'mail.' I'm all about helping folks get more fun out of their photographic experience.