Macro Bee Photography with Kristi Odom

[@csc-photo]

Always love Kristi's enthusiasm, knowledge, and talent - great content!

[@BandH]

Kristi is so great! We love her photos.

[@kristiodom600]

I appreciate you so much!

[@LouisaLee63]

Super cool images! Thanks for sharing!!

[@BandH]

Thanks for watching!

[@kristiodom600]

Thank you for watching!!

[@jhoytva]

Loved it!

[@kristiodom600]

Thank you John!!

[@JimEmbury]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@kristiodom600]

Thank you for watching!!

[@satyanarayanld8278]

Very nice video

[@BandH]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kristiodom600]

Thank you :)

[@jasonhughes3481]

Shout out to that Z9 autofocus for actually being able to track a tiny bee in flight. With a 1 second exposure I wonder how many bees still managed to fly out of focus before the flash went. A cool technique when it did succeed through! I love pope shields and things like that, but always think that a more dynamic and creative lighting setup is the best way to go for macro, even if you've just got a couple of lights.

[@danwhitton7966]

What an incredible technique using a second flash to freeze the action in a long shutter that also captures a trail. My head hurts.

[@l31007]

No live footage?

[@geneboyd523]

Neat

[@kristiodom600]

❤

[@afargreencountry6324]

Way too much talking…..

[@tiktokfavorite3070]

You mentioned that flash can harm insects, so what about those Instagram photos of insects where they use focus stacking with multiple flashes? With 20-30 or at least 10 flashes fired, do you think it can harm the insects? Despite taking macro pictures for the last three years, I've always been concerned about this and avoided trying focus stacking. I asked many Instagram and KZbin vloggers about it, and they assured me it wouldn't harm them. However, last week, I attempted focus stacking for the first time, and after taking 3 or 4 shots of a bee that had just flown to a flower, it froze and ultimately died. Witnessing this traumatized me, leading me to decide never to use continuous flash on insects or animals again. When I shared my experience in a macro photography channel, many argued that flash doesn't harm insects, while you're saying it can. Nevertheless, I've decided to refrain from using the focus stacking method on live insects anymore due to the risk it poses. It's puzzling why platforms like Instagram allow such photos, and I've searched websites without finding any biologists discussing it. If I recall correctly, B&H had posted videos on how to take pictures of live insects using focus stacking.

[@kristiodom600]

I so appreciate your comments. I always talk with a biologist and these pictures were all taken while an entomologist was there and helping make sure not a bee or anything was harmed. These specific bees did not have a reaction at all. I have never tried to focus stack with flash on a live insect, but I am super curious if that does negatively harm insects. Reach out to your local Audubon or find a local entomologist to ask. I always ask the science community. Please keep me posted on what you find and thank you for your love and respect for insects and their well being!

[@tiktokfavorite3070]

@kristiodom600 Thank you so much for your reply, and sure, i will let you know

[@stephencarmickle]

I highly doubt your flash killed that bee. The sun is brighter and more dangerous than a flash.

[@Ldarro]

I had never heard that flash can harm insects. I shot adult insects, spiders, and nymphs, big and tiny. A few of them could react to the flash with little movements, but usually, they didn't notice it, continuing to make their deal and not even trying to fly away. As the previous responder said, the sun have much longer and more intensive light. So, invertebrates' eyes do not have eyelids; they do not close their eyes, constantly being in the sun and seeing it, oriented by it. Their organ of vision is much more resistant to bright light than ours.