Rattlesnake Master and Bumblebee Continued

Rattlesnake Master and Bumblebee

This one was shot at EC + 2 if I remember correctly.  We almost lost the entire background to over exposure but the plant and bee are well exposed.  This, however; was not my favorite variation.

Rattlesnake Master and Bumblebee

This is an HDR variation comprised of 5 different exposures ranging from - 4 to + 4 and combined in Photomatix software.  We have no lost detail and it conveys the feel of early morning with the sun low in the east.  You can see the heavy dew on the plant and insect and understand why the bee is not flying.  The sky makes an interesting background.  I removed the background distractions at the bottom with the "clone" and "healing" tools.  The lack of distraction makes the image even more powerful.  The rim lighting is dramatic.  The number of heads on the plant is strong.  It is sharply in focus as I used "live view" on the camera to focus.

Rattlesnake Master and Bumblebee

This is yet another view of the same scene.  It lacks deep DOF but the subject is sharply focused.

I have been looking for a similar scene as I had another thought about it since the shoot.  This, the first five shots not the last, would have been an ideal opportunity to use "spot" metering on the 7D.  The spot covers 2.3% of the screen and would probably give an ideal exposure for the bee and plant.  The first shot on this page is a close approximation using Evaluative Metering.