# Most dangerous shots ever!



## Overread

Yep I risked life and limb for these shots!






f11, 1/200, ISO 100
Taken with Canon 400D and MPE 65mm macro
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4978894089_8059ea1e39_b.jpg





f7.1, 1/200, ISO 100
Taken with Canon 400D and MPE 65mm macro
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4979501986_0e3e162b65_b.jpg

Well ok maybe not quite life and limb; the hornet was sitting on the side of the door frame on a damp cool morning. In fact rather like a bee hornets really do appear very sluggish in the mornings, apt to move in jerky circles as they try to move around and warm up. I'm also not sure, but I think they can't disconnect their wing muscles from their wings to let them move them to help warm up (some bees do this and you can hear it, but I didn't hear this hornet making any sounds even as he moved around later).


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## koalazf

amazing photos!

you put yout life in risk?.. ehehe


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## mwcfarms

awesome pictures. I have a wasps nest underneath my deck but Im too chicken to get near it.


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## ajkramer87

How many pictures is the stack?


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## Overread

Many thanks for the compliments guys! 



mwcfarms said:


> awesome pictures. I have a wasps nest underneath my deck but Im too chicken to get near it.



Don't know if I'd go near a wasps nest (without some protection!) but if you've got a lot of wasps you can cut up some fruit and leave it out; they'll flock in and promptly get drunk on the juice. Then they are very docile and really don't mind you at all (though they will land on you and might be sluggish in taking off - just don't hit them and you should be fine)




ajkramer87 said:


> How many pictures is the stack?



1 - these are both single shots - I did try a stack but my angle was a bit wrong and I'm a little out of practice with handheld stacks.


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## Robin Usagani

Nice!  Reminds me of that movie.. District 9


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## Mustlovedragons

Oh no, I agree with you 100%. you DEFINITELY risked life and limb!!!!! Aside from that, the pix are awesome! C-R-E-E-P-Y, but awesome!


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## sleist

With a 65mm you must have been very close.  Very nice shots.  Excellent composition.  The background colors compliment the subject very well.  I love #1 - you can see how narrow the DOF is and yet you nailed the focus on the eyes and antennae without focus stacking.

Nice work!


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## Dominantly

WOW. Great clarity, I'm Mc lovin those shots!


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## mmartin

Great shots, love the sharpness.


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## bobnr32

Fantastic shots.
A hornet's sting is worse than a wasp's and bee's combined, so they say on Wikipedia.


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## Derrel

The first shot is absolutely stupendous man!!! NICE shot! Gorgeous lighting, a nice angle on the bug, and overall just a good,interesting, well-framed "look" at him.


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## Arkanjel Imaging

Ya, great detail, color and contrast in that first shot.  Well captured sir.  :thumbup:


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## pbelarge

What is this hornet thinking????????????????????

Really amazing photo, nice capture...would have been better if you were telling us this from your hospital bed though...you know, keeping in theme with the title. :mrgreen:


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## rainking

Wow. Amazing shots. Thanks for sharing.


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## Overread

Many thanks for the compliments all 
And yes with the 65mm I was very close to him, just very lucky that he sat there, interesting to note that he did respond to the flash - his antenna twitching each time the flash went off. I suspect that he might have flown away had he been in better shape when the flash was used. 

Another shot from the shoot





http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4979085939_632174e313_b.jpg
This time taken with the sigma 70mm macro + 1.4 teleconverter


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## 8ball

those are absolutly awesome!


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## ucfjag

Amazing!! What kind of flash do you use, exactly? I have a 150mm Sigma Macro, but just don't understand how to get the lighting right...


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## Overread

Thanks guys 

ucfjag for these shots I was using a canon 580EX2 with a lumiquest softbox attached and I've used the same flash (often in the camera hotshoe) with the softbox attached when working with my 150mm and it gives good lighting. 
Of course any generally good speedlite will work a 430EX2 or nikon/other brand models


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## untung

Nice shots! But do these sting? I think they are quite harmless, right? Correct me if I am wrong.


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## N E Williams

Love these shots, already commented on one before on Flickr but have to say again that these are awesome photos :thumbup:


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