Bee Good #4

This whole set could be titled “Adventures Near and Far.”

Bee Good #4

Bee Good #4

My most recent photo endeavors have revolved around a macrobox. I had purchased a box like this from John Hart of Colorado, but fitting my Hasselblads in it was a stretch—the space was so tight that, once the cameras were mounted, it was difficult to check their settings, and simply winding the cameras was bound to knock them out of alignment.

This was shot in August of 2020. Lots of the technical details are listed on the slide mount. One detail is listed incorrectly—the extension is 56mm and not 57. Cameras were triggered with the same wired trigger that I’ve used for fireworks. I like the look of the stamen in this shot—each one looks like a nuclear warhead. Using the macrobox, I was able to get a shot like this as well as shots of my cat Edison that circulated last round. But a total PITA to set up and use.

Meanwhile, a new friend of mine had opened my eyes to some Hasselblad equipment I was unaware of— things like bodies with built-in motor drives and wired remotes. I picked up a couple of the motorized bodies, but they were too big for the macrobox. That’s when the quest for a new macrobox began in earnest. By the end of September I had ordered an optical breadboard from Baselab Tools, which was to be the platform for my new toy.

F32 and BEE There!

F32 and BEE There!

F32 and BEE There!

This is one of the first rolls I got back after setting up some ‘real world’ shots with my new macrobox. I’m thrilled with the results. I love the shadow cast on the flower by the bee, and the shadow of the leg is a bonus. Flashes were on either side of the bee; one more to the side, the other more from above. Black velvet draped behind. And a single strand of web in the back has caught a grain of pollen. It’s a minor distraction but if I’d noticed it at the time I would have removed it.