Action images always seem to be more dynamic than static images. So when we see bees come and go, it is only natural to want to photograph them in flight. A lot of macro photography is done with a flash. The settings of the camera and flash impact wing movement. Moving wings make the insect look alive in the air rather than the unnatural look of an airplane or an insect without prop or wing movement. Wing movement is conveyed by blur, the wings or their tips need to have some blur.

This image is rather interesting since the bee's right wing shows well, whereas its left wing is moving so fast that it is not well defined. A ghost shape is there, but I would have preferred if that wing was a little more defined. The light from a flash is extremely fast, so it should catch the wing. But there are other settings that may impact this. We have to look at the balance or ratio of flash versus that of the ambient light. The smaller the aperture and lower the ISO the more we rely on the flash. The more we rely on the flash the smaller the role played by the ambient light. The more we rely on the flash, the less we worry about the shutter speed. The light from the flash acts as a very fast shutter speed. But that also means that if the wing is not at the right angle to the light when it fires, then the wing is not going to show well.

          The idea is to get the balance right so that the wing is showing a bit more. It is perfectly okay to have it blurred, but it has to show. Had my settings and the light conditions allowed a bit more impact from the ambient light the wing would have showed up better. Or perhaps the wing would have showed up better had the wing been at a different angle when the flash fired. It takes a lot of trial and error. Just keep on trying, the perfect image will come.