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How NOT to photograph wasps!
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A few weeks ago, I noticed a wasp nest being constructed on a branch of a cedar tree in my front yard. When I first noticed the nest, it was almost a perfect sphere, about 10cm (4 inches) in diameter. I forgot about the nest until earlier today. These critters are busy! The nest is now about 20cm (8 inches) in diameter and thriving!
Being a photographer, I thought to myself: "Self, you should photograph the wasp nest - it's an interesting subject!". I immediately got out my 70-200mm lens and my trusty tripod and set up about 5m (15 feet) away from the nest. I took some test shots and captured some active wasps - all was going well!
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Wasp Nest Trial Shot - Nikon D-700, 70-200mm Lens @ 200mm, 1/60 sec, f2.8, Natural Light
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It was a hot sunny day, and the nest was located about 1m (3 feet) from the north side of my house - which put the nest in deep shade. Wanting to get a fast shutter speed (to freeze the wasp movement, and the movement of the nest due to a slight breeze), I opened the lens all the way up to f2.8. That gave me 1/60 of a second - NOT FAST ENOUGH! The critters were slightly blurred.
What to do? Simple! I needed more light! Because the nest was resting in deep shadow, I simply didn't have enough light to give me the fast shutter speed I needed. This is where my methodical, logical thought process stopped. Instead of simply boosting the camera ISO (the D-700 can get acceptable results up to ISO 6400), I decided to add light to the nest from a portable flash unit - namely the Nikon SB-800.
I planned on starting with one SB-800 flash, and possibly adding a second if the results warranted. By setting the on-camera flash on my D-700 to commander mode, and setting the SB-800 to remote mode, I could fire the SB-800 remotely and add some low-angle side light to the nest. I set up the camera and the SB-800 and proceeded to place the SB-800 about 1m (3 feet) from the nest. This was a mistake!
A fighter wing of wasps started appearing from the nest and flying toward me at high speed. My first though was: "GET AWAY!", which I did. In the process of making a fast exit, I knocked the (active) SB-800 flash unit over and made my retreat. All I can say is: "Thank goodness for SB-800 flash units!" The swarm of attacking wasps turned themselves at the now fallen SB-800 and proceed to attack without mercy. I stood and watched in amazement as the flash received approximately 500 stings from the angry swarm.
Being a photographer first (and maybe an idiot second?), I grabbed my camera and took a few shots of the attack on the SB-800.
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Wasps attacking a defenseless Nikon SB-800 flash unit.
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After taking several photos and waiting (at a safe distance) for about 10 minutes, it occurred to me that these guys are not stopping! The attacking squadron around the SB-800 hadn't let up in the least! I came to the conclusion that my poor SB-800 needed to be moved away from the nest. But how? I certainly wasn't going to approach the unit! If I could only extend my reach by about 2m (6 feet), I could remove the SB-800 from the onslaught.
Off to my garden shed I went and returned with a lawn rake. Hooking the SB-800 with one of the tines of the rake, I dragged it slowly and methodically away from the nest. Once I got the SB-800 about 2m (6 feet) away from the nest, the attack squadron abandoned the target and returned to patrol near the nest. I thought to myself: "This is hilarious! Here's a man dragging a $500 flash unit through the dirt, in an attempt to get a photo of a common pest!"
I cleaned off the SB-800 with some glass cleaner and paper towel - the unit is in fine shape with little to show for its' ordeal. The wasp nest is still there - growing slightly larger every day. I do want to take more photos of the nest - just not with a flash placed too close for safety! Maybe I can boost the ISO and use a reflector to lighten things up.......
UPDATE - It's early October now, the nest is no longer in use. The wasps have completed their seasonal cycle and the nest will never be used again. I carefully returned to the nest and took a better picture of it. The nest is approximately 20cm (8 inches) tall and remains hanging by a thin branch in a cedar tree.
The empty wasp nest - abandoned for ever!
The wasps in question here are the common Western Yellow Jacket (Vespula pensylvanica). The wasps are actually beneficial as they consume many other types of insect pests and help to pollinate flowers. I'm leaving the nest alone and let nature take its' course. The nest will die out by winter - never to be used again.
