UWOL #9: Flight of the Bumblebee by Ruth Happel
 

As you can see, I haven't tired of my new camera. This film was totally done with slow motion, since I became fascinated after shooting bumblebees and watching the video by the dynamics of their flight. Robin was just finishing school late last week, so she didn't have time to participate this round. We will be moving into a rental house in the middle of August so I can't promise about next round, but hopefully by the fall she will join in again.

I will look at all the films and comment on them, but we are in the middle of moving. Robin and I will be spending the summer in NY visiting my mom en route to moving back east, and we will be leaving in just over a week. So I probably can't comment on them, or add much input to this thread, until we are in NY. But I will post as I have time, and look forward to seeing them all in the next week or two.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Well I see you are enjoying the new toy very much and certainly seemed to have mastered it.

It's so fascinating seeing footage that only slow motion can bring to us. I just find myself watching every moment, studying the shots. It's just so interesting. When you actually see the size of the bumblebees wings, you wonder how it actually gets off the ground in the first place!

The sharpness of your footage was very impressive for such a small file size. The music choice - well what can I say, perfect of course. All round a very nice entry indeed.

Sounds like you and Robin have a lot on your plate over the next few months. Hope it all goes smoothly for you both.

Hi Ruth,

That camera of yours is amazing! I was hoping you would use it for this film.
I very much enjoyed watching your film, and I liked every part of it.
Is it possible with your camera to slow things down even more? Like you could really see how the wings move. That would have been very cool to see.


ps, Hope both you and Robin have time to make an entry for the next round.
And good luck with the moving east.

Hey Ruth:

Like everyone says, THAT CAMERA! It opens up a whole new world. Great selection of music, how appropriate.

Sounds busy, all the best in NY.

Cat

Ruth I know how difficult it can be to keep bees in shot as they buzz from one flower to the next, I spent some days this May videoing some in macro in my garden, they are a fascinating insect, the slow mo was a good idea showing their every move.

Ruth,

I really like what you did with you camera, some fabulous footage. If you watch the bees closely you can see then alter positions of the wings as they arre beating them so fast!! Pretty cool stuff.

I look forward to seeing more with this camera!! I am intrigued!!

thanks for taking the time!!

Hey Ruth.

Great use of your camera and lots of variation on a theme. The slow-mo really does give a whole new perspective to things and I can see how much fun your having with that camera :-) I think you should have backed the piece up with some real-time stuff to add some variety and a bit of development. Some cool bee-buzzing sounds would have really added to the piece asw ell and helped to bring us into it a bit more.

Great stuff....more more !!!!

Wow Ruth,

That was pretty amazing. What great slow-motion shots. Loved it.

Oliver

Hello Ruth!
You little toy looks like a handy tool. The slow mo is so cool, but I feel that it was a bit too much. I would have liked some shots of the bumblebee sitting or doing something else, not just in fight. Maybe have focused on one flower and shod have busy it is around that one.

Hi Ruth

What a fun film. Lovely slow motion footage. Every time I see bees buzzing by I marvel at the tissue fluid counter current circulation system which warms up their flight muscles enough to lift those chunky little bodies of the ground. Its truely a marvel of evolution.

(http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/64/3/561.pdf explains most of the details for anyone who is interested.)

anyway your slow motion film really reminded me how there is fascinating science in everything we see so thanks for that.

I dont know how easy it would have been to intersperse the slow motion footage with some real time shots of the bees rocketing around for contrast.

I look forward to seeing more of your slow mow work in the future!

Pete

Bumblebees are one of the few bugs (besides butterflies) that don’t give me the creeps, so I could watch this and really enjoy it. You captured gorgeous footage of the big bumblers, thanks in part to all the pretty flowers for backdrops.

They are the freighters of the bee world. Thanks for slowing them down even more than usual to give us a chance to really study them in flight.

Hey Ruth,
Firstly, good luck with your move!
I enjoyed this piece, that camera truly is a marvel, and once again you've put it to good work. It amazes me how clumsy they look slowed down.

Cheers!

I love the way you can see their wing-beats, quite stunning. Good choice of score for this one.

Liked it very much.

Hi Ruth
For little creatures that buzz around at speed, you did a fantastic job of tracking them.I think this is a great take on the theme and well filmed and edited.Thanks for sharing with us

Very neat, enjoyable entry Ruth - I reckon Rimsky-K would have really enjoyed watching it too! Look forward to your next slow-motion masterpiece.