The wasp looked huge, even from a distance, but I could get a clear shot of it against a beautiful blue sky, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and got close enough to it to get these images.
Fortunately I was shooting with a 180mm macro lens, so I was not exactly on top of the wasp, but even so, it was a little disconcerting to try to get a shot of a moving insect that looked so enormous and a bit threatening in the viewfinder.
After I took these shots, the wasp flew away and I breathed a sigh of relief—another sting avoided.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I know just how you felt. I was doing the same thing yesterday. These are excellent shots!
Thanks. They are only a wasp, but I like to shoot almost anything that I see.
Excellent! What is the standoff distance with a 180mm macro? and have you tried tube extenders to shorten the distance? 🙂
I have not yet tried tube extenders yet, but plant to play around with them eventually. I have the cheap version that requires manual focusing. For the 180mm, the minimum focusing distance is 18”, which gives me the same magnification as my 100mm macro at 12″.
It looks like you have some horror movie in the making with apparent size of the wasp. Nicely done.
Amazing shots.
Very nice! But next time, get a little closer…😊
Fabulous photos! I tried to get closer to a settled butterfly the other day and suddenly found myself caught in brambles. I wouldn’t have minded having my hands cut up so much if the photos had been the quality of yours, but sadly my adventure was in vain. Photography is a dangerous hobby! 🙂
Sorry about the scratches. For me, it’s the ticks that I have to worry about. For better or for worse, I usually end up squatting, sitting, and crawling to get some insect (or bird) shots.