Nature up close? MACRO! That's what that meant to me anyway, so I grabbed my A6000 and "budget" 30mm macro lens and off to the Glasgow Botanical Gardens I flew. I say "budget" lens because it is within a budget price range, but it delivers a lot more, smashing the preconception that budget means beggars can't be choosers. It's not technically perfect (if you want that then fork out 3-4 times more), but it always has room in my kit bag!

I think I was slightly late in the year for this, most of the flowers had been harvested of their pollen. That made the bees very hard to pin down. They were quite erratic and didn't spend too long on each flower. Also the wind was picking up. Anyone who shoots macro will know that movements of millimeters can throw your focus right out, so a gusty day can be very painful. I have developed a technique of steadying the flower with my left hand, and resting the camera on the same hand, keeping things a bit more solid. Bees are bees, they don't bother you if you don't bother them!

The A6000 is perfect for this kind of shot. The articulated screen allows you to see what's going on without cramping your neck out (something I am focusing more as I get older!). It also boasts 11fps subject tracking, allowing for "spray and pray" style shooting. I am not sure if professional macro shooters (or any other kind for that matter) would frown upon that style, but in the conditions handed to me, it helped immensely. Also, I am very particular when shooting animals, insects or people, I always focus on the eye!