« Previous | Main | Next »

Bee Power

June 30, 2006

ph_jun_orangebee.jpg

Orange Bee Canon 30d

The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee . . . gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci

I'm rather proud of myself. I nailed this bee's ass... it's TACK SHARP! Do you happen to know how difficult it is to get a moving insect in focus when it's rambunctously transforming pollen by a power of its own? It takes skill! It takes patience! It takes a hell of a lot of fuzzy, out of focus shots to document a bee in a manner which is worthy of this worker of miracles! BZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz!

Posted by vincent at June 30, 2006 12:00 AM

Comments

This is a GREAT photo. What a delight! The colors are wonderful. And the bee.... WOW. Thanks for the present. :)

Posted by: SmallGlimpses at June 29, 2006 10:24 PM

this is an INCREDIBLE PHOTO!

Posted by: beth at June 29, 2006 11:21 PM

Score!!!!!!

(Yep, I do know, and this is one heck of a capture, Susan!)

Posted by: dan at June 30, 2006 12:40 AM

That flower must have had a heck of a lot of pollen for that guy to stay still enough for you! BRAVO!!!!

Posted by: samtzmom at June 30, 2006 06:39 AM

Yes, there must have been ~ or... the bee was just in a good mood and taking pity on me. I've deleted at least 200 shots of blurry, out of focus bees... shots where the bee flew away and just its feet or its butt are in the shot ~ it's why I'm pleased as puddin' with this one.

Posted by: susan at June 30, 2006 06:48 AM

That is a WONDERFUL photo. And yes, the bee probably took pity...but what pity! What colors! What focus!

Wow.

Posted by: MMM at June 30, 2006 10:02 AM

OK, Susan, this is one of your best photos of all time! Congrats, it's amazing. I'm going to send some people over here to see it.

Posted by: Wandering Willow at June 30, 2006 11:33 AM

P.S. Wish I was still on your blogroll :-(

Posted by: Wandering Willow at June 30, 2006 11:34 AM

you're brilliant i tell ya! brilliant!

Posted by: la vie en rose at June 30, 2006 12:48 PM

those wings are delightful! So crisp. I do think he/she is posing for you!!! Showing her best side!

Posted by: mikaelah at June 30, 2006 06:11 PM

So how many shots does it take, exactly (or even approximately)?

Posted by: Lynn at June 30, 2006 11:38 PM

I thought of you this am as I gazed out the kitchen window at our wonderful garden gift of a sunflower stalk that has eight sunny blooms on it and four more buds. The bees are going wild and at times there are three bees on one flower and one or two on some of the others. I wonder what sunflower honey tastes like and where the buzzers have their haunt. Your photo is FANTASTIC!!! The orange flowers next to the brown and black of the insect is so striking. Three cheers! NO! Five cheers!!!

Posted by: janet at July 1, 2006 02:38 PM

I am back on my chair after having fall off when seeing this INCREDIBLY focused photo!!

Posted by: tongue in cheek at July 1, 2006 03:48 PM

Absolutely amazing photograph! All comments about the sharpness of the bumblebee aside - the color here is mind-boggling, but then I happen to be really into orange right now for some reason.

Posted by: candy at July 3, 2006 11:31 AM

I followed a butterfly around the yard for hours this spring trying to get a picture. I finally gave up and took a slightly fuzzy one.

Posted by: aola at July 3, 2006 11:57 AM