Whenever I am shooting flowers of any sort I am inevitably drawn to bees. I love watching them flying and hovering, back and forth and in and out of the flowers. Sometimes a bee seems to be systematically covering a group of flowers and other times he seems to be choosing randomly where to touch down before moving on, relentlessly in motion.
Here are a couple of recent shots of carpenter bees on a plant that I have been told is called salvia. I love its deep purple color and simple flowers. The first shot is a closeup of a bee. The second one gives you a better idea of the shape of the flower. Note that in both cases the bee is getting the nectar from the side of the flower and is therefore not pollinating it.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, Mike, you’re really geting intimate! I really like your first shot. The blue of the blossoms also sets off the golden yellow of the bee so well.
Thanks. I have been getting closer and closer (or in some cases cropping a bit more severely). I have to be careful though. I zoomed in on a niece recently at a wedding rehearsal dinner and posted a photo of her on Facebook in which 2/3 of her face took up the whole frame. I liked the effect, but her friends thought it was a bit extreme. That may be why I don’t photograph people often.
On the other hand, it’s better than posting a perfect photo of a nose or an ear. Her friends may not (yet) know what ‘extreme’ can be . . .