Before going out to the marsh park to shoot this morning, I decided to check out my neighbor’s garden and came across this bumblebee, hanging from the side of a a beautiful Small Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro).
I took some initial shots and then began to wonder if the bee was still alive, because it was not moving at all. When I blew gently on its face, however, it moved a little, so I figure that it was probably just sleeping. I carefully set up my tripod and got as close as my lens would let me get, which caused the bee to fill a substantial part of the frame.
I managed to capture some details that normally I do not see, like the little lines on the antennae and the hairs on the bee’s face. The bee was still sleeping when I departed—I didn’t want to risk the possibility that bees get angry if you wake them up prematurely.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Incredible!
This is crazy crystal clear sharp! Great photo!
Thanks. No matter how steady I sometimes think that I can hold the camera, this shot shows that when I put it on a tripod, it does make a difference. I like the way too that the initial sharpness fades into a dreamy background.
I like the thought of bees sleeping on flowers. Great photo!
It’s really great to catch them in an inactive state, usually they move around so quickly, it’s hard to get focused. Lovely detail in the bee’s “hair” fuzz.
Nice detail indeed.