I was on my hands and knees last Friday, trying to get a shot of a small wildflower growing on the forest floor, when a bee landed on the very flower on which I was focusing. What are the odds of that happening at the moment when my eye was glued to the viewfinder and I was focusing manually?
The flower was only about four inches (10 cm) tall, which gives you an idea of the low angle from which I was shooting. After a second or two on the first flower (shown in the second shot), the bee moved to an adjacent flower, and I took the image I presented first. It’s interesting to note the narrowness of the depth of field—in the first shot below, I managed to focus on the bee’s head, whereas in the second shot, the focus point was more on the center of its body. I like each of the images for somewhat different reasons, but I am still shocked that I managed to get them.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than skilled.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I’ll take luck any day, great shot! Is it just me or as we get older the low angle shots are becoming a pain in the butt???? 😉
Thanks. Getting down low is not yet a problem, but I have noticed that I don’t spring back up as quickly as I used to.
The wildflower looks like “Bluets.” Alonso Abugattas recently posted the following info on the “Capital Naturalist” Facebook group: “Another favorite wildflower are Bluets. Maybe it’s because the bright flowers stand out despite their small size (usually 3-4 inches tall) since they grow in somewhat bare areas like roadsides, dirt roads, and clearings. They also have some neat common names like Quaker Ladies, Azure Bluets, and my favorite: Innocence.”
Thanks, Walter. The description certain seems to fit the flowers I saw and photos on-line seem to match as well.
Amazing, you are!!!
Reblogged this on Chronic Conditions & Life Lessons and commented:
So extraordinary to capture this photograph in less time than God’s second of breath…..
Unique!
I like that first shot. The first thing that came to mind was bee on a platter.
So wonderful!!!
Thanks very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the images.
Right place, right time and ready to shoot. Good for you!
Both are essential. My knees rebel as soon as I try to get that low nowadays– have you considered a right-angle finder accessory? It’s worth its weight in gold for these situations. Mine’s a Hoodman, and I love it–check it out!
My goodness, what stunning photos. You work hard to be so lucky, Mike!! I guess practice makes lucky. 😉
After taking thousands of flower photos I can say that this does happen, but once in a blue moon. I can think of maybe two times in three years, so you don’t have a lot of chances to practice. But then, it doesn’t look like you need them.
Thanks for your kind words. My reaction time is getting better as I shoot more and more, but this really was unexpected. If the bee had arrived earlier or later I almost certainly would have missed the shot. This was a case in which the mere presence of a bee in a wooded area was not something I would have anticipated.
Quite a bit of skill involved Mike. Getting down on your hands and knees for instance. My wife keeps reminding me that I need to do that more often to get the best photo.
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Right – each one amazing in it’s own right. The 2nd boasts how the bee’s snout is adaptive to getting right in there and suckin’ up all that sweet nectar.