Sometimes, simple compositions of familiar subjects result in the best images, like this recent shot of an Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).
It came out just as I imagined when I was looking through the viewfinder of my camera and required a minimum amount of tweaking and no cropping.
At times, it’s not complicated.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I like it when they pose and don’t care if you’re there. Nice shot!
When insects (and other subjects) are preoccupied with eating or gathering their food, they often seem to ignore me and I try to take advantage of those opportunities.
Beautiful!
It is a lovely shot and the background is great. I hate it when you get a great shot and the bee has decided to sit in front of a blade of grass or an old stick. Amelia
… and very beautiful!
Can’t have too many bees, or bee photos. I love the little buzzers. Nice, colorful shot, Mike.
Thanks. I quite agree that there is no such thing as too many bees, allowing me lots of chances for bee photos.
Beautifully done, Mike, and the two other echinaceas make for the perfect backdrop. Great stuff!