Teenage Mutant Ninja Bee

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Bee

October 27, 2014 by Mike Powell

The calendar indicates that we are well into autumn, but this metallic green sweat bee (genus Agapostemon) that I observed on Friday at Huntley Meadows Park was busily gathering pollen as though it were spring. With eyes that look like a mask, it looks like he decided to dress us as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Bee

Posted in Autumn, Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, genus Agapostemon, green metallic bee, Huntley Meadows Park, sweat bee, Tamron 180mm macro lens, Teenage Mutant Ninja Bee, Teenage Mutuant Ninja Turtle | 14 Comments

14 Responses

on October 27, 2014 at 8:51 am | Reply Victor Rakmil

Superb shot.
- on October 27, 2014 at 5:27 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Victor. I don’t see this kind of bee very often and find them to be especially beautiful.
on October 27, 2014 at 12:58 pm | Reply Ed

Excellent shot, it looks like a race car..:-)
on October 27, 2014 at 1:39 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

Special photo…I love the bold, joyful color, and the amazing detail.
- on October 27, 2014 at 5:37 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Charlie. The metallic sparkle of that species of bees makes them really stand out.
on October 27, 2014 at 4:26 pm | Reply afrenchgarden

You’ve caught the bee beautifully against the yellow flower. I wish we got those type of bees over here. Amelia
- on October 27, 2014 at 5:42 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I was happy that I was able to capture the bee so well. Initially it was at the center of the small flower, but then moved to the back part of the flower. As you may have noticed, I was shooting almost at eye level and the depth of field was so shallow that the center of the flower is out of focus in the foreground. It’s always a special moment for me when I see one of these bees.
on October 28, 2014 at 6:01 am | Reply Ed

I should have said it looks like a Bug-gatti.. 😉
- on October 28, 2014 at 6:11 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Definitely more streamlined than a Volkswagen Bug.
on October 28, 2014 at 6:03 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

So many remarkable things about this photo to create a powerful effect. The photos you post continue to improve significantly. You must find satisfaction in that.
- on October 28, 2014 at 7:55 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lyle. In many ways I’m not in a great position to judge the improvement in my photos because I am constantly off in search of the next image and don’t sit back and look at trend lines. I have a sense that I am getting better and sometimes I look at an image that I have taken and know it is good or even really good. What I do know is that I’m much more confident in using my camera and a variety of its settings and can often visualize the results that I want and actually achieve those results. What I need to work on, I think, is consistency in getting quality images and in determining which ones are my best ones.
on October 30, 2014 at 7:49 pm | Reply Sue

Nice one! I love their bright green metallic color. And yes, I agree with Lyle that your photos are definitely much improved over the past year or so.
- on October 30, 2014 at 8:40 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sue. I’m working on my technique and now do some thinks automatically that I used to have to think about. I love the challenge and occasionally surprise myself by how good some of the results turn out.
on October 31, 2014 at 3:47 am | Reply Marie Keates

The bees are few and far between here now but yours is rather a snazzy dresser.