Bees in Ohio

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Bees in Ohio

March 25, 2015 by Mike Powell

While I was in Blacklick, Ohio (just outside of Columbus) this past weekend, I had a chance to observe and photograph the beehive of the folks with whom I was staying. They offered to let me wear a beekeeper suit, but I declined and instead got up close and personal with some of the bees. In these images, a bee was licking up some syrup that had dripped down the side of the hive structure.

Posted in Bees, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring | Tagged bee, beehive, Blacklick Ohio, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon 50D, Ohio | 17 Comments

17 Responses

on March 25, 2015 at 7:04 am | Reply Victor Rakmil

Great photos.
- on March 25, 2015 at 7:22 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Victor. I’m happy to have my macro lens in my hands after a winter of limited usage.
on March 25, 2015 at 7:53 am | Reply Steve Schwartzman

In the second picture, I like the little hairs on the bee’s eye.
- on March 26, 2015 at 5:25 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Steve. Taking shots like this handheld is always a challenge, but I was happy to be able to capture details like those hairs.
  - on March 26, 2015 at 8:54 am Steve Schwartzman
    
    Ah yes, holding hands with your camera: how romantic.
on March 25, 2015 at 7:54 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

It’s nice to see them out and about.
on March 25, 2015 at 8:35 am | Reply Katherine Wikoff

Wow, great shots! I’ve never seen a bee quite like this before.
- on March 26, 2015 at 5:17 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Katherine. I love trying to get in really close to my subjects with my macro lens.
on March 25, 2015 at 10:11 am | Reply cihearu - Chronicles of a Bionic Woman

I agree – the second shot with the eyes magnified is way cool!
- on March 26, 2015 at 5:22 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. One of the most rewarding parts of macro photography for me is capturing details like that.
on March 25, 2015 at 11:00 am | Reply krikitarts

Nice macro work, Mike–I agree that it’s great to be out and about again looking for the wee folk after a long winter. I love Columbus, did my undergraduate studies there.
- on March 26, 2015 at 5:21 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Gary. I had never before been in Ohio, but accompanied my friend Cindy Dyer to Cleveland for the First Day Ceremony for the new Water Lily postage stamps that feature four of her photos, and then stayed for a few days with members of her husband’s family in Columbus.
on March 25, 2015 at 1:13 pm | Reply afrenchgarden

Lovely photo. Watch out, you can get hooked on bees! Amelia
- on March 26, 2015 at 5:19 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I had never seen a hive before and I must admit that it was fascinating simply to watch the bees flying in and out of the hive.
on March 27, 2015 at 11:50 am | Reply Sue

Wow, you got a great angle on that bee — I’ve never seen the tongue so well exposed. Nice work!
- on March 27, 2015 at 10:53 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I was awfully close with my 100mm macro. I was warned not to stand right in front of the beehive, because the bees might sting me if I blocked their access. Generally I find that most creatures let their guards down a little when feeding and I think this was the case here.
on March 29, 2015 at 5:09 am | Reply Marie Keates

Great photos