I was shooting daylilies against the sun in the New York Botanical Garden one morning. I had my camera mounted on a tripod with a flash attached to compensate for the strong backlight. I was also using a reflector for even better lighting on the side. After shooting several compositions, I suddenly found myself surrounded by a small group of bees. At first, it seemed as though they were attracted to my reflector, however, it soon became apparent that the objects of their desire were the flowers. I patiently waited for them to clear out so I could continue working. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like they were planning on leaving anytime soon. But, as I watched, I noticed that they weren't just buzzing around haphazardly. Like little helicopters on a mission, they were methodically visiting each flower in the area – hovering for a few seconds, then landing to pollinate. I realized that this might make a more interesting photo than just the flowers alone. With the camera on the tripod and already trained on a subject, I only needed to wait for some to come into frame and take the picture. In an image I entitled, “Nature’s Finest,” I caught two bees on approach to a daylily.
I found it somewhat amusing how quickly I went from wishing they would leave to hoping they would not only stick around, but to be part of the image as well. Sometimes, unexpected visitors can bring welcomed surprises.
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Submitted by:
F.M.
Kearney is a fine art nature photographer, specializing in unique floral and
landscape images. To see more of his work, please visit www.starlitecollection.com
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