# Bee's



## tomscott (Aug 24, 2015)

With Bee populations ever declining in the UK, and being such important pollinators. I think really important to do your bit and help them on their way. We found this bee very lethargic, looking sorry for itself. So We put a little honey in a cup and added some water then used a pipette to put a drop on the floor the bee seemed to love it! Sticking its long tongue out, a few minutes later it flew off!



Bee sipping honey and water by Tom Scott, on Flickr


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## tomscott (Aug 24, 2015)

Bee on Lavender by Tom Scott, on Flickr



Bee on Lavender by Tom Scott, on Flickr


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## d4mike (Aug 24, 2015)

I thought I had read bees were recovering from CCD?


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## tomscott (Aug 24, 2015)

The reason for the decline in the UK is that agricultural practises have changed for a more intensive farming system. British fields used to be filled with wild flowers, crops or livestock. This supported a greater diversity of wildlife, since 1940 two species have become extinct and now we're only just realising how important they are as pollinators.


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## AcutancePhotography (Aug 24, 2015)

Bees are certainly something very important to the eco system.


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## YuengLinger (Aug 24, 2015)

tomscott said:


> With Bee populations ever declining in the UK, and being such important pollinators. I think really important to do your bit and help them on their way. We found this bee very lethargic, looking sorry for itself. So We put a little honey in a cup and added some water then used a pipette to put a drop on the floor the bee seemed to love it! Sticking its long tongue out, a few minutes later it flew off!
> 
> 
> 
> Bee sipping honey and water by Tom Scott, on Flickr



Bees might be one of the most often attempted but botched subjects in photography. Very difficult to get a compelling shot. As fascinating as they are to see with the eyes, they are, in my opinion, generally the least photogenic of insects.

But, tomscott, you have done something special here. I imagine there was a learning curve.

While it is nice to see a bee hovering near a flower, as photographs go, I think the bee and the flower compete too much for attention, and finding just the right balance is extremely rare. These smaller flowers really work!


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## Oceo (Aug 25, 2015)

I concur on the great importance of bees and I mourn the declining number of them that we see in our suburban garden. Application of neonicotinoid insecticides is perverse in our neighbourhood and likely the cause of the decline in our bee population. 

A couple of weeks ago I spent ten days out in the bush of northern Ontario. No farms, practically no other humans, but wildflowers and bees galore! Except for the one caught by the spider.


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## tomscott (Aug 25, 2015)

Thats a fantastic image great capture


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## Don Haines (Aug 25, 2015)

This image is the right way up......


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## scyrene (Apr 15, 2016)

I nearly started a new topic for bees. We need more bees here!

Bee season is just kicking off here. Here's a beautiful female Andrena fulva (tawny mining bee), a fairly widespread species that has to be one of the best-looking. This is a handheld focus stack with ambient light and the 100L macro lens.


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## Ladislav (Apr 15, 2016)

I did this image long time ago (650D + 70-300L, large crop) mostly by chance.


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## Click (Apr 15, 2016)

Very nice picture, Ladislav.


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## searsie (Apr 15, 2016)

Two bees


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## martinslade (Apr 15, 2016)

4 bees


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## jprusa (Apr 15, 2016)

The pollinator


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## CropFactor (Apr 15, 2016)

450D + 28-90mm


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## dmrrsn1 (Apr 15, 2016)

Bee and flower


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## scyrene (Apr 15, 2016)

Really cool to see the thread reignite! This queen tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) got lost in my house. I took her portrait before releasing her. First: 9-shot focus stack with 100L, then two closer ones with the MP-E.


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 15, 2016)

"_Pollinating the Milkweed_"



EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, 1/640 s, f/5.6, ISO 100

"_Bumbling the Cohosh_"



EOS 5D Mark II, EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/640 s, f/9, ISO 1600

I guess it's been a while since I've shot any images of bees, since the only piece of gear I have left from what was used above is the 100L Macro. Not too many flowers open yet, but we're getting there here in New England.


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## scyrene (Apr 15, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> "_Pollinating the Milkweed_"
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice shots! Bees are good for when the birds aren't behaving


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## DJL329 (Apr 16, 2016)

Here's a Metallic Green Bee (Agapostemon virescens?) I spotted last year. Shot with the 5D III and 100L.






On Flickr





On Flickr





On Flickr


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## lion rock (Apr 16, 2016)

bee mine ...
-r


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## EvvPhotog (Jun 27, 2016)

Here's a recent one taken at a friends hives.

Newly emerging worker!


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## Click (Jun 27, 2016)

EvvPhotog said:


> Here's a recent one taken at a friends hives.
> 
> Newly emerging worker!



Cool shot. Nicely done, EvvPhotog.


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## serendipidy (Jun 27, 2016)

2 Bees or not 2 Bees (actually 3) 


Waxbill (2 Bees or not 2 Bees?) by Eric Johnson, on Flickr
The bird and the Bee and the flower in the tree 


Sonoran carpenter bee(Xylocopa sonorina) by Eric Johnson, on Flickr


Sonoran carpenter bee(Xylocopa sonorina) by Eric Johnson, on Flickr


Sonoran carpenter bee(Xylocopa sonorina) by Eric Johnson, on Flickr


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jun 27, 2016)

We have about 10 million honey bees, or it seems that many. A local bee keeper brought out several pallets of hives earlier this summer. They range for several miles, but we see them on every flower and weed. On a warm day, there is a haze of them around and over the hives that I can see from our house 300 ft away.


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## kairos (Jun 28, 2016)

Bee on Lavender
60D + 100L
1/1000
f/3.5
iso200


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## Adrian (Jun 28, 2016)

A couple of recent shots from my garden.





Hylaeus Bee par Adrian Jones, on ipernity






Solitary Bee 001 par Adrian Jones, on ipernity

Adrian


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## awinphoto (Jun 28, 2016)

I'll give it to you guys... bees (especially wasps) give me the heebeegeebees... This is the closest i'd ever want to be to one of these, but great pics and kudo's on your willingness to get these shots.


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## dpc (Jun 28, 2016)

There are some uncommonly good pictures on this forum. Very nice!


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## dpc (Jun 28, 2016)

I've only been stung by a bee once. It produced a mild and fleeting reaction, although a bit concerning. My breathing became difficult for a few short seconds. I had a major reaction after eating some wildflower honey a few months ago. My lips swelled like sausages. I ended up in the hospital overnight and was given an epipen. Am I allergic to bees or not. I guess I'm on my way to an allergist to find out. I've been stung my wasps several times. No problem...


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## awinphoto (Jun 28, 2016)

dpc said:


> I've only been stung by a bee once. It produced a mild and fleeting reaction, although a bit concerning. My breathing became difficult for a few short seconds. I had a major reaction after eating some wildflower honey a few months ago. My lips swelled like sausages. I ended up in the hospital overnight and was given an epipen. Am I allergic to bees or not. I guess I'm on my way to an allergist to find out. I've been stung my wasps several times. No problem...



This doesn't help my irrational fear of bees lol... but hope all is well with you and your allergies.


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## EvvPhotog (Jun 28, 2016)

Click said:


> Cool shot. Nicely done, EvvPhotog.



Thank you!


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## serendipidy (Jun 28, 2016)

Adrian said:


> A couple of recent shots from my garden.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Really amazing captures! Great work, Adrian. 8)
Many wonderful photos posted on this thread!


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## Adrian (Jun 28, 2016)

Many thanks serendipidy,very much appreciated.


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## Click (Jun 28, 2016)

Adrian said:


> A couple of recent shots from my garden.
> 
> Adrian



Beautiful shots. 8) Well done, Adrian.


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## Adrian (Jun 28, 2016)

Thanks for the kind comment Click, much appreciated.


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## DJL329 (Jun 30, 2016)

One from this weekend.





On Flickr


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## Click (Jun 30, 2016)

Nice shot, Daniel.


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## clbayley (Aug 28, 2016)

My Dad has a couple bee colonies, and I love taking photos of them. I joined this forum just to share my 2 favourite shots:

CB


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## pwp (Aug 28, 2016)

Nice Earth bound bees...though I was kind of hoping this thread would be about PCB Alien Bees! ;D

-pw


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## Click (Aug 28, 2016)

clbayley said:


> My Dad has a couple bee colonies, and I love taking photos of them. I joined this forum just to share my 2 favourite shots:
> 
> CB




Very nice shots. I especially like the second one.


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## martinslade (May 22, 2017)

Flying bee... 8)


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## Mikehit (May 22, 2017)

Canon 7D with 100mm f2.8


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## Mikehit (May 22, 2017)

Canon 7D with 100mm f2.8


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## Click (May 22, 2017)

Very nice series, Mikehit. 8)


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## DrHook (Oct 2, 2017)

I have plenty of bees here in western France, perhaps not as many as there should be by natural law, but certainly enough to keep me entertained when there is nothing else flying. Bumble bees, honey bees, solitary bees of all sorts - they all visit. 

The bad news is I shoot mainly with a S120, so it entails getting quite close to them. Occasionally I manage to find one that stays on the playing field long enough for me to get an achromat on the end of the lens. I also try and take slightly different photos of bees - filling a hard drive with bees perched on flowers does not ring my bell quite so much. Hope you find something interesting amongst this lot. 

An early morning honeybee, deep in the Russian sage (S120 with Marumi 200 + Raynox 250 + Raynox 150)






A Hairy Footed flower bee, Anthophora plumipes (S120)





A tiny solitary Carpenter bee I rescued from drowning, Ceratina cyanea (ancient D60 + Marumi 200 + Raynox 150)





An Anthophora pubescens, hard at work (S120)





A Lasioglossum species, tiny but important pollinators no one ever notices (S120 + Marumi 200, + Raynox 250 + Raynox 150)


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## Click (Oct 2, 2017)

Nice pictures, DrHook.


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## Mikehit (Oct 2, 2017)

A quite stunning sereis there, DrHook.
But it is difficult to tell which way this little guy is flying ;D




DrHook said:


> A Lasioglossum species, tiny but important pollinators no one ever notices (S120 + Marumi 200, + Raynox 250 + Raynox 150)


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## dpc (Oct 2, 2017)

Metallic green bee...


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## dpc (Oct 2, 2017)

1. Bumblebee..
2. I'm not sure this is a variety of bee or not. Looks like it could be. If anyone knows, please let me know.


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## Click (Oct 2, 2017)

Nice series, dpc.


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## DrHook (Oct 2, 2017)

Thanks again *Click* and *MikeHit*. 

To *dpc*, whereabouts are you taking these pics? The one you question looks like a hoverfly, specifically a drone fly of some sort - perhaps an Eristalis species. Would this be a reasonable place to start looking for you?


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## dpc (Oct 2, 2017)

Click said:


> Nice series, dpc.




Thanks!


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## dpc (Oct 2, 2017)

DrHook said:


> Thanks again *Click* and *MikeHit*.
> 
> To *dpc*, whereabouts are you taking these pics? The one you question looks like a hoverfly, specifically a drone fly of some sort - perhaps an Eristalis species. Would this be a reasonable place to start looking for you?




Thanks for the info. You're right. I looked it up as best I could and conclude it's a hoverfly.


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## DrHook (Oct 2, 2017)

No worries *dpc*. Can I ask where you are? That first bumblebee looks interesting. 

Oh - and nice photos, too ;D


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## dpc (Oct 2, 2017)

DrHook said:


> No worries *dpc*. Can I ask where you are? That first bumblebee looks interesting.
> 
> Oh - and nice photos, too ;D




Thanks! South-western Saskatchewan, Canada.


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## snappy604 (Oct 2, 2017)

beeez everywhere!


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## Click (Oct 2, 2017)

snappy604 said:


> beeez everywhere!



Lovely shots. I really like the first picture.


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## Fredster (Feb 23, 2022)

Got this this past Summer Canon 7D II with a Canon 100mm Macro Lens set up on a Tripod


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## Fredster (Feb 23, 2022)

Here is another I have these Live Forever Plants and every year swarms of Bee’s come to collect Pollen I sit there with them and snap away. I get within inches of them. They do not seem to care that I am there. Canon 7D II 100 mm Canon Macro Lens. Tripod.


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## Click (Feb 23, 2022)

Nice pictures, Fredster. I especially like the second one.


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## Fredster (Feb 23, 2022)

Thank you for your comment. Much appreciated.


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## Aussie shooter (Oct 19, 2022)

With spring in the air(for us upside down people on the bottom of the world) it is the right time to get some bee images. I tend to have at least a few attempts every spring and have had some good results this year


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## Click (Oct 19, 2022)

Beautiful series, Aussie shooter.


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