Just Buzzing Around

It takes more than just soil, water, and sunshine to make our beautiful world lush and green. Bees also play a vital and irreplaceable role in maintaining the delicate balance of our environment! These remarkable creatures are integral members of the biodiversity that sustains all of us for our survival. They provide us with high-quality food sources, including delicious honey, nutritious royal jelly, and essential pollen — along with other valuable products such as beeswax, propolis, and even honey bee venom. Remarkably, the vast majority of plant species—almost 90%—depend on pollinators like bees for successful reproduction. This staggering fact means that bees are directly responsible for one out of every three bites of food we consume. Pollination is essential for the approximately 250,000 diverse species of flowering plants that rely on the precise transfer of pollen from a flower's anther to its stigma to reproduce.

As a photographer, I often find myself capturing scenes of something “big” — whether it be majestic animals or expansive landscapes. However, there are moments when I enjoy pausing to appreciate the intricate details of nature as well. Photographing flowers is an enjoyable and rewarding task that I frequently like to incorporate into my work. One summer day, while wandering through a vibrant garden, I noticed a bee busily flying around these stunning flowers, diligently doing its part to support our environment. I patiently waited until it landed gracefully on top of a flower, ready to take the perfect picture. I aimed to isolate the bee against the blank backdrop of the sky, ensuring that I highlighted its significance in the image, and more importantly, its critical role in nature.

Location: Longmont, Colorado