Photo is of bees "bridging" or "festooning", whereby they cooperate to form a living chain for other bees to walk across. Notice how their grappling-hook feet and hair are like velcro (or maybe it's the other way around).
Many thanks to my good friend and master beekeeper, Joe Zgurzynski of //www.CountryBarnFarm.com, for giving me access to his hives and pointing out this fascinating bee behavior. And to my wife for composing a beautifully appropriate title for this challenge photo.
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Place: 2 out of 82 Avg (all users): 7.3874 Avg (commenters): 8.6190 Avg (participants): 7.0698 Avg (non-participants): 7.4637 Views since voting: 6058 Views during voting: 500 Votes: 222 Comments: 55 Favorites: 10 (view)
And all the thanks to you that you snaped such a wenderfull pic which shows the creation of god and how this small bees have the skills to manage there sempl life
Hi Richard, of all the critique zones, in all the websites on the interweb, and you had to walk into mine? How can I critique this??!
I'd be interested to hear about the lighting that you used for this - the shot itself is beautifully structured and technically unimpeachable, but it is the lighting which adds a fair amount of the magic.
I'm also interested because this shot has inspired me to go and shoot my father's bees (he has three hives, but doesn't think he has seen this behaviour there before - I shall find out!) and I am not sure how to light it without distressing the bees.
Sorry it is a slightly shorter and weaker critique than I would normally give, but there just isn't anything to say, apart from "well done!"
Thanks for all the kind comments, questions and votes. Here is a more in-depth explanation of festooning by Joe Zgurzynski of Country Barn Farm.
[Festooning is] an activity used for multiple tasks. Wax secretion, bridging gaps,
communication, measurement, comb construction. The bee space of one quarter
of an inch to three eighths of and inch is the thing to keep in mind. A
space larger than 3/8 of an inch is filled with comb, less than 1/4 of and
inch is filled with comb. The bee space in the hive is essentially a
communication space. When a gap occurs that is not filled with comb, the
bees close the space with their bodies to maintain hive organization until
the space is filled with comb.
Thanks again, Joe! I have many photos documenting the day and will try to upload them when I have the time.
Absolutely extraordinary - I hope you leave some notes to explain what is going on here. Nearly through voting, and definitely my favourite of the challenge.
That is so cool! What a capture! Were they really holding on/lining up like that or was that just luck in the way they were flying? Either way, really great shot!
Holding On
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