Bees and Butterflies

This Long Afternoon

Passed with Bee and Butterfly

Without Time’s Regard

Often when I grab the camera and go out to take pictures, in addition to photography, it becomes a hike.  I’m walking through my subject, nature, watching the passing beauty and grace, stopping now and again to compose and shoot, hopeful of a moment of magic.

Sometimes, however, in addition to all the camera gear, I pick up an old camp chair. I’ll walk a little bit on into the glory and then pick a random spot with good sight lines and just sit. 

This image was taken in the Wisconsin Wild Flower Garden of the UW-Madison Arboretum. Having sat down and sat still for a while, the fauna decided I wasn’t a threat and went about their business.  Hummingbirds, finches, all kinds of bees and wasps, and butterflies, all passed through stopping here and there to commune with the flowers.  One advantage of a long lens is being able to sit at a respectful distance and still get the kind of intimate shot of Bees and Butterflies.

The technical stuff? Camera: R5, Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm, ISO: 400, Aperture: f/7.0, Shutter Speed: 1/320