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Holding On
2nd PlaceHolding On
weheh


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Honey (Basic Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Date: Jun 3, 2011
Aperture: f/8.0
ISO: 1000
Shutter: 1/60
Galleries: Macro, Insects, etc
Date Uploaded: Jun 6, 2011

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.

Statistics
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: 5391
Views during voting: 500
Votes: 222
Comments: 55
Favorites: 10 (view)


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AuthorThread
07/19/2011 07:14:01 PM
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

One quistion who teach them???
06/20/2011 05:11:57 AM
congrats for the ribbon...my favorites shot among all. one of a kind moment that u captured
06/20/2011 04:54:13 AM
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!"

Happy hunting,

Frank
06/18/2011 06:38:20 AM
Very interesting behavior and an excellent shot! Congratulations on winning red!
06/16/2011 08:38:54 AM
Brilliant image...a huge congrats to you!!!
06/16/2011 04:25:43 AM
Great shot Richard, good work! Congrats too on the red of course :-)
06/16/2011 04:08:07 AM
I am a bit slow with the Honey but this is an amazing photo. Congrats, Richard! Truly amazing!
06/15/2011 04:27:55 PM
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.
06/15/2011 02:31:53 PM
Extraordinary picture well worth the effort. The tonality is splendid also.
I was one of your 35 10s.
Thank you for the blurb. Amazing!
06/15/2011 11:30:31 AM
Congrats on your ribbon; this was one of my favorites.
06/15/2011 11:09:03 AM
Cool! Congrats on your first ribbon, Richard!

I, too, want to know why bees do this odd behavior. Why not just fly there?
06/15/2011 09:51:46 AM
Well done, Richard and congrats
06/15/2011 09:30:11 AM
Fascinating image! Many, many congrats on your first ribbon and your new PB, Richard.
06/15/2011 08:13:12 AM
Great shot,amazing.Congrats on the ribbon.
06/15/2011 07:18:34 AM
Congrats on your first ribbon and an incredible PB!!

This is a fantastic shot -- beautifully done!

(btw, the beekeeper that I visited said that they also do this for measuring... It's fascinating, isn't it?)
06/15/2011 06:41:02 AM
Excellent job Richard!!! Congrats on your first ribbon...
06/15/2011 03:02:06 AM
This is a spectacular shot....not only from a photographic point of view, but also as a naturalist's study. Definitely would have gotten my blue....
06/15/2011 01:08:33 AM
Fascinating photo!!
06/14/2011 10:43:39 PM


Message edited by author 2011-06-26 01:31:08.
06/14/2011 10:31:34 PM
Congratulations! Amazing shot of amazing behavior.
06/14/2011 09:04:43 PM
That is AWESOME! Congratulations!
06/14/2011 08:56:32 PM
not often I see something new, and this is it. beautifully shot, too! Congrats!
06/14/2011 08:39:26 PM
Congrats, this was one of my favourite shots!
06/14/2011 08:25:50 PM
Congrats on your first ribbon. Well done.
06/14/2011 08:22:58 PM
First ribbon, wow, fab shot.
06/14/2011 08:18:10 PM
Sensational! But, why do they need a bridge if they can fly....???
06/14/2011 08:13:35 PM
What a shot, and educational, too! Congrats on your first ribbon and your new personal best score!
06/14/2011 08:12:09 PM
This is fascinating!! Excellent photo - congrats on the ribbon!
06/14/2011 08:06:51 PM
Amazing... (and I thought they were dead...) Congratulations on your ribbon!
 Comments Made During the Challenge
06/14/2011 05:20:20 PM
wow, what are they doing? very interesting subject and nice dof..
06/14/2011 03:38:38 PM
Bees' conga line. LOL I've never seen this!!
06/14/2011 02:26:40 PM
although this was a HONEY challenge, not a BEE challenge, this is a great shot!
06/14/2011 01:29:29 PM
How in the world???
06/14/2011 10:03:19 AM
Should be a ribbon winner, 10
06/13/2011 10:36:55 PM
Amazing shot!
Very well done 10 :)
06/13/2011 05:35:02 AM
nice
06/12/2011 01:47:47 PM
What are they doing? Never seen anything like that before.
06/12/2011 12:45:10 PM
Great clarity, and I believe a ribbon contender.
06/12/2011 12:38:34 PM
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.
06/12/2011 12:03:24 PM
One of the cooler things I've seen. Really want to know why they are doing that?
06/11/2011 03:10:09 PM
How in the world did you get this picture? Very interesting!
06/10/2011 06:35:28 PM
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!
06/09/2011 08:12:54 PM
Oh boy, I guess they can only be dead to be in this formation. Nice colors and very sharp focus on the subjects.
06/09/2011 09:14:49 AM
Amazing!
06/09/2011 08:44:22 AM
Call me psycho, but I think I can see a future blue ribbon here.
06/08/2011 01:23:49 PM
wow! awesome. I so want to know the detail about this fine pic. 10
06/08/2011 11:52:49 AM
Conga line!!! What a strange and wonderful capture.
06/08/2011 09:47:39 AM
Is this a congo line at a bee wedding? I'm so curious as to how and why they are arranged like this!
06/08/2011 07:34:31 AM
I never saw a bee chain before. Fabulous shot.
06/08/2011 07:19:49 AM
This is my pick to win! Can't wait to see how you did it!
06/08/2011 04:05:57 AM
Sorry for not voting coz it's the challenge for "A tribute to all the disappearing bees"
06/07/2011 11:58:14 PM
amazing scene and wonderful shot! my favorite.
06/07/2011 08:28:55 PM
What the hell !!!????? LOL...What are they doing?
06/07/2011 08:27:15 PM
wow, nice capture
06/07/2011 08:20:40 PM
Awesome shot, quite amazing.


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