The Wildflower Patch

I went to visit my sister in Ocala and was enchanted by some hard working bees.

Wingpod Purslane

A vibrant impulse purchase from the Lowe’s garden center.

Attracting a beautiful green bee.

The Bath

A little bee cleaning itself in my parents bird bath. 

Bumble Butt

The Sunflower Patch

When I went home for Easter I was surprised to see a small crop of sunflowers had sprung up under the bird feeder. To my joy I found it swarming with bees and a colorful variety of little critters. The bees had also found the milkweed plant my sister had set up nearby. 

Beautiful Bee

I was walking back to work from my lunch break when I spotted this adorable little bee. I took several shots but I fell in love with this one because of the way the sunlight was at just the right angle to highlight the wings. 

The Great Reflection

I was walking to my apartment when I noticed a bee on the rear windshield of one of my neighbors cars. What made it so remarkable was the vivid reflection. Although the bee was resting on a piece of glass it almost looked as though it was still in flight. A beautiful distortion. 

Bee Rescue

Months ago I remembered reading something a friend had posted to Facebook. It was an article about saving bees, particularly tired bees. The article went on to explain how sometimes people come across bees that appear sluggish and the assumption is that they are dying. However, in many cases the bees are simply tired from gather pollen and just need a simple boost with some sugar water to get back to the hive. 

I remember the article all this time because I thought it was interesting, but I actually got to test it out for myself.  

One day I was doing laundry and walking back and forth between my apartment and the laundry room. On one of my trips back I noticed a bee right at the foot of my doorstep. Instead of being startled by my presence and flying away he move slowly and didn't make any attempt to fly away. At first I thought he might be dying but I remembered the article and I noticed that his legs were dusted with pollen. I went to the Starbucks down the street to get some regular sugar packets and I mixed it into a small cup with water. 

I used a piece of junk mail to move the bee and I ended up saturating it in my failed attempts to balance the spoon close enough to get him to drink the sugar water solution. But persistence paid off and he was able to drink some if it. 

I balanced the piece of mail over my knee to get this shot. From above you can see the tiny flecks of golden pollen that washed off the bottom of the bee's fuzzy legs.

After a while the bee started to move around a little more and even started to use his wings. I put him back down on the ground with a few more drops of sugar water. When I came back outside a few minutes later he was gone. Hopefully this little guy was able to make it back to the hive. I'm so grateful I happened to read that article months ago.

The Golden Bee

I was running into a store to grab a few items for work. I was in a rush but as I shut my car door I turned to the car next to me to find a bee.

His golden abdomen and translucent wings stand out against the simmering flecks of paint on the car. The blazing sunlight reflects off the metal. As far as I could tell he was pretty far away from any flowers. The parking lot was nothing but sizzling metal and asphalt. Yet the golden color of the bee against the warm sheen of the car reminded me of his link to the sun and how everything he does is guided by our burning star. He worships the sun just like our ancestors before us. 

Honey Bee

My mother always wanted a girl, and she has always made me feel proud to be her first born child. She loved the name Melissa - it means "Honey Bee".

In Greek mythology, Melissa was the nymph who discovered how to use honey and taught the skill to man. Although I have no Greek heritage, I have always taken great pride in my name and the culture that it originates from. For this piece I used the Greek alphabet and made the letters out of a honeycomb. 

I think it is a beautiful way for me to honor my name.

The Bee Sting

Last year I went to Epcot with my brother and sister for their birthday. I was enjoying my time with them because now that we are all grown up we rarely have moments like that. We were standing in the Italian Pavilion when my sister, Jenny, got stung by a bee. My brother and I walked her to the first aid station. They gave her and ice pack and some pain killers and we waited in the lobby for her to feel better. That was when I took this picture. 

I know that a lot of people wouldn't take a picture at a time like this, but to me it was another memorable moment from an already memorable day. Looking back at all the photos I took that day this one become my favorite. It was my favorite because it was so honest. 

Jenny sits in the foreground holding her paper cup of water and pressing the ice pack against her neck. Her eyes focus on something across the room to take her mind off the pain. My brother, Jon, sits restlessly in the background. He is bouncing his hat on his knee exposing his messy head of hair. The light pours through the window, blotting out part of the door and illuminating the lobby. It reminds me of one of those photos you see in a National Graphic magazine. The ones where the photographer becomes a fly on the wall and lets the world unfold around them. 

To me photography is about capturing any meaningful moment. And that moment can come at the strangest time. It can also have the most lasting effect.