A new bee…every day
It’s well past time to put together the 2022 calendar. That means I need fourteen great shots (one for the cover, twelve months, and one for the back cover).
So…if you get some time, please nominate a favorite shot or few from this site for consideration. You can leave a comment on this post, or email me at thebeeguy@bees.photo.
Big bonus: if your nomination is selected for the calendar, I’ll send you a 5×7 version of it to thank you. Good fun.
You’ve got the bumble in the middle, of course – the longhorn in the foreground – and who knows what that little thing is in the background behind the bumble. Not a rare thing at all. Well, maybe a little in that the longhorn seems to be okay with sharing…for now.
Now I’ll digress a little. Skip this if my otherwise commentary annoys you.
On a forum that I frequent, a person mentioned the other day that they were going to strap on their mask and go into the war zone (grocery store). I’ve reflected on that and have come to the conclusion that this virus and its lockdown have kind of separated us – even atomized us. Individual blobs at least six feet apart from one another – jealously guarding our own space. Looking askance and with suspicion at our neighbors and co-workers and co-humans. Even the masks (however necessary) are dehumanizing in their own way – I cannot see your smile.
And…just about every bit of correspondence that I receive ends with “stay safe”. I do understand. But I’d like to append stay safe with: Stay human.
We’re not at war with each other – nor are we enemies. At this time of atomization (my word), I think it’s especially important to retain our own humanity – recognize the humanity of others – and actively find appropriate ways to be the social creatures that we innately are.
I just re-read. And realized I wasn’t done. If there were ever a time to cut slack, be kind, and be slow to take offense, it’s now. People are scared. Scared people do stupid things sometimes. None of us can do much to change things on a global scale – but there’s lots we can do from the inside (within us) out (those in our orbits). You’re all sentient bee-lovers so you have a leg up (or six). Please amplify that from the inside out. That’s something we can do.
I’d like every shot I take to be compelling art. Who wouldn’t? In addition to it being not possible practically in my experience, it might not always be the point. What I might be getting at, ultimately, is that a mugshot and a Leibowitz exist for different purposes. They’re shot for different reasons. And, bear with me, assuming that Leibowitz (or your favorite photographer) is the apex of photographic art…and the mugshot exists simply to document and for no other reason, there’s clearly a continuum – at least one axis.
So…I’d be inclined to put today’s shot on my wall. But probably not yesterday’s. Yesterdays is really clear, interesting, and even compelling. But it doesn’t speak to the less technically-inclined parts of me like today’s does.
So…on this site, I hope you’ll end up with the full spectrum. And I hope you find ways to enjoy every shot. I wouldn’t post them if I didn’t.
Mostly I wanted to get that idea from my head to the (virtual) page. And note that there’s a reason that we don’t sit for an oil done by the modern Rembrandt equivalent when we need a passport photo. Different purposes. Different outcomes. And both useful for their respective purposes.