Bzzzzz....

The bees are back! No hives this year (thank goodness) but we have seen them all over these purple flowers that are blooming everywhere. Max took out his new macro lens this weekend to get some shots of the pollination process.

The lens is really difficult to shoot with. In fact, before Max purchased it we had a conversation with a professional photographer who said that it was tricky for even him. I swear I saw inside Max's mind at that very moment and he was deciding then and there to master it ; )

Part of what makes shooting with the lens so tricky is that the only way to focus is by changing the distance away from the subject. When the subject is so small, the difference between in-focus and out-of-focus might be just a few sheets of paper thick.

As I was out there snapping photos of my husband snapping photos of the bees, he offered to switch lenses. This is what I got with the macro:

See? Tricky McTrickerson. I finally was able to get a leaf in focus, but never managed to get a bee in a shot. I mean, they were moving. As soon as I focused on the spot, the bee was gone (actually, I would still be focusing/moving and Max would have to tell me there was no bee anymore).

Of course the hubs got some great shots. Here's what the macro can do:

Seriously, it's amazing to see these guys so close up!

I think this one is my favorite - it reminds me of Winnie the Pooh getting stuck with his bum out trying to get some honey : )

Bzzzz from our front yard : )