Sleeping Beauties

Sleeping Beauties is a portrait series of sleeping bees in my garden. When I saw my first bee asleep, a sense of peace washed over me. It made finding stillness with my macro lens a nose-length away feel almost effortless. My time spent with each bee was unique. It was dawn, mid-afternoon, and early evening. I saw a face gently tucked inside a floret, limp legs dangling amid pistils, a softened gaze, even hanging upside-down. I captured the corbicula, or pollen sacks, for the first time. Given the energy they use all day filling their sacks with pollen beads and hauling load after load, it’s not surprising how deeply they can sleep. My macro practice is an intimate experience. When a photo session transcends my initial intention of documenting close-up insect characteristics and behaviors, it serves as a mirror for self-reflection. Observing bees in the vulnerable state of sleep further magnifies their fragility in our presence and reinforces a sense of responsibility to nurture our symbiotic relationship. It inspires me to pay closer attention to the small stuffing my life, literally and metaphorically.