The Day I Suited Up For Bees

There are sessions you plan for. And then there are sessions that ask something of you that no amount of planning prepares you for.

This was one of the second kind.

Colie is a beekeeper in Gaithersburg, Maryland. When we discussed this portrait session, we talked about shooting with the bees, not around them, not near them, but with them. Active hive, full gear, the real thing. I said yes before I fully understood what I was agreeing to.

We shot the portraits without the bees first. That was the right call. She was calm, confident, exactly the kind of person who knows what she’s about and doesn’t need to perform it. The images from that part of the session were strong before we ever opened a hive.

Then we suited up.

Colie walked me through everything, what to do, what not to do, how to move, when to stay still. Her voice the entire time was steady and reassuring, which helped considerably given what came next. When the smoke came out to calm the bees, it did its job. It also made my eyes water immediately and without mercy. Inside a bee suit, with gloves on and a veil over my face, there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn’t wipe my eyes. I couldn’t adjust anything. I could only keep shooting.

So I did.

I focused through it and got the frames I needed. The bees moved the way they were supposed to. Colie moved through them the way someone does when they’ve spent years earning that trust. And somewhere between the smoke and the watering eyes and the weight of the suit, we made something I will never forget.

Some sessions stay with you because of the images. This one stays with me because of what it took to get them.

If you have a session that doesn’t fit a standard description, something specific to your life, your work, your world, reach out. I’ll figure out what it takes to show up for it.