The Alchemist of the Air—World Bee Day Through the Lens of a Carpenter Bee
May 20th marks World Bee Day, a global reminder of the tiny architects responsible for nearly a third of the food we eat. To celebrate, I turned my lens toward the enigmatic carpenter bee, a solitary pollinator often overshadowed by its hive-dwelling cousin, the honeybee. In this up-close image, I sought to honor the unsung—those that labor in quiet corners of the natural world, sustaining life one bloom at a time.
Why World Bee Day Matters:
The United Nations established World Bee Day to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystems. Consider this:
- Bees pollinate over 75% of all flowering plants and more than 35% of global crop production.
- Without them, many fruits, nuts, and vegetables would disappear from our plates.
- Bees are sensitive bioindicators. Their decline signals ecological imbalance—driven by pesticide use, monocultures, climate shifts, and habitat loss.
And it’s not just honeybees. Solitary species like carpenter bees, bumblebees, and leafcutter bees are equally vital to the pollination web. The subject of this image—the carpenter bee—bores into wood to create nests, not to destroy, but to construct generational chambers for her offspring. She is a builder. A pollinator. A queen of none, but a contributor to all.
Behind the Lens – Technical Specs and Shooting Notes
Title: “The Alchemist of the Air—Carpenter Bee in Reverent Repose”
Photographer: Steven B. Bergman, SB Studios 2025
Date Taken: May 2025
Location: Eastern Shore, Maryland
Camera Body: Nikon D6
Lens: Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
Lighting: Natural diffused daylight
Tripod: No
Flash: No
ISO: 640
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/1000s
Focal Length: 105mm
Focus Mode: Manual (with focus peaking)
Stabilization (VR): On, Normal mode
Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom Classic & Topaz Photo AI for fine-tuning, shadow lift, selective sharpening, and noise control. Slight crop for framing precision.
Technique and Approach:
Using the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G VR, I worked handheld with Vibration Reduction engaged, allowing me to push shutter speed higher while maintaining sharpness—critical when photographing a subject in motion like a carpenter bee.
The internal focusing and 1:1 macro magnification offered excellent working distance, minimizing disturbance while still delivering close detail. I chose f/6.3 to achieve a sliver more depth of field around the bee’s eye and thorax, while keeping the background clean and defocused.
Manual focus gave me better control over the focal plane, especially when working in natural light where autofocus can miss under tight DOF conditions. The bee’s fine body hairs and the glint in its eye were my focus anchors—everything else melted into soft bokeh thanks to this lens’s stellar optics.
Closing Reflection:
Photographing the carpenter bee offered more than a macro shot—it became a meditation on quiet resilience. These creatures remind us that even in solitude, purpose thrives. This World Bee Day, take a moment to listen for the hum, to notice the unseen labor, and to thank the tiny wings that help feed the world.
