these have been having a rough time for the last 1012 years and so National
the last 1012 years and so National
the last 1012 years and so National Geographic asked me can you do a story
Geographic asked me can you do a story
Geographic asked me can you do a story about honeybees this is one of the most
about honeybees this is one of the most
about honeybees this is one of the most well studied organisms well photographed
well studied organisms well photographed
well studied organisms well photographed organisms like how am I supposed to drop
organisms like how am I supposed to drop
organisms like how am I supposed to drop in out of nowhere and and try to do
in out of nowhere and and try to do
in out of nowhere and and try to do something that hasn’t been done before
something that hasn’t been done before
something that hasn’t been done before it’s kind of an ambitious thing to
it’s kind of an ambitious thing to
it’s kind of an ambitious thing to promise National Geographic but it’s
promise National Geographic but it’s
promise National Geographic but it’s also hard to say no to them
so I was looking for this fresh approach
so I was looking for this fresh approach to photographing bees and I decided the
to photographing bees and I decided the
to photographing bees and I decided the best way to do that was to learn as much
best way to do that was to learn as much
best way to do that was to learn as much as I could from beekeepers themselves
as I could from beekeepers themselves
as I could from beekeepers themselves [Music]
[Music]
[Music] eventually I brought bees back to my
eventually I brought bees back to my
eventually I brought bees back to my home in Berkeley I watched them in my
home in Berkeley I watched them in my
home in Berkeley I watched them in my backyard every day we tend to dismiss
backyard every day we tend to dismiss
backyard every day we tend to dismiss things that are small if you can enter a
things that are small if you can enter a
things that are small if you can enter a world at their scale can that change
world at their scale can that change
world at their scale can that change your relationship to bees how do I do
your relationship to bees how do I do
your relationship to bees how do I do that with a camera here I have a glass
that with a camera here I have a glass
that with a camera here I have a glass window into this hi that’s something
window into this hi that’s something
window into this hi that’s something that very few people get to see okay
that very few people get to see okay
that very few people get to see okay maybe I can use this special access I
maybe I can use this special access I
maybe I can use this special access I have to show bees in a new way so I was
have to show bees in a new way so I was
have to show bees in a new way so I was just trying stuff different lighting
just trying stuff different lighting
just trying stuff different lighting approaches noir s the traffic knowledge
approaches noir s the traffic knowledge
approaches noir s the traffic knowledge after news animation fiber optic
after news animation fiber optic
after news animation fiber optic lighting and it didn’t work I noticed
lighting and it didn’t work I noticed
lighting and it didn’t work I noticed this bee was coming out of this brood
this bee was coming out of this brood
this bee was coming out of this brood cell and his head was poking out and it
cell and his head was poking out and it
cell and his head was poking out and it gotten stuck there I thought oh that’s
gotten stuck there I thought oh that’s
gotten stuck there I thought oh that’s maybe that’s my opportunity to show a
maybe that’s my opportunity to show a
maybe that’s my opportunity to show a bee face up close and personal
bee face up close and personal
bee face up close and personal it shows all the details so I cut this
it shows all the details so I cut this
it shows all the details so I cut this chunk of comb around the bees face but
chunk of comb around the bees face but
chunk of comb around the bees face but when I zoomed in on it so many hairs it
when I zoomed in on it so many hairs it
when I zoomed in on it so many hairs it catches all these little bits of dirt
catches all these little bits of dirt
catches all these little bits of dirt and dust and I remembered this this
and dust and I remembered this this
and dust and I remembered this this trick that I learned from a scientist at
trick that I learned from a scientist at
trick that I learned from a scientist at the USDA and she said take an eyelash
the USDA and she said take an eyelash
the USDA and she said take an eyelash glue it to the end of any little
glue it to the end of any little
glue it to the end of any little toothpick safety pin it’s stiff enough
toothpick safety pin it’s stiff enough
toothpick safety pin it’s stiff enough you can kind of comb its hairs and get
you can kind of comb its hairs and get
you can kind of comb its hairs and get the little bits of lint and dust and
the little bits of lint and dust and
the little bits of lint and dust and dirt and you won’t hurt it and so I took
dirt and you won’t hurt it and so I took
dirt and you won’t hurt it and so I took this little eyelash and I brushed the
this little eyelash and I brushed the
this little eyelash and I brushed the bees hair I use this technique called
bees hair I use this technique called
bees hair I use this technique called focus stacking where you can take
focus stacking where you can take
focus stacking where you can take multiple images at high magnification
multiple images at high magnification
multiple images at high magnification when you combine the parts of each one
when you combine the parts of each one
when you combine the parts of each one that are in focus together into a single
that are in focus together into a single
that are in focus together into a single image and you can make the whole thing
image and you can make the whole thing
image and you can make the whole thing sharp you can make the whole thing in
sharp you can make the whole thing in
sharp you can make the whole thing in focus you lose a sense of scale so all
focus you lose a sense of scale so all
focus you lose a sense of scale so all of a sudden you’d say hey wait a minute
of a sudden you’d say hey wait a minute
of a sudden you’d say hey wait a minute what am I looking at this doesn’t look
what am I looking at this doesn’t look
what am I looking at this doesn’t look right there was kind of an aha moment in
right there was kind of an aha moment in
right there was kind of an aha moment in the idea figuring out if the idea was
the idea figuring out if the idea was
the idea figuring out if the idea was gonna work that was a little bit more
gonna work that was a little bit more
gonna work that was a little bit more complicated how do you connect somebody
complicated how do you connect somebody
complicated how do you connect somebody to a big vase or the what are the
to a big vase or the what are the
to a big vase or the what are the elements in this frame
elements in this frame
elements in this frame manipulate the contrast of the light of
manipulate the contrast of the light of
manipulate the contrast of the light of the shape of the lighting is now eight
the shape of the lighting is now eight
the shape of the lighting is now eight months into this story
months into this story
months into this story my editor asked me to send an update he
my editor asked me to send an update he
my editor asked me to send an update he said hey look you know we’re a little
said hey look you know we’re a little
said hey look you know we’re a little bit concerned about the progress of the
bit concerned about the progress of the
bit concerned about the progress of the story and we’d like to see a new
story and we’d like to see a new
story and we’d like to see a new direction by next week and all of a
direction by next week and all of a
direction by next week and all of a sudden I had this ultimatum the night
sudden I had this ultimatum the night
sudden I had this ultimatum the night before I was supposed to send these
before I was supposed to send these
before I was supposed to send these photos that’s when this started coming
photos that’s when this started coming
photos that’s when this started coming together I found that if I put the light
together I found that if I put the light
together I found that if I put the light behind the honeycomb it would take on
behind the honeycomb it would take on
behind the honeycomb it would take on the color of the wax that the bees use
the color of the wax that the bees use
the color of the wax that the bees use this story to me is not like light and
this story to me is not like light and
this story to me is not like light and fuzzy and cute it’s complicated its
fuzzy and cute it’s complicated its
fuzzy and cute it’s complicated its mysterious its dark when I saw this dark
mysterious its dark when I saw this dark
mysterious its dark when I saw this dark red glow it made sense but these world
red glow it made sense but these world
red glow it made sense but these world is burning there is something going
is burning there is something going
is burning there is something going wrong here there’s something dramatic
wrong here there’s something dramatic
wrong here there’s something dramatic what next I think I said to him 7
what next I think I said to him 7
what next I think I said to him 7 o’clock in the morning on I like to
o’clock in the morning on I like to
o’clock in the morning on I like to sleep I’ve been up for days at that
sleep I’ve been up for days at that
sleep I’ve been up for days at that point
point
point [Music]
[Music]
[Music] you
”
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