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The Honey Factory
1st PlaceThe Honey Factory
vawendy


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Honey (Basic Editing)
Collection: 2011 challenges
Camera: Canon EOS-7D
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Date: Jun 6, 2011
Date Uploaded: Jun 6, 2011
[Jun. 9th, 2011 07:37:14 AM]

Honey and a tribute to the disappearing bees...

I figured there would be lots of beautiful stock shots in this one (and there are!)

So I wanted to come up with something that I hoped would be different. Time to go to the source!

I looked online for local apiaries, and sent out a few emails. Peter Ostrowski was kind enough to invite me out for a tour of his hives. We got suited up in the full white outfit:



and went out to the hives.

My vision was to get a closeup of a bee and the actual honey itself. This is actually nectar going through the process of becoming honey. The honey itself is capped off with wax produced by the bees, and wasn't quite as interesting (though fascinating in its own way)



It was hard to isolate a single bee, since the hives were very active. I wasn't whether the shots would actually work out, since Pete would lift out the frame and hold it while I took the shot. Between the two of us hand holding frame and camera, I figured that I would be pretty much doomed -- but they worked out quite well!

Here's Pete lifting up one of the frames:



I'm so incredibly thrilled -- the score is current at 7.43 with 88 votes! It was such a fun experience, and I'm so grateful to Pete and his wife Brenda. They were incredibly kind and informative!

I'll write more as the week goes on, but here's a link to more of the morning's photo shoot:

Pete's Apiary



[Jun. 10th, 2011 08:50:27 PM]

It's only Friday.... are you sure we can't stop the voting now?

7.5323/124 :)

oh -- the white spots in the cells were because I tried using my 580ex flash with a little portable soft box thingy. I had no idea what I was doing. I don't know if it made a difference, because I forgot to take some without the flash. But that's what the reflections were all about. :)

[Jun. 14th, 2011 10:09:07 PM]

Little less than 2 hours to go. 26 comments, 2 favs. What an incredible ride.

Thanks everyone!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 82
Avg (all users): 7.5069
Avg (commenters): 8.3182
Avg (participants): 7.0930
Avg (non-participants): 7.6092
Views since voting: 6047
Views during voting: 498
Votes: 217
Comments: 72
Favorites: 9 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 08/23/2011 09:12:14 PM
This is a favorite of your for me The only thing I do different would have been a square crop my signiture style for sherpet.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/21/2011 11:59:52 AM
I love this...I'm so slow to leave you a congrats on it....super job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/18/2011 10:35:42 AM
What a terrific shot! Congratulations on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/17/2011 12:41:08 AM
Congrats! Awesome shot. I sent you a PM.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/16/2011 04:15:56 PM
what an excellent surprise to refresh my home page and see your wonderful photograph here wendy .. was great reading all about the process of getting this shot too ..
birds, squirrels and now bees .. you're so talented .. what next ?!!..:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/16/2011 01:46:57 PM
simply superb.. nobody ca challenge to this pic.
for recipes feel free to visit holy-food.org
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/16/2011 12:38:32 PM
Congrats Wendy on this amazing photograph. A winner in all respects!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/16/2011 08:21:36 AM
Sweet shot Wendy! Congrats on the well-deserved blue!! :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 09:36:25 PM
Congrats, Wendy! Beat me again ;-/ I guess I'm learning that DPC voters take their challenge titles very literally. But, engineer that I am, I couldn't pass up a photo of bees building bridges. C u in some future challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 06:25:49 PM
Looks like you got the most photogenic bee and plopped it on a splendid painting!
Wendy you probably absorbed by now all the hard won praise, but I can't recover for seeing my two favorite pictures getting the first two prizes!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 03:29:38 PM
Congrats Wendy; I thought this would do well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 02:13:17 PM
Wendy! How could you?!!! The squirrels are jealous now! Congrats on your ribbon...;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 01:46:18 PM
Love the dedication to getting the shot. Wondering what you'll do if the next challenge is great white sharks (;
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 01:28:30 PM
Congrats on winning, Wendy. Excellent work and a well deserved ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:10:53 PM
Had to be.Congratulations super shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 11:07:32 AM
Yay, Wendy! Congrats, friend!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 10:57:46 AM
Thanks for providing the background setup info Wendy! Makes a big difference to know that info. Congrats on a great shot and the Blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 09:16:41 AM
fantastic shot and story, congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 07:52:15 AM
This is such a fabulous image Wendy. Great score!!! well deserved. I gave this a 10. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 07:38:02 AM
Easy pick for the blue. Congrats. I wonder if the yellow would be more suitable for the challenge owing to the colour similarities :-)
Wonderful shot. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 07:37:48 AM
Originally posted by KarenNfld:
Best in the challenge, if this doesn't win the blue there's something wrong!


Thank goodness there wasn't anything wrong! :)

Congrats on your ribbon and fabulous score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 05:08:07 AM
Fantastic! Well worth the effort :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 03:05:48 AM
Excellent work, Wendy. Exactly the shot I wanted to do, but was too lazy to find an apiary.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 02:45:45 AM
Congratulations Wendy .. this is a technically perfect shot and so well done .. the color and all the technical aspects were spot on.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 02:30:58 AM
Congratulations Wendy on the blue - well earned by the effort put in to get this excellent entry . I didn't quite finish voting this challenge, and unfortunately this gem was one of the few that I missed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 01:47:15 AM
Congrats! And a great story as a bonus to the viewer. Excellent shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 01:02:47 AM
A squirrel with wings?? :P Congrats, Wendy! Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:55:46 AM
Congrats on a great finish. Love the herculean effort to get the right pic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:52:32 AM
Way to go for taking the extra mile in getting a challenge shot. You should offer some of the pics to the owner for marketing and website. These pics are great!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:44:52 AM
Congrats Wendy. No. 17 was my favorite (from your link).
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:38:44 AM
Wonderful! Congratulations Wendy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:25:14 AM
Another one for the collection. Congrats Wendy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:24:16 AM
Wow, Wendy i just realised I forgot to comment on this, shame on me. Well congrats, this was great.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:22:35 AM
Wow... 7.5
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:19:48 AM
She strikes again, super photo Wendy and a big congrats on your top spot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:17:24 AM
Super score, wow! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:17:18 AM
Like I said... RIBBON!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:17:02 AM
Awesome! Great shot Wendy! Congrats on the great score and the blue! The extra effort was worth it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:13:52 AM
What a neat adventure! Great score, nice ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:11:37 AM
Congrats! Thanks for sharing the story.

You actually were a great photojournalist for this challenge - you thought how to tell the story visually, did your research, and landed a terrific photo. :)

Way to go, also, on getting your new 2nd-best score ever. Quite a tricky feat given your high-scoring record!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:11:31 AM
Congrats on an superb entry. I gave it a 10 and hoped it would be the blue. This is why I came back to DPC.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:10:54 AM
Wow. A score of 7.5. Nice job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:09:47 AM
Another one! You're a bulldozer!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:05:17 AM
Great shot, I gave it a 10. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:03:52 AM
Congratulations!! Your hard work paid off!!! Beautiful image and well deserved blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/15/2011 12:02:45 AM
Way to go Wendy!!! looks like your score actually was helped by the vote scrubber awesome!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
06/14/2011 05:26:42 PM
Best in the challenge, if this doesn't win the blue there's something wrong!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/14/2011 02:02:51 PM
Excellent, top 3 for sure.10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/14/2011 12:28:59 AM
I love the pattern and colour for honey in the picture...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/13/2011 08:54:24 AM
awesome. great composition and framing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/13/2011 03:20:56 AM
A very good a cutting. Pity, that I can't see the eyes of the bee.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/12/2011 04:40:27 PM
One of the standout shots of the challenge. Great clarity. Ribbon contender.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/11/2011 07:07:36 PM
So interesting! Love how you were even able to catch the little hairs and the wing veins on the bee!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/11/2011 04:19:58 PM
Good detail
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 10:38:16 PM
Wow, the detail on this is incredible.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 02:49:35 PM
I was thinking of what I might shoot for this challenge, and the bee on a honeycomb was my thought; I'm glad I didn't look for my shot, because this is the ideal version of what I might have shot. The lighting, the framing and the perfect focus is just ideal. The clear blue winner.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2011 12:17:18 AM
I like the lines in this image and the details of the bee- but I wonder if it meets the challenge?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2011 10:27:32 PM
At worst this will get the blue. Superb capture. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2011 12:34:25 PM
Think this is my top pick this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2011 12:49:54 AM
My favorite of the challenge. I really like that you have a bee with the honey in the comb. The rectangle light reflection is a little distracting though. But still my fav and highest vote in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 07:13:22 PM
Gorgeous photograph. The detail in the bee is stunning. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 06:26:26 PM
This is the winner
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 04:31:58 PM
Neat. I'm guessing that's not a real honeycomb, correct?

I do find myself getting distracted bt what I see in each of the spots. I'm trying to figure out what it is.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 01:43:59 PM
9 from me. If he'd been facing into the frame, it would be a 10... but I love everything else about it. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 01:38:35 PM
Nicely lit and looks delicious! (I'll wait til *he* leaves)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 12:30:16 PM
Great image! A ribbon contender. I like the sharpness. This shot will be perfect if you wait a little bit longer for the bee head to be more visible.
Anyway, I think I have seen a photo similar to this before.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 12:11:33 PM
Yup, this should win you another ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 11:21:19 AM
Wow! I think this is definitely top ten!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 11:14:23 AM
First I've seen (and maybe the only one) with the bee and the honey.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 08:39:48 AM
Sorry for not voting coz it's the challenge for "A tribute to all the disappearing bees"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 12:35:56 AM
\
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/08/2011 12:23:48 AM
love the shot, well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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