Pollinating in the Winter

— Isn’t it lovely? Here we are in Austin, Texas, just a few days before the official start of winter. This morning I went outside in our front yard to make a photo for a photography group’s weekly challenge. I thought I was going to photograph blooming roses. They are covering a section of our terraces in full force right now as if it were springtime. To my surprise, I ran into a few bees doing what they do best: pollinating. I changed my mind and had a new composition in mind right away. Instead of using shots of the bee sitting still in the rose center (as in the photo below), I wanted to capture one bee in flight. I’d been watching this bee for a few minutes and knew it was just a matter of time before it took off to another rose. What made it even better was the sunlight making its body glow. All I had to do was wait, and my patience paid off! The photo below was before the bee took flight. I wish the background in the photo above was less cluttered. However, as with anything in nature, I take what I am given.