Canon Pro 90 IS, monopod & self-timer On-camera flash 10-9mm at f8 1/60 second at ISO 50

How not to get stung

Yeah, that's me, braving the wrath of a swarm of bees to bring you the detailed closeups. Have you ever considered the huge debt we owe to nature photographers?

Having discovered a truly wild hive of European honeybees (Apis mellifera) in a hollow of a tree during their swarm, it became a question of how to get a good image of them, 1.5 meters (five feet) over my head with no ladder handy. But I've used this technique before. Mounting the camera on my monopod on full extension, I set the focus and exposure manually and tripped the 10 second timer, then raised the camera above my head with the monopod and aimed it at the opening, assisted by the swing-out LCD screen. It took a few attempts, but obviously I got at least one to work.

You do know that honeybees have barbed stingers that get lodged in their victims and ripped off, causing the bee to die from its injuries, right? Think of the countless bees I saved from this fate, and still brought back the image!

Or you can call me a coward. That works too.