Basics
In this shot we can see the head (and face) and thorax, but not the abdomen - which is important for the identification of most species.
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In this shot we see the abdomen, but are missing the thorax and head/face.
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In this shot we can see the thorax and the abdomen, but miss the features of the head and face, which can sometimes be important.
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Equipment
To take photos of bees on flowers, you'll likely find the best success using a digital SLR with a dedicated macro lens. There are also some point and shoot cameras out there with great macro modes with high speed response times and shutter speeds. Photos of bees on flowers can be difficult with even the best smart phone cameras, though it is possible - it often just takes more patience.
Strategies
There are many strategies for snapping photos of fast moving insects, but sometimes a helpful tip can be to wait at an open flower of a species attractive to bumble bees instead of trying to follow a bee around. This is especially true if you are using a smartphone, or point and shoot camera that is slow to respond after the shutter button is pressed.
While some species can be identified from almost any photograph, there are some characters that are helpful to try and include in your photographs. In general, it is helpful to include multiple photos from different angles to give the best chance of a positive ID. To be certain it is best to include a photo that includes the color patterns on the head, thorax and abdomen.
While some species can be identified from almost any photograph, there are some characters that are helpful to try and include in your photographs. In general, it is helpful to include multiple photos from different angles to give the best chance of a positive ID. To be certain it is best to include a photo that includes the color patterns on the head, thorax and abdomen.
Below we provide specific recommendations, but please also check out our bumble bee anatomy page.
Here are some helpful tips:
Here are some helpful tips:
- Don’t be afraid to get close to bumble bees when they are visiting flowers. As long as you don’t touch them, you are very unlikely to get stung. Close-ups are the best photos as they allow the observer to see more detail!
These two photos are of the same bee, but the photo on the left is taken from too far away! The photo on the right is taken from closer, and provides a better chance for identification.
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Include photos from a few different angles. These will help you to see all of the characters on the bee.
While the photo on the right is a good photo, adding the photo on the left allows the user to see the color on the face, a key character when identifying bumble bees.
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Cropping your photos before uploading them can also be an effective way to illuminate more detail.
Putting a bee in a vial (they can often be captured directly into the vial from a flower) can be an effective way to snap some clear photos. You can get even more effective results if you chill the bee in the cooler for a few minutes. This will cause the bee to slow down for a few minutes (depending on the ambient temperature) allowing careful observation or photography, but to our knowledge will not harm the bee.
If you are still having trouble, another option is to take a video of the bumble bee and then extract still images from the video file. There are numerous ways to do this, and a quick web search should lead you in the right direction.
Don’t worry if you can’t ID the bee in your photo! Bumble bees can be tricky. Your photo submission will still help us keep track of bumble bee populations and it is quite possible that our experts may be able to ID your bumble bee. We will carefully verify all of photo submissions. But, carefully selecting the best photos and curating them appropriately will make our job as reviewers much easier - expediting the time it takes for us to get you feedback on your submissions.
Don’t worry if you can’t ID the bee in your photo! Bumble bees can be tricky. Your photo submission will still help us keep track of bumble bee populations and it is quite possible that our experts may be able to ID your bumble bee. We will carefully verify all of photo submissions. But, carefully selecting the best photos and curating them appropriately will make our job as reviewers much easier - expediting the time it takes for us to get you feedback on your submissions.
