I spotted a field of sunflowers in Renfrew County on the second day of a 1500km trip back from Thunder Bay. Needless to say, I made a general note of the location of this field as a possible place to return to for a photo opportunity. I say general because I subsequently learned that the field was actually some 25kms further than what I originally thought…

Sunrise was at a decent time, but I had more than 90 minutes of driving to do, so I set my alarm for 5:30am. As I drove to my destination, I became increasingly worried that I would be missing out on the golden light hours of the day, but what I didn’t anticipate was the effect of the cool temperature that morning on what would ultimately be my true subject.

My initial survey of the sunflower field left me uninspired. Apart from the neat rows of sunflowers, there were several large patches of earth showing through, and I found it difficult to draw attention to any of the field’s features. I quickly realized that the story lay in the details, not the overview, and I followed a trodden path into the thick of things.

With air temperatures still near 8° C (46° F) on this day, the bumble bees resting on the sunflowers were in a state of suspended animation. It was the perfect time to set up a macro lens on my camera and move in close with my tripod. Not long afterward, as the air temperature slowly rose, the bees came alive and went to work, and so did I. The next half hour felt timeless as I patiently observed a pair of bees busily at work on this sunflower…