We are excited to present an interview with Sam Droege, head of the bee inventory and monitoring program at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Droege's macro portraits of bees present an up-close-and-personal view of what most often appears as a blur buzzing from flower to flower. Each bee is an incredible product of its environment, built to gather nectar and distribute pollen across an entire ecosystem. Each variation in color, size, and shape challenges the conventional notion image of the cartoonish striped honeybee. Displaying these winged wonders' diversity is helpful for entomologists and lets viewers reflect on the living treasures that could disappear due to habitat destruction, pesticide use, and disease. In this interview, we feature the inventory and photography of all the bee species in North America in 2001.
LENS MAGAZINE: Hello Sam, Thank you for the interview; please tell us about yourself. What is your background?
SAM DROEGE: I am a federal biologist who works for the U.S. Geological Survey. Ever since I can remember, I have been interested in animals, plants, the outdoors, and nature. Many will say that I prefer the company of nature to the company of people.
LENS MAGAZINE: Do you see yourself as a professional photographer?
SAM DROEGE: Yes, but highly specialized only in studio macro photography, and I have yet to seriously take up other forms of photography.
LENS MAGAZINE: What type of photography excites you the most?
SAM DROEGE: I enjoy working with all sorts of natural objects but have little interest in man made items.
LENS MAGAZINE: How did you start focusing on macro photography?
This story is from the February 2023 - The Colorful Issue edition of Lens Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2023 - The Colorful Issue edition of Lens Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
IN THE SHIPYARDS OF DHAKA
A very large shipyard in Dhaka is located on the Buriganga River's banks, directly across Dhaka's old city.
Aga Szydlik INDIA
A JOURNEY INTO THE LAND OF DIVERSITY, CULTURE, AND COLORS
SEBASTIAN PIÓREK EXPLORING Enjoyable LANDSCAPE
I retrieved the idea of nature closely linked to the field of human feelings.
The Extreme Macro Photography of Bees
AN INTERVIEW SAM WITH, DROEGE
JEAN KAROTKIN GYMNOPEDIES
Gymnopédies, Karotkin's ongoing series of botanical portraits, takes its name from a trio of piano compositions by 19th-century French composer Erik Satie.
BUTTERFLIES IN LOVE WITH FLOWERS
I sometimes think Chinese art is not fully appreciated in the West. I was exposed to it growing up in Australia, although my fascination was more with calligraphy.
Lissa Hahn:
Hahn: HOW TO EVOKE A PAVLOVIAN RESPONSE IN HUMANS
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ELENA PARASKEVA
Elena Paraskeva is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning Conceptual Photographer and Art Director and, most recently, an official ADOBE instructor.
From a Living Hell to Heaven on Earth: the Inhumanity and Humanity of Humans
In a remote area of western Wisconsin, dogs and cats who otherwise would have ended up on death row are given a reprieve. They can now live out their lives in peace and comfort and with companionship at Home for Life (HFL), which was not afforded them outside the sanctuary's gates.
The Art of DISAPPEARING
In the classical proposal, indigenous people are usually the topic of discussion, but rarely do they have a hand in shaping it.
