Not the first European Wool Carder bee I've seen this year, but the first one I've been able to photograph. Cool weather and partly cloudy skies create a stop and go environment for most solitary bees. This one was semi-active so I was able to get a shot without its mandibles clamped onto a stem.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (around 4.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, +1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.
Amazing image! Love that it was captured in one image, makes it feel more real.