European Wool Carder Bee
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.