I've been photographing yellowjackets a lot lately. They've been around where I photograph bees and I've begun studying them. I've been told by many people that wasps are mean and that they'll sting just to sting. I've been cautious around them because I know they can sting an unlimited amount of times, but I have a theory that they only sting when they feel threatened or when they've been caught off guard. 

Over the past several months, I've been around a lot of wasps and I've never had one come at me or show aggression. I have yet to be stung by one. Usually, when I'm photographing them, they fly away quickly, unlike bees who often let me take picture after picture as though I belong there and am part of the scenery. I've only recently been able to get close to yellowjackets and wasps. Today, I encouraged a yellowjacket to crawl on my hand from a flower. I watched closely to see if he was showing fear; I only saw curiosity.

To read the story that goes with these photos click here to go to GETTING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.