Show a different side to the Hive
A ‘mult i-sensory’ art installation designed to highlight the life of bees, the Hive is a 17-metre aluminium structure that dominates
a wildflower meadow. Not only is it a treat for the eye and ears – with lights and sounds triggered by bee activity in a real beehive at Kew – it’s a feast for photography. “We had to create a shot that gave the impression of a hive, so had to think about this one,” says Richard. “I tried taking internal shots, but nothing really bit me until I walked inside. The hexagonal marking set in the floor, combined with the reflection of the structure and the hole at the top, did it for me. I just had to time the shot so that people weren’t in the frame.”
As with his other images, Richard recorded them as JPEGs so he could share them straight from the camera. Here, though, he has edited the shot, using the black point slider in Levels to increase the density of the shadows.