Just Pollen Around...

'Honey is the Sweetest Harvest.'

Over the ten plus years that I've work on FH, I featured photographers shooting naked male models posing in some surprising, and sometimes dangerous locations.  I thought posing nude in garbage trucks and old chemical plants was risky, but I think taking it all off in the middle of a bee hive might be one of the hazardous places so far. 

My spotlight on naked beekeepers wasn't really planned, it stemmed from my search for naked male models in sunflower fields from this past Mother's Day.  Because of how close Mother's Day was to naked gardening day this year, (NGD was May 4th) I kept finding images of naked gardeners, including the image directly above.  When I tried to find others from the series, I discovered naked beekeeping wasn't as rare as I originally thought.

Bees have stingers, and although you don't want to get stung anywhere on your body, there are certain appendages and crevices' where it could sting a little more painfully than others.  Most beekeepers go to great lengths not to get stung, and to ensure no harm comes to their bees.  Many wear protective outfits that include a netted veil, a full-body suit or overall, boots and gloves.  

The goal, to block the bees from easy access to the skin while at the same time, not restricting the beekeeper from following through with their work.  The suit protects the skin not just from the bees, but other potential dangers with their surroundings and the environment.  The thickness of the suit it help reduce the chances that stingers will penetrate deep enough to reach the beekeepers skin.

He works hard for the honey...

George Lodge

Although I came upon several naked beekeepers, and even a naked beekeeper calendar, the most famous naked beekeeper has to be medical student George Lodge.   A few years ago, when Lodge was just 23, he was all over UK news sites for his naked beekeeping.  Lodge originally stripped down for a charity calendar, and all the attention he received had him realize that if he kept his clothes off, he could also raise money for other charities including for his education and to fund some educational trips. 

'Having gone to an all boys school and done life modelling before, I was pretty good at getting naked anyway. It's not something that's ever really bothered me. When a friend flippantly suggested I should pose beekeeping naked, to raise money, I thought, 'Why not?'