Always Bee Prepared

Once a year, we let the photographs tell the story, silencing temporarily the cacophony of computer key clicking in favor of the zing ba-zing of the single-lens reflex Nikons favored by the Indy’s image-meister, Paul Wellman. It’s been a heck of a year, running from the protest marches that surrounded the new president to December’s wild-card wildfire. In between government meetings, sports, and portraits was an assignment covering a bee extraction. “I’ve photographed these before but it was the first time I had to wear a beekeeper’s suit,” he recalled. “The bee guy said, ‘They’re really active today,’ so it made me feel safe. Plus it was such a good look that I’ve since considered rotating it into my day-to-day dress code.”