‘Les the bare-handed beekeeper asked if he should put them on his face. I said: Sure!’ Holly Lynton’s best photograph

Photographer Holly Lynton’s image of beekeeper Les with bees covering his face grew out of her series *Bare Handed*, which explores how people work with the natural world. The portrait captures a moment of trust and concentration, and reflects Lynton’s interest in the expertise and quiet, almost spiritual focus involved in potentially dangerous work.

Lynton spent three days photographing Les in Albuquerque, where he handled bees without gloves so he could feel them and avoid crushing them. On the final day, his apprentice Amber brought out the queen bee, drawing the colony to Les; he then asked whether he should put the bees on his face, and Lynton agreed. Working with a medium-format film camera, she moved slowly around the bees and was not stung. The series also includes wolf handlers and people who catch large catfish by hand.