SUMMARY
"God Save the Queen" is a photo series about the beautiful life of bees and how important they are to our ecosystem. It all started out with the idea of personifying the queen bee through fashion -- demonstrating her characteristics through color, texture, and light. With a beautiful model, a romantic summer look, and an apiary filled with thousands upon thousands of bees, the scene was set. We are telling her story through digestible facts in hope of empowering our readership so they can make a difference too.
Throughout this project we’ve had this amazing opportunity to learn so much more about bees. The honeybee plays an integral role in the environment, responsible for performing one of nature’s most essential processes–pollination. Through their tireless work, these committed creatures pollinate around $15 billion worth of crops in the United States alone, and are also responsible for producing many important products – honey, beeswax, and propolis – that we use in our everyday lives.
Unfortunately, these diligent workers are facing a grave situation. As a result of numerous factors – from rising global temperatures to a heavy use of insecticides – honeybees are dying at an alarming rate, with losses ranging between 20-40% every year. As important pollinators of many crops, this steep drop in population continues to deeply hurt the agricultural industry. If left unchecked, this decline will ultimately result in higher food prices as well as a significant decrease in the variety of our diets. Everyday foods – coffee, apples, almonds, etc. – will grow scarcer, resulting in large price surges for these foods.
In order to prevent this from happening, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that honeybees survive. Through nurturing and protecting these animals, we act for the health and prosperity of the future. You can provide help today by donating to the multitude of organizations devoted to the health of the honeybee, such as the American Honey Bee Protection Agency or the Honeybee Conservancy.
Would we starve without bees?
A significant portion of the food that we eat is provided by bees one way or another. In fact, 1/3 of the food that we eat is pollination dependent. But honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate. If these insects disappear, what would we do without them?
More Than 700 North American Bee Species Are Heading Towards Extinction.
"American bee species are declining as habitat loss and pesticide use continue at a breakneck pace, according to a new report." --timeinc.net
CREDITS
Creative Director + Photographer: Giselle Yeung
Model: Lauren Holshouser
Agency: Neal Hamil Agency
MUA: Natalie Barry
Hairstylist: Jeannette Stagg
Stylist: Bold 'n Chic by Monique Beasley
Videographer+ Assistant: Shane Qureshi
Assistant: HP Dodge
Bee Keeper: Shelley Rice
Bee Keeper Assistants: Hannah Stephens, Shawn Stephens
Article Written by: Jack Yeung
“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.”
