by Véto-pharma Mr Darius Keturakis, from Kaunas in Lithuania, has been awarded the favorite photo prize for the 6th edition of the amateur photo contest ‘Let’s value honey bees and apiculture’.
The French and European competition partners join Véto-pharma in congratulating the 2024 winner, who is passionate about photography and beekeeping.
This year’s 2024 competition saw a record number of entries: no fewer than 18 nationalities were represented, compared with 14 last year, and an impressive total of 435 photos were submitted via our online platform. This exceptional turnout reflects the competition’s growing popularity.
Every year, the public is awarded a special ‘Favorite photo’ prize from a selection of 20 finalist photos chosen by a panel of experts. For a month, photography and beekeeping enthusiasts can vote online for their favorite shot. More than 400 participants took part in the vote, reflecting a great deal of enthusiasm. The competition was close, with four shots being particularly popular.
In the end, Darius Keturakis‘s photo of a macro bee loaded with pollen on a thistle flower won over 24% of voters. Already a finalist for the ‘Favorite Photo’ prize the previous year with a shot highlighting a beekeeper at work, Darius won over the public this time with his talent and unique eye.
– Congratulations, Darius, on your ‘favorite photo’ prize and your beautiful creation of a bee in macro format gathering thistle flowers. This year’s competition, which aims to support bees and beekeeping through images, brought together amateur photographers from 18 countries.
I’m surprised, I didn’t expect to win. It’s nice to feel the support and interest in my work. I’m very happy and overwhelmed.
– How did you hear about the photo contest?
I heard about it last year from a Lithuanian beekeeper on Instagram.
– Why did you take part?
I love nature and taking photos of it, especially when I’m fishing or beekeeping. It’s a great opportunity to challenge yourself.
– What was your aim in entering the competition?
I want to make beekeeping more popular and raise awareness of the need to preserve local beekeeping and bees.
– Why did you choose this photo?
I have lots of photos of bees and beekeeping, so it was very difficult to choose the right one. But I wanted to show how beautiful and hard-working bees are, especially when they’re collecting pollen.
– Can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding this photo?
It was autumn, a very warm, sunny day. We were feeding the bees for the winter. I’d recently bought a new lens (100mm 2.8f macro) and I wanted to try it out. Not far from the apiary, I saw a thistle in flower in which the bees were bathing. So, I gave it a go and took around fifty photos of just this flower with bees on it.
– Is photography one of your passions?
It’s one of the many passions in my life. I don’t belong to any clubs, and I’ve only taken online courses on YouTube.
– You’re a beekeeper. How long do you practice beekeeping?
I’ve been a beekeeper for about 8 years. We have around 200 hives, so it’s not just a hobby, it’s a family business. My grandfather was a beekeeper and now I work with my father. It’s a family business.
– What do you like about beekeeping?
I love watching them. It’s fascinating to see how such small creatures can do such big and important things.
– What do bees and beekeeping mean to you?
It means a lot to me, as it’s now a big part of my life and that of my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with such extraordinary creatures. Saving and preserving beekeeping is a very important commitment.
– What advice would you give anyone interested in participating in the next photo competition?
Don’t be shy and give it a go. You never know, maybe next year you’ll be answering these questions.
-What would be your concluding sentence?
I’d like to encourage everyone to spend more time in nature. Respect it, love it and take care of it. It’s our home.
The contest partners: the towns of Chaillac (36) and Valençay (36), the Centre and Berry beekeepers’ union, the national beekeeping unions: UNAF – Abeilles et Fleurs and SNA – Abeille de France, M. P. Zootrade srl, Alveis by Chemicals Laif, M+H-Vet – The Lithuanian Beekeepers Association, Kyrka Beekeeping Cycle, Cycon Animal Health and Véto-pharma would like to extend their warmest congratulations to Darius Keturakis on his success, and to thank all those who took part in or supported the competition. The enthusiasm and the many messages of encouragement are a real source of inspiration.
See you in 2025 for a new adventure!
by Véto-pharma 
by Véto-pharma 
by Véto-pharma The ” Favorite photo” award in the 5th “Let’s value honeybees and beekeeping” amateur photo contest was awarded to Gilles Annès, who lives in France close to Paris. The French
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