More Than a Photo: The Woman Behind the Bees
There’s a photo of Bethany Karulak that tends to get people’s attention.
She’s 37 weeks pregnant, standing in a field with her hands around her belly.
And roughly 10,000 honeybees are covering it.
Yes. Ten thousand.
But the story behind that photograph is much bigger than bees.
A Beekeeper Before the Buzz
Long before the photo traveled around the internet, Bethany had built a deep connection with bees and the natural world.
She was a professional beekeeper in Colorado’s Yampa Valley and had dedicated part of her work to protecting pollinators and teaching others about their importance. In 2019, the Steamboat Pilot & Today recognized her as one of its 20 Under 40 honorees for work that included helping honeybee populations.
Bees weren’t a prop for Bethany.
They were already part of her life.
And eventually, they would become part of an image that represented one of the hardest and most meaningful chapters of it.
The Story Behind the Photograph
About a year before the maternity shoot, Bethany experienced a traumatic miscarriage.
She later described being hospitalized, heartbroken and struggling with depression afterward. When she became pregnant again, joy came mixed with fear. She was afraid of experiencing that loss all over again.
Then came 2020.
Pregnancy. Isolation. Uncertainty. And all the strange weight that came with that year.
As Bethany reached the final weeks of her pregnancy, she wanted to capture something that represented more than simply being pregnant.
She wanted an image of strength.
And for a beekeeper, there may have been no more fitting way to do it.
About 10,000 Bees. Not One Sting.
For the photograph, a queen bee was secured in a cage against Bethany’s belly. Thousands of honeybees naturally gathered around her, creating what beekeepers call a “beard.”
Bethany estimated there were around 10,000 bees.
She wasn't stung once.
Bethany also made clear at the time that this wasn't something people should attempt themselves. She was an experienced beekeeper and said the shoot had been discussed with her doctor.
The photographs quickly went viral.
But to Bethany, their meaning was deeply personal.
They represented making it through loss, fear and uncertainty and coming out the other side stronger.
From Beekeeper to Steamboat Honey Company
That same relationship with bees is at the heart of what Bethany creates today.
Steamboat Honey Company isn't about taking ordinary honey and dressing it up.
It's about respecting where honey comes from in the first place—and then seeing just how delicious it can become.
Bethany creates her honey in small batches, pairing raw honey with thoughtfully selected ingredients to make flavors ranging from Palisade Peach and Triple Crown Blackberry to Madagascar Vanilla Bean, lavender, citrus, peppers and espresso.
There are no shortcuts.
Just good honey, real ingredients, curiosity and a beekeeper who knows the product from hive to jar.
Strong. Sweet. A Little Wild.
Looking at that photograph today, it's easy to see 10,000 bees.
Look a little closer and there's another story.
A beekeeper.
A mother.
A Colorado maker.
A woman who had been knocked down and got back up.
And, eventually, a honey company built around the thing she already loved.
Maybe that's why Steamboat Honey Company has never been interested in making boring honey.
More Press of Bethany here:)
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India Today — Texas woman's maternity shoot featuring thousands of bees has Internet feeling all kinds of emotions — July 5, 2020.
Read India Today coverage -
News24 — Bee-utiful, or un-bee-lieveable? US woman's honeybee maternity shoot sets the internet abuzz — July 7, 2020. This one specifically identifies Bethany as a professional/commercial beekeeper and discusses her pollinator work.
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indy100 / The Independent family — This pregnant woman just did a photoshoot with bees on her stomach, even though she's allergic. It covers the viral photos, roughly 10,000 bees, her miscarriage story and her work as a commercial beekeeper.
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Tech Times — Allergic Pregnant Woman Posted Pics With Thousands of Bees on Her Belly — July 7, 2020.
Read Tech Times coverage -
Pedestrian.TV — This Bee Maternity Shoot Has The Internet All Abuzz. This article goes deeper into Bethany's explanation of what the photograph represented to her.
Read Pedestrian.TV coverage -
Yahoo News Taiwan / SET News — Coverage of Bethany's 37-week pregnancy and approximately 10,000 bees.
Read Yahoo News coverage -
Noticias Caracol — Colombian coverage: Mujer embarazada posa con miles de abejas en su vientre... — July 14, 2020.
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Liputan6 — Indonesian coverage of the maternity shoot and Bethany's beekeeping background — July 11, 2020.
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Metrópoles — Brazilian coverage of the 10,000-bee maternity shoot — July 8, 2020.
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T13 Chile — La dramática historia de la embarazada que posó con 10 mil abejas en su vientre — July 13, 2020.
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Página 7 Chile — Coverage of Bethany, the bee photograph and the personal story behind it — July 13, 2020.
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Magicmaman (France) — Enceinte, elle prend la pose avec 10 000 abeilles sur son ventre.
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Voice.fi (Finland) — Coverage of Bethany's viral maternity photographs and the estimated 10,000 bees — July 12, 2020.
Read Voice.fi coverage
