Tag: macro photography

Macro Monday: Double Capped

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Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Close ups or macro

…photos needs to be black and white, desaturated, sepia (brown tones) or selective color. 

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acorn double cap copy

I rescued this acorn during a macro photo shoot sometime last year. I spied it lying among its fellow acorns…which were scattered in heaps on the ground – most capless – or broken all together. Random caps everywhere. Crunched underfoot by humans like me. Somehow one had remained unscathed.

I brought the survivor home, where it has been resting safely and comfortably on my bookshelf ever since.

Today it was time for some fresh air, as I was inspired by Cee’s challenge this week.

I’m happy to report it didn’t fall off the railing of my tiny deck and get lost in the grass 2 floors below. If it had, one of the hundreds (well maybe not hundreds, but close…) of squirrels would surely have snatched it away before I made it down the stairs for a rescue.

Macro Monday: Salty Pop

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macro pop

My husband and I have popcorn making down to a science of deliciousness, using an electric popper that stirs the kernels as they pop in extra light olive oil. We have tried sesame oil as well. Either oil does the trick for flavor and eliminates the need for butter. As it sits steaming in its clear plastic bowl, I add the salt.

Popcorn has been my snack of choice for decades. Last week a fresh batch caught the setting sun streaming into the kitchen…resulting in an impromptu photo session.

We were preparing for an evening of entertainment…stay-at-home pandemic style. One of many such evenings since March. First on the list was catching up on movies we had meant to see before the Academy Awards broadcast in February. Movies such as Bombshell and Richard Jewell, which feature nominated actresses. Both films were excellent.

We also discovered an amazing documentary from 2015: The Wrecking Crew. And checked out a movie released right before movie theaters closed…The Way Back.

Who knows when we will be able to enter a movie theater again the “old way.” Without worrying about our health and safety. Local theaters are opening this week but with new rules and procedures. I’m not sure when I will feel comfortable trusting that those sitting nearby will follow those rules. In the meantime, we have our own homestyle theater which works just fine. Along with the best popcorn around.

 

Ragtag Daily Prompt: SALTY

Macro Monday: Gone to Seed

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How many of you used to look for those white puffballs as a kid? Those mysterious used-to-be dandelions with fuzzy heads that mysteriously appeared every year – sprouting up in lawns most everywhere.

I did. I was never disappointed.

I’d gently pick one…carefully…at the base of the stem…and then blow the fluffy hairs all over the place. Or run around and wave it back and forth until the fluff was gone.

If I was really lucky I found a perfect one, all hairy things (as I called them) still attached. It didn’t go over too well with my parents who were trying to rid the yard of dandelions.

Those are the seeds. Stop! Those are the seeds!

OH WELL!

There are plenty of dandelions where I live now and nobody would care if I were to resurrect such rebellious behavior from childhood. I don’t think it is listed as a prohibited activity in the long list of condo Rules and Regulations.

However, now…I have a healthier respect for the natural progression of all things nature – as well as the fact that running through the woods waving an old dandelion would not be nearly as easy and carefree as it used to be.

I’d rather take its picture…

Dandelion gone to seed

It got me thinking…what is a dandelion called when it gets to this stage of life…besides “old dandelion”?

How does it get from yellow petals to white seeds?

Apparently – and unsurprisingly – I’m not the only inquiring mind that wants to know. So for those interested…Ms. Google pointed me to a demonstration of the process on (where else) YouTube.

However, I could not find a consensus about an actual name for this stage except “white seed head”…”sometimes called blowballs or clocks.”

Mmmm…I think I prefer “puffball.” It has a nicer ring to it.

Macro Monday

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I look forward to Macro Monday as it is dedicated to getting up close to the endless beauties of nature. I enjoy exploring the woods behind my condo as a source of inspiration, macro camera at the ready.

However, last week I got sidetracked by the bathroom faucets from hell. Both the leaking old and the leaking new.

As a result, this week’s Macro Monday contribution is instead inspired by the past ten days of ridiculousness in my own insignificant small world. One of those home repairs you think is going to be simple…and straightforward…yet it ISN’T. So after three unsuccessful attempts by a professional (yes, three) you fix it yourself. It’s called reading the directions.

I suppose the only silver lining is the diversion it provided from the much more important realities outside my front door. And the feeling of accomplishment in my tiny sliver of the universe.

Before discarding “this” into the trash, I removed any savable parts…and lo and behold…a macro shot for “these days”…

faucet bottom

Macro Monday: Bud to Bloom

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I took a slight detour during a walk downtown last week and found an empty bench surrounded by gorgeous blooming plant life. Lucky me. It was also one of those days when the persistent cloud cover unexpectedly shifts…lets a bit of sun poke through…and then closes up again. With little to no breeze. Thankfully my camera was close at hand.

I noticed all phases of flowering going on. Right next to me.

From the ready-or-not-here-I-come “before” to the Hello-World-here-I-am “after,” blossoms of all stages, shapes and sizes hung from a mass of leafy branches. I wondered if it was common to find such a variety on the same bush…at the same time. Or maybe I just never looked closely before. Yeah, that’s more likely the case.

 

before flower
Before

 

after bloom
After

Macro Monday

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tree flower

I have been keeping my eye on several trees near my condo…waiting for a day when the breezes were at a minimum. These blossoms have been hanging on for several weeks and I wanted to capture an image when the branches were holding still. Patience paid off last Monday.

As usual, I don’t know what kind of tree this is, but I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday: Moth Orchid

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Sunshine’s Macro Monday #43

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orchid
Orchid

My newest plant is an easy-to-care-for Phalaenopsis or “moth orchid.” The directions indicate watering every 2 to 3 weeks. Indirect sunlight. I think I can handle that.

I am hoping this orchid…which does kind of look like a moth…or human kidneys or a face or one of those Rorschach tests…joins the small group of long term survivors amongst the elderly plants I have nurtured through the years. So far, so good.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday: Tree Bud

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Sunshine’s Macro Monday #41

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The buds are coming!

Or…more accurately…the buds keep coming. Every walk in the woods reveals a new set of leaves or flowers in the making. Hanging somewhat precariously from tree branches both high and low.

I no longer wonder too much about what kind of tree they originate from.

Right now…this stage of its life…is where the beauty lies.

No matter what happens next.

tree bud
Tree Bud – May 2020