More botanical close-ups, from my tiny photo series. It’s a little softer than I’d like, but it’s probably an improvement over yesterday’s spider 😉
nature photography
Trigger Warning: Spiders
Don’t say I didn’t warn you….
This not-so-little guy showed up on Saturday, taking a stroll across the carpet. He probably wandered in the open back door to the patio. I wanted to see how close my phone camera would focus, and I think we can all agreed it’s pretty damn close. He’s about the size of an American 50-cent coin, if you know what those are.
After some google-fu I think I’ve established that this little guy or gal is a fishing spider, which makes sense since we have a pond next to the patio. After he posed for photos I got him into a mason jar and escorted him to safety out in the flower patch. Everyone involved seemed relieved at the solution, not least of all the spider, who will live to catch more tadpoles another day.
Floral Studies
Some new additions to my tiny photo project – nature photography in close-up.
From a creamy white rose…
To a scarlet lily. I love that you can actually see the texture of the black spots on the waxy red petals.
and the austere whiteness of a half-opened magnolia blossom. The interior looks like an exotic sea creature to me. Maybe I need to go to the beach?
Blue Planet II Inspiration
I’ve been in love with the Planet Earth and Blue Planet series for what seems like forever, and I’m not kidding when I say I’ve watched all the episodes about a hundred and eleventy times. The stunning images combined with David Attenborough’s sly narration – “He’s had an enjoyable lunch, but now it’s time to find a MATE!” will rivet me to the couch for hours. Really, David Attenborough could do the narration for someone breaking down the transmission on a 1997 Honda Element, and I would sit through the whole thing, completely enrapt.
So in celebration of Blue Planet II being finally released in the U.S. – you lucky Brits got it months ago – I thought I’d revisit some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken of our watery world.
One of my goals this year is to improve my underwater photography, so hopefully by Blue Planet III I’ll have some images taken from beneath the surface.
Until then, I’ll just continue to peer into ocean from the surface.
The Tiny Photo Project
New images from a photo project I’m currently working on. I’m not traveling at the moment and it’s hard not to feel a pang when you look on the internets and see all the lush, panoramic landscape shots that people are taking. There are some amazing artists out there doing beautiful work.
Since I’m currently chained to the editing station, I decided to find a challenge that I could do without wandering too far, and decided to do a macro photography project. I have to be honest, it’s kind of amazing. I expected it to be a stop-gap project, something to fill space until I could get out to the grand vistas again, and I wasn’t sure I could come up with enough subjects to work with.
Instead I feel like I’m seeing a whole other layer of my surroundings, just by looking at things from a texture/color perspective. I’ve photographed everything from Star Wars figurines to a raccoon print in snow to a skeletonized frog I found in a houseplant (have NO idea how that got there)
My notes app is full of ideas so I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of these. I’ll try to stay away from creepy skeleton things and do more like this sea glass…
Photo of the Day: Rivers and Mountains
Yosemite National Park and the Merced River in full flood
California Dreaming
Just back from a two-week road trip up the coast of California, starting in Los Angeles and driving up to Muir Woods, then over to Yosemite, and back to the coast for the Channel Islands. Here’s a first installment of photos, more to come:
Also, you may have noticed my blog format keeps changing; I tried tinkering with it and couldn’t get the old layout back, so I’m trying some new things. Please bear with my ineptitude.
As always you can see some more photos over on my Instagram, which is mercifully blocked from my monkeywrenching.
