FOTD, More Fun with Macros

Cee’s fun Flower of the Day challenge has really made me conscious of the fun you can have with macro photography. I am not an expert photographer, but I do enjoy playing with my camera.

As things begin to change for the season, you get some odd color changes and amazing details that only macro and close photography will show you.

This flower, normally a rich red, is fading for fall showing beautiful yellows and orange centers.

These cluster flowers I have shared before but you don’t really see the details except up close. look at the black center of each flower. This entire cluster is less than 1″ long.

I love the concept of flowers within flowers. The sunflower seeds are maturing and you can see the tiny yellow flower of each seed.

Here you see early sunflower seeds when the inner flowers are just being formed. They are primed with pollen for the bees to do their part.

Blue mouse ears, yellow eyes with pupil dots, a yellow smiling mouth, and two front legs.

Yes, my imagination gets out there sometimes with flower shapes, but this small weed flower of only two petals looks like a tiny big-eared mouse.

I end with two small cluster flowers that show some delicate beauty still to be had in the garden. There are so many different aspects of beauty in a garden…or even the side of the road in some cases. They are each a gift from God that He shares with us showing beauty and love. It is our response to slow down enough to appreciate each delicate one.

And as you slow down to enjoy, remember to share kindness as well. That has a beauty that is stronger and more lasting than any flower.

Fun with Macros

With photography, I am a poor amateur at best but I probably have more fun with it than some. This afternoon I saw how my only giant sunflower this year has drooped nearly in half from the weight of this huge bloom. So I was able to get up close and personal and see its tiny details.

The bloom is almost in the shape of a heart or maybe it’s just my odd way of looking at things. And it looks to have a flower inside the flower.

Nature is a complex entity and you will miss the beauty and “aww” moments if you don’t pay attention. This post is to kind of highlight some of the intricate details we miss if we don’t look hard enough. That is what I love about macros, they force you to see the tiny details.

For instance, we see the giant bloom of a sunflower but macro photography shows you that each seed that is forming in the huge bloom (this one is almost 11 inches across) also has a flower.

Since I was playing with my sunflower, I decided to macro photograph the tiny blooms in my yard that are still growing.

Except for this little beauty, all of these flowers are less than an inch in size. These spikes are about 1/2″ wide and about 3″ long. I also have this flower in pink. And sorry, I don’t remember what its name is. I tell myself I am going to remember the names of the flowers I plant…and then don’t.

These tiny beauties are Calibrachoa. I had several colors of these but these are the only two still blooming. All of them have bright yellow centers.

I think this flower is in the Coreopsis family but not sure. I love its dual color.

I don’t remember this flower’s name either but the cluster is less than an inch in size. That makes the individual flowers super tiny.

These are an old favorite as well, Dianthus. They come back each year so that is a bonus.

These are the only fall flowers I planted this year. Just been too busy. These are fall mums but are tiny for mums as they are just getting started.

I can’t close out the macros without showing my variegated Spider plant’s first baby. Too cute. This plant was a gift from a sweet lady at church.

I hope this post brought a smile to your face like flowers usually do. Smiles are a great way to show kindness, so smile often and be kind.

CMMC September Close Up or Macro

For Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge, I am combining close ups and macros. I took two photos of each flower, a close up and a macro, then decided which I liked best. Some I liked both. For starters, I can finally reach the bloom of one of my sunflowers because the weight of the massive bloom filled with seeds is causing the stalk to bend over. This is actually a close and a closer. The closer one you can seed the seeds.

***I am surprised the birds have not attacked these. They are full***

Some of my flowers have gotten real leggy but their blooms are still beautiful.

Two variations of marigolds. You can see that the inner part has tiny blooms that open as well.

***The center of these also have those tiny buds that open like flowers***

Some of the mums are hitting a second wave of blooming.

In closing we have the light pink center of a dark pink geranium.

A reminder that we don’t have to be in the center to be beautiful. Beauty, like kindness, comes from within. So, be beautifully kind.

CMMC August Close-Up & Macro

Cees’ Close Up challenge is always a reason for me to play with my camera and try to figure out what I am doing. Now that August is upon us, the bee are closing in on the end of summer rush to gain as much nectar as possible.

I am always fascinated at the details that come through with the macro lens. Its amazing how fuzzy bees are…and how they let me get that close.

Here is a reminder to always be kind. You can even be the fuzzy kind, up close and personal. but not for a macro amount. Be kind in a big way.

FOTD, July 10 with Macros

Welcome to Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD). There used to be a Macro-Monday challenge out there as well, so I tag along with that as well.

And since its not Monday, I am also breaking the rule by showing several flowers in Macro form.

I have several shades of dahlias but this particular plant is really showing off with bright yellow leaves stripped with red.

I plan ted two separate flowers for butterflies and hummingbirds but can not remember what they are called. So I am calling the below flower a butterfly flower. Its a tiny orange flower growing in clusters that the bees love.

The other tiny flower I have is also orange but it is a tube flower growing on a tiny stalk that floats in the wind. You can see by the fly enjoying a drink just how tiny these flowers are.

This is just proof that beauty in nature comes in all sizes. Not that a pesky fly is beautiful, colorful at best but still part of nature.

An expression of our lives that is always beautiful, regardless of size, is kindness. Even the tiniest show of kindness can change someone’s bad day.

Fun with Flowers & Macro

Recently I bought a real camera instead of always using my phone. While the pictures on the phone were quite good I was not able to get really close, like seeing some of the bugs I am now seeing. Heavens Sunshine used to have a Monday’s Macro Challenge – and yes I know its Tuesday – but I thought I would post these anyway for my first try at getting really close. All of you experienced macro users can tell me what I am not doing correctly. You will not hurt my feelings.

My yard in macro:

I used to tease Irene that her photos of orchids looking like angels. This iris looks like an unhappy creature with slanted dark eyes, puffy cheeks, a long nose covering its upper mouth and maybe a hairy tongue? Only our imagination can take us to such places.

In this next one, I was amazed how the sun came through the outer petals making the inner petals almost luminescent.

Then the last one shows off what I assume is considered the beard of the iris.

Macro photography shows the beauty of up-close and personal. But flowers as a whole have a beauty that can not be matched.

As always I remind you of the value of kindness. All of creation understands the feel of kindness and needs it shared with them often.

Hummers Delight

As hard as I try to catch a picture of a hummingbird at my feeder, my phone camera is just too slow. But I do have a variety of flowers in my yard that they visit often, so I given you flowers from a Hummers perspective, in macro. Sorry, it the best I can do for now.

image000001 (14) — This gets visited a lot. Don’t know if its a favorite or just close to the feeder.

image000000 (44) — According to research, this Purple Sage is a favorite.

image000004 (13) — I see them visiting this a lot as well, don’t remember what its called

image000002 (25) — Petunias are a “tube” flowers and therefore a favorite.

image000005 (8) — This is Lantana, probably not a favorite for hummers but a favorite of mine.

Hope you enjoyed a trip through hummingbird food for my yard, maybe it made you smile. I leave you with encouragement from the scriptures and a reminder of the beauty of nature.

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Have a wonderful afternoon. Be safe and be kind.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday, 5/25

Today my goal was to get the gate that I tore out due to very poor workmanship, rebuilt myself, even thought I have no skill in that regard. Now it is kind of haphazard but I think it will be cute when done. As I was finishing up priming it I saw something white in my lilies. I did not want a spider or bug nest in my lilies so when I went to investigate, and I found naughtiness going on. Well, it is spring so I guess it is acceptable, seeing its what they do this time of year.

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In trying to locate the type of butterfly, the internet called white butterflies cabbage butterflies but then there were over 1,000 variations of that white butterfly with a wide range of black spot colorations. The only black I saw on these were the tiny black spot mid wing and there seem to be black stripes on the legs.

Regardless, I thought they were cute and hope they are not dangerous to my flowers. So I left them alone, being kind, even when I didn’t know if I should shew them away. I go with the philosophy of being kind even when it may not be right because being kind is always right.

kind right

Come join in on Sunshine’s Monday macro to see the beauty other’s have found to share.

Birdbath Not Just For Birds, SMM

Irene of Heaven’s Sunshine has a wonderful Monday challenge that even us amateur photographers can play with, macro photography. And while I only have my phone camera, it does a pretty decent job.

Today’s subject is the bees that love my birdbath. I have yet to see birds use it but bees are there all the time. This is George…as apposed to his brother George…or his other brother George.

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Nature is an interesting thing, and if you don’t pay attention you will miss the best parts. But as you are looking, remember the value of looking kindly. Kindness is a much needed and missing element that can easily be added to any situation making it a situation of much value…just because you added a little kindness.

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Flower of the Day, Azaleas, SMM

In spite of chilly temperatures and clumsy workmen putting in the fence post, my baby azalea plant bloomed. I was so excited. Azaleas are the city flower, where I come form in south Ga., so you know I had to have one. I just didn’t know if it could withstand the winters here in Iowa. So for Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge, I give you my white azalea. My peonies are not blooming yet.

And for Irene’s Sunshine’s Macro Monday shot we have a “closeup” of the larger cluster.

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And as always, with the beauty of flowers making you smile and helping you feel its kindness, remember to spread that kindness everywhere. Kindness is a virtue we can should exercise often.

kind sunflower