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Happy 20th Birthday, Flickr :)
Thank you so much, dear Flickr Team, for choosing my photo as one of the winners. I didn't expect this at all, and I appreciate it so much! 😊🙏
#MacroMondays
#Abstract
Please press "Z".
A subject I have already photographed two times for Macro Mondays: reflective fabric. Reflective fabric, tape, or (adhesive) foil is used for all kinds of gear or clothes to enhance security at night or generally in dark conditions. To achieve the reflective effect, super tiny micro glass beads are embedded/incorporated into the fabric. Sometimes, a top layer of foil is added for colouration.
I was curious to see how much magnification I could achieve with the Laowa Ultra Macro lens. But the beads are so teeny-tiny that I had to add the 10mm extension tube and use my camera's High-res mode for maximum magnification and a resolution high enough so I was able to crop in the image quite considerably in post to really make the beads clearly visible and also still retain all the details.
And since it's Flickr's birthday, I thought I'd use my makeshift colour filters to add the Flickr colors. For this, I used a blue semi-transparent plastic lid (a new addition to my colour filter collection; placed in front of an LED lamp from the left) of a tin that recently still contained quite deliciously spiced-up cashews (now all gone), and the trusted, pinkish-red, transparent chocolate box lid which I held against my natural light photo lamp (light from above).
HMM, Everyone! I'm very busy today and will catch up with you tonight!
#MacroMondays
#Vegetable
Something happened that doesn't happen all too often: I ended up with more than one usable image. And all of the same vegetable: spring onion. I had photographed several parts of two different types of spring onion, one pretty thick, the other almost as thin as chives. This image shows the latter. The stem itself is slightly less than 4 mm/ 0,15 inches in diameter but its roots... The roots required it to use almost the entire 3 inches if I wanted to have them all in the image. So in the end I came up with a width of 6,5 cm/2,55 inches.
In German, spring onions are officially called "Winterzwiebeln" (winter onions), at least according to Wikipedia, and there are almost 30 different other names they go by, some of which I already knew but most of them I've heard for the first time.
I decided to "coif" this scallion diva's hair to one side for a more deliberate, somewhat fashionable look. Since it was now a little side-heavy, the tiny scallion part kept falling over a few times but in the end, I could make it stay put long enough to take the photo (a single shot). I was surprised about the blue hue because I had used my go-to black glitter foam sheet as a background. I assume the blue is from the LED flashlight I had used to illuminate the scallion slightly from the side and front. Processed in DXO PhotoLab 8, Color Efex, and Luminar Neo where I tweaked the colour contrast.
HMM, Everyone!
"He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul..." Psalm 23
Along the banks of the New River outside Jefferson, NC...
"Butterflies...flowers that fly and all but sing." ~Robert Frost~
Eastern black swallowtail enjoying a zinnia in the garden.
#MacroMondays
#Lid
So much choice. In the end, I didn't see the forest for the trees but then settled for this metal screw-on lid of a small, round tin I got at the beads shop. A tiny perfume sample bottle with a very pretty lid was another option but I decided to reserve the latter for a "bottle" or maybe "perfume (bottle)" theme.
Yesterday, I wasn't happy with the focus spot on the lid but at least I knew what I wanted to achieve regarding the colours and background so I took a few more photos today, and for once, it worked out to repeat the set-up including the bokeh effect. The green and purple/orange bokeh in the backdrop is from lids, too. It was an "accident" because actually, I only checked if the metal lid looked nice as a subject, and I hadn't bothered to remove the two other lids from the blue foam sheet, my actual background, so they happened to be in the image. But I liked the effect so they stayed ;) The green/orange part is from a green screw cap that belongs to a small lime juice bottle. The pink bokeh shapes are from a tiny aluminium peel-off lid that was on a Wasabi tube. It's the type of extra protective, second lid that you also find on toothpaste tubes. I had stuck it into the green screw cap, and I realised it makes a nice, tiny reflector.
Technicalities: The metal screw-on lid is 0,9 cm/0,35 inches high, and together with what you see of the tin itself (1 cm/0,39 inches) and the negative space with the lid bokeh, the width of the frame should be about 3,5 cm/1,37 inches. It's a single shot illuminated from above with my natural light photo LED lamp. The LED on the right was equipped with the red, translucent plastic lid and also partly pointed at the mini reflector tube lid. The LED on the left was equipped with the yellow, semi-translucent detergent bottle cap, so lids were also used behind the camera ;) The fourth light source was my small LED flashlight which I put on a green glass bottle and held both above the metal lid.
HMM, Everyone, and have a nice week ahead!
#sliderssunday
Spring arrived with a bang. A temperature drop has been announced for next week but only for a few days – winter is definitely over :) While this Amaryllis stigma isn't a part of the current spring explosion, it still symbolizes new life, so I chose it as my Easter greetings image.
You've already seen this same stigma for Macro Mondays' "Wet" theme this January (please see the first comment). I'd photographed it (and the blossom) in several stages of bloom, and this was the earliest stage, with the stigma just beginning to open and curiously taking a first peek into the world around it. What always fascinates me about flowers/plants in close-up is the tiny, often translucent "hair", the trichome, of which this stigma has plenty. I think the trichome makes it look even more like a (friendly) alien life form.
I've kept the Amaryllis blossom which now is shriveled and dried up in the way only flowers can: gracefully and in beauty.
Wishing you (if you celebrate) a Happy Easter, and a wonderful (Sliders) Sunday :)
#MacroMondaysOuttake
#Socket
This is another of three options for this week's MM "Socket" theme. As mentioned, I didn't upload this on Monday because I wasn't sure if these connection pins on the extra grip of my old Oly E-M5 (Mark I) were the socket or if the counterpart on the camera is the socket (I'd rather say it's the latter because it is somewhat recessed).
I've photographed this part before, for our "Inside Electronics" theme from July 2018, with almost the exact same POV (but a slightly different focus point) but not as close. This time, I'd added the NISI 49mm close-up lens to the 60mm macro. I own the Raynox DCR-250 but early on in using it, it got inseparably "married" to a step-up ring (or is it a step-down ring? I keep confusing that). Since the NISI lens has a slightly higher magnification (and isn't too expensive, either), I recently added it to my macro equipment, and I'm extra careful with not screwing it on too tightly.
Again, the two LED lamps I used to illuminate the scene from the left and right created an eye effect on the shiny metal, and the shape of the pins reminded me of little golden ghosts, hence the title (Ghost in the Machine is also the only Police album that isn't in my collection).
Happy Mittwochsmakro, and happy Hump Day, everyone :)
The area shown is about 2.2637795″ wide.
Lightning 💡: A remote controlled Speedlite 430EX III-RT in a 10″ soft box.
I wish you a happy Macro Monday and a great week!
#MacroMondays
#Berries
King Berry II on his coronation day, Sunday 28 April, 2024. It had been a dramatic day full of intrigues and fights around the throne among the three contenders of the noble house of Rosaceae. The first to be enthroned was the natural Queen of all berries, Lady Fragaria Straw I, only to be dethroned half an hour later by evil Berry Idaeus whose reign was even shorter. True to the everlasting saying "When two berries quarrel, a third rejoices", it was the gentle and wise Berry Rubus who finally ascended the throne. He reigned for one glorious night before he met the same untimely demise as his contenders and was devoured in the early morning hours of 29 April, 2024 by...
...you know who ;) The depiction above follows the order in which I photographed and ate the berries. Three strawberries (of which two didn't even make it near the throne), and two raspberries, unfortunately, were harmed in the making of this photo, and, so far unbeknownst to be, both strawberries (the queen of berries) and raspberries are members of the rose family.
As "throne", I didn't use a fork, but one of the interchangeable "hands" that came with a backscratcher set I only recently bought. I didn't even know there were sets of backscratchers with interchangeable tops but there are. The set came with five different "scratch hands" to satisfy all one's backscratching needs. One of the "hands" even looks like a garden rake for contemplatively making a stone pattern in a zen garden. This is not that farfetched because scratching one's back can be a rather contemplative action :)
This image is an in-camera focus stack made of 15 images that I combined in Helicon Focus. The bling wasn't intended, I had just forgotten to take the star filter off. I have an un-blingy version of King Berry I but liked blingy Berry II a tad better.
I'm busy today and try to catch up with you tonight!
HMM, Everyone!
This 16th century market place is so well preserved that I keep coming back for more. I will no doubt take other captures in the futur.
#indian_river_lagoon #florida #nature #discovertheworld #sunset #waterscape #landscape #nature_perfection #gregorymountainpacks #canon #gitzo #leofotousa #markins #manfrotto #TKpanel #luminarneo #adobe_LR_PS #nikcollection #topaz #dxo #capture_1 #rrs
🇭🇷 HRVATSKI:
📍 Šilo, otok Krk
Ova fotografija prikazuje pogled s rive malog primorskog mjesta Šilo, smještenog na istočnoj obali otoka Krka. Nasuprot Crikvenice, s kojom je Šilo povezano brodskom linijom, ovo mirno mjesto odiše šarmom starog ribarskog naselja. Iako danas ima sve više vikendica i turista, Šilo i dalje zadržava svoju opuštenu, autentičnu atmosferu.
U prvom planu ističe se vezni bitv, svjedok svakodnevnog života uz more – ribarenja, dolazaka brodova i ljetnih užurbanosti.
Idealno mjesto za one koji traže mir, lijepu prirodu i onaj pravi, nenametljivi jadranski ugođaj.
🇬🇧 ENGLISH:
📍 Šilo, Krk Island
This photo shows the view from the waterfront of Šilo, a small coastal village on the eastern side of Krk Island. Facing the town of Crikvenica across the sea, Šilo is connected by a small ferry and remains a peaceful place with the charm of a traditional fishing village.
Although it has grown in popularity with tourists and holiday homes, it still keeps a calm and authentic vibe.
The foreground features a mooring bollard — a silent witness to everyday life by the sea: fishing boats, summer hustle, and the rhythm of the Adriatic.
A perfect destination for those seeking tranquility, nature, and genuine island atmosphere.
🇫🇷 FRANÇAIS :
📍 Šilo, île de Krk
Cette photo montre la vue depuis le quai du petit village côtier de Šilo, situé sur la côte est de l’île de Krk. En face de la ville de Crikvenica, reliée par un petit ferry, Šilo conserve l’âme d’un ancien village de pêcheurs.
Même si les résidences secondaires et les touristes y sont de plus en plus nombreux, le lieu a su préserver son atmosphère paisible et authentique.
Au premier plan, une bitte d’amarrage symbolise le quotidien maritime : les bateaux, la pêche et le va-et-vient estival.
Un coin idéal pour les amoureux de calme, de nature et de simplicité adriatique.
🇩🇪 DEUTSCH:
📍 Šilo, Insel Krk
Dieses Foto zeigt den Blick von der Uferpromenade des kleinen Küstendorfs Šilo auf der Ostseite der Insel Krk. Gegenüber liegt Crikvenica, mit dem Šilo per Fähre verbunden ist.
Trotz wachsender Beliebtheit bei Urlaubern bewahrt Šilo seinen ruhigen, authentischen Charakter eines alten Fischerdorfs.
Im Vordergrund sieht man einen Poller – ein stiller Zeuge des maritimen Alltags: Fischerboote, sommerliches Treiben und das Leben am Meer.
Ein perfekter Ort für alle, die Ruhe, Natur und echte Adriastimmung suchen.
🇪🇸 ESPAÑOL:
📍 Šilo, isla de Krk
Esta foto muestra la vista desde el muelle del pequeño pueblo costero de Šilo, situado en la costa este de la isla de Krk. Frente a Crikvenica, con la que está conectado por ferry, Šilo conserva el encanto de un pueblo pesquero tradicional.
A pesar del crecimiento del turismo, el pueblo mantiene su ambiente tranquilo y auténtico.
En primer plano destaca una bita de amarre, testigo silencioso del día a día junto al mar: pesca, barcos, movimiento veraniego.
Un destino ideal para quienes buscan paz, naturaleza y el verdadero espíritu del Adriático.
🇮🇹 ITALIANO:
📍 Šilo, isola di Krk
Questa foto mostra la vista dal molo del piccolo villaggio costiero di Šilo, situato sulla costa orientale dell'isola di Krk. Di fronte si trova Crikvenica, collegata tramite traghetto.
Šilo conserva ancora il fascino di un vecchio villaggio di pescatori, nonostante la presenza crescente di turisti e case vacanza.
In primo piano si nota una bitta d'ormeggio, silenziosa testimone della vita quotidiana sul mare: barche da pesca, traffico estivo e ritmi adriatici.
Una meta perfetta per chi cerca tranquillità, natura e un’autentica atmosfera isolana.
#MacroMondays
#Wood
The once mighty volcano Mount Crayon, erupting frequently, now seems to be extinct. Or is it only dormant, and its magma chamber holds some future surprises?
Well, this pretty much sums up this image (and also my drawing activities which have been dormant for a long time now): It's only half of what I had originally envisioned for our "Wood" theme. Because (of course) I wanted to depict an active volcano, maybe with a lava stream and some smoke. But... I ran out of time (of course) and I also wasn't sure how to make the smoke appear as if it came right out of the volcanic crater/conduit. Red wax could have served as lava but the smoke... Well, this is definitely something I will keep in mind for our Redux (or maybe Redo) theme at the end of the year, so stay tuned for Mount Crayon's mighty comeback ;)
It kind of broke my heart to break off the crayon's tip/lead but if I wanted to have something that looked like a volcano, I had no choice because none of the numerous, long unused pencils and crayons lying around in boxes around the house already had a broken lead.
I placed a gold-coated paper cake board behind the crayon and illuminated it with yellow light from the right to get the golden half of the background, and I held the small LED flashlight equipped with a small pink semi-transparent lid (of a SodaStream gas cylinder) above it to create the pink highlights (which I hoped would give the impression of some lava or heat but...). To get the entire volcanic crater sharp I did focus bracketing with 55 images that I combined in Helicon Focus (Method A, Radius 7, Smoothing 7). Processed in LR (the basics) and in Colour Efex (Detail Extractor filter applied on the crayon only).
HMM, Everyone! (I will catch up with you a little later.)
#white_pelican #florida #best_birds_planet #planet_birds #birdbrilliance #birdphotography #nature #wildlifephotography #birdextreme #bestbirdshots #discovertheworld #nature_perfection #wildlifeperfection #gregorymountainpacks #canon #gitzo #leofotousa #markins #manfrotto #TKpanel #luminarneo #adobe_LR_PS #nikcollection #topaz #dxo #capture_1 #rrs