While trying to photograph a shrike in the distance, I noticed that one of the October Glory Maples (Acer rubrum) appeared as bokeh in the background. An aspen in the foreground lost its leaves with the recent high winds. I shot more water drops than I did of the poor little wet shrike.

And it is raining again, a true Pacific Northwest month. Lovely!

Yellow Archangel | Lamiastrum galeobdolon | Lamiaceae

Samsung NX1 & Kiron 105mm f/2.8 Macro

Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2020.

My garden

Lensbaby Velvet 56

Another one , double in my garden, a beautiful pink color..

HFF! Wish you all a pleasant weekend!

Thanks for all your faves and comments! Much appreciated!

From my garden

Helios

Wood Anemone | Anemone nemorosa | Ranunculaceae

Samsung NX1 & Helios 44M - 58mm f/2

16mm Macro Tube | f/3.2 | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2019.

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© 2015 Helmuth Boeger - All rights reserved.

"I wish you and yours Merry Christmas !"

For Macro Mondays: "Treasured"

Daylily in the backyard garden ...

Helios

My garden

Cranesbill | Geranium × cantabrigiense 'Biokovo' | Geraniaceae

Samsung NX1 & Carl Zeiss Jena 'Pancolar' 50mm f/1.8

Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2022.

For Looking close... on Friday: "Nuts"

For Looking close... on Friday: "All green"

Lensbaby Twist 60

~ Mehmet Murat İldan

taken this spring on a stroll around the neighbourhood ... somehow I loved this weathered and oil-stained pink blossom :))

I still don't have a similar flower on the rear of my bike ...

(playing around with Analog Efex Pro 2 and textures)

Happy Sunday and HSS :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Jedes Mal, wenn Ihr Eure Kindheit vermisst, fahrt mit dem Fahrrad!"

~ Mehmet Murat İldan

.... gesehen bei einem Frühjahrs-Spaziergang durch die Nachbarschaft. Irgendwie mochte ich diese etwas verwitterte und ölverschmierte rosa Blüte.

Ich habe immer noch kein ähnliches Blümchen am Heck meines Fahrrads ... ;))

www.shutterstock.com/g/JackieMatthews

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© 2013 Helmuth Boeger - All rights reserved.

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(more than 11000 views - Thank You ! :-)

I have a problem. Even if I use a continuous shutter to capture motion, when the noise of the shutter (even on muted, which isn't much mute) stops, birds must know that and off they fly! I lose my chance at getting a bird in flight.

I know all of you expert birders don't stop that shutter finger at key moments, but how do you pause to refocus? I miss key motion shots after trying for... I won't even disclose for how many years ;-)

Off for a walk after taking blurry photos of this shrike in flight.

Parasola conopilus | Psathyrellaceae

Samsung NX1 & Steinheil Munchen 'Cassar S' - 50mm f/2.8

10mm Macro Tube | 12 Aperture Blades | Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2018.

Common Blue Damselfly | Enallagma cyathigerum | Coenagrionidae

Samsung NX1 & Helios 44M - 58mm f/2

26mm Macro Tube | f/4 | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2021.

For Macro Mondays: "Spiral"

My garden

A creative artistic version of a daylily from my backyard garden.

Prunus sp. | Rosaceae

Samsung NX1 & Kiron 105mm f/2.8 Macro

Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2019.

Many of my pictures are available to buy as prints, canvasses or acrylics at:

www.photo4me.com/izzy

Samsung NX1 & Helios 44M - 58mm f/2

10mm Macro Tube | Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2021.

To confuse or at least delay the little wild rabbits from buffet dining, we purchased several wine or whiskey barrel halves last fall. Then planted bulbs: a mixture of potential tulips and a crocus or two.

Rained again last night and the temps grew chilly. Little sun to warm the blooms and to watch them open outside.

The tallest of these shoots measures barely 3 inches/7.6 cm. So small and so welcome on a dark day.

Thanks for looking!

Photographed in the Magaliesburg area, North West, South Africa.

For Smile on Saturday: "Flowers in March"

It was a challenge that I created for myself ... Have I met my goal ..?

Macro photography has been always fascinating to me. In this photo, I'm trying to discover possibilities in an abstract macro. Did I nail it, not yet , but as they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"...

These are dry leaves of an Indian Corn.

Glistening Inkcap | Coprinellus micaceus | Psathyrellaceae

Samsung NX1 & Carl Zeiss Jena 'Pancolar' 50mm f/1.8

10mm Macro Tube | Wide Open | Manual Focus | Available Light | Handheld

All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2021.

Feeling a bit artsy ... Daylily

Ich bin wie ein Teil von Dir. Sagte die Hummel zur Blüte.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

... dived deep into the calyx and played hide and seek with me ;-)

///

... tauchte ganz tief in den Blütenkelch und spielte mit mir Verstecken ;-)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

#SmileOnSaturday / #Bee-autiful

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nikon Micro-Nikkor-P / 1:2.8 / 55 mm

Realität. Und Schatten.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And my carpet. I think they fit together perfectly. Unfortunately, the bouquet gets in the way here – on the way over the carpet, out through the kitchen door and into the garden. Where hopefully the sun will shine for the next few days ;-)

///

Und mein Teppich. Ich finde, die passen perfekt zusammen. Leider steht der Blumenstrauß hier voll im Weg – auf dem Weg über den Teppich, raus durch die Küchentür und rein in den Garten. Wo hoffentlich die nächsten Tage die Sonne scheint ;-)

detail of a copper lamp. HMM!

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© 2013 Helmuth Boeger - All rights reserved.

My garden

Helios

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to view, comment or fave this image

found in the old sewing box of my husband's grandma:

"Nomotta Regia Beilaufgarn - 4 Fache Haltbarkeit"

darning / reinforcement yarn, probably made in the middle of the last century and advertised with "four-time durability"

Macro Mondays - theme of November 21, 2022: Vintage

(width of this image: 4 cm at most)

Taken with the manual Laowa 60mm ultra macro lens (here with a magnification of about 1:1)

HMM ! I will catch up in the late evening

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

gefunden im alten Nähkästchen der Oma meines Mannes:

"Nomotta Regia Beilaufgarn - 4 fache Haltbarkeit"

Stopfgarn, der wohl aus der Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts stammt

Macro Mondays - Thema am 21. November 2022: Vintage

Aufgenommen mit dem manuellen Laowa 60mm Ultra-Makro-Objektiv (hier mit einer Vergrößerung von etwas mehr 1:1)