Category Archive: Macro Photography

Gourds and the Third “W” stories voting reminder

The “W” stories are jockeying for the top spot with just six days — or five days , depending on how one counts them — before the voting closes.

We often have a rash of last-minute votes, so it’s still anyone’s guess which story will win the round. Reader’s choices have surprised me a number of times before, and also how narrow the margins of victories have been in many recent rounds. It bolsters the argument that in these voting rounds, a single vote — and sometimes one more — determines the outcome, so consider participating.

If you’re a reader of our stories and someone who votes, the writers wish to express their gratitude and appreciation. Links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge W-Stories” are HERE(link) Votes will be accepted until  Noon (Central Time) on Monday, January 25th, 2021.

So, gourds . . .

These were all photographed on the Note 8 at an orchard in Michigan during our September visit with friends and family.

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Preview of Future Past and blog stuff

The name might seem odd to new subscribers, but the title will make sense to long-time subscribers because I’ve done one of these before . . . this is a post about future posts that will show past stuff.

I mentioned in the last post that I aim to change (reduce) the number of ‘reminder to vote’ posts. I also aim to reduce the number of blogs I subscribe to.  That process will be painful, but many of the blogs I’m currently following I originally did so because of something that was useful or interesting to me, and — for some blogs — that has changed to just being a habit without much benefit.

I rather follow fewer bloggers and have meaningful interaction than follow a lot of bloggers and have interactions equivalent to a nod you give a stranger as you pass them on the street.

. . . and yes, I expect I’ll lose some followers who will either be upset I unsubscribed, or will forget about me because they’ll no longer see me on their blogs. Again, meaningful engagement is the key, and even then, I want more time to do my own thing, and right now I’m keeping up with too many blogs (if I subscribe, I read the blogs), and that means I often can’t do justice to all the blogs I’m following.

. . . it’s gonna be tough, I tell you what.

Anyway, on to future past stuff . . .

So, I have a lot of photos I’d like to share. Some are new, like the above.

“What is it?” you ask.

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Final “R” stories voting reminder . . . and photos

Tomorrow, the Alphabet Challenge “R” Stories voting round closes at Noon, Central time (Chicago time). For them who have patiently waited until the last minute before voting, behold! . . . it is nearly here.

If you are a reader of our stories and someone who votes, thank you in advance for casting a vote for your favorite of the three. Links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge R-Stories” are HERE.<<<Link Votes will be accepted until noon on October 20th.

And now, onto a few photos for them who already voted (or have not voted and don’t plan to vote) . . .

A cone flower artified

That would be a cone flower adorned by a bug . . .

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Sixth “R” stories voting reminder . . . and photos

Two more days . . . that’s how much longer the Alphabet Challenge “R” Stories voting round is open.  

If you are a reader of our stories and someone who votes, thank you in advance for casting a vote for your favorite of the three. Links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge R-Stories” are HERE.<<<Link Votes will be accepted until noon on October 20th.

And now, onto a few photos . . .

I’m really sleepy, so just one more . . .

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I tease you with a dead teasel, a.k.a. Dipsacus plant

For them not interested in reading, you can see the photos in THIS<<link SmugMug Gallery.

For a SmugMug slideshow click HERE<<link. When you click the link, it will open in a new window and you have two options:
1) Manually scroll through the photos by clicking the “<” and “>” symbols to the left or right of the photos.
2) There’s a PLAY/PAUSE button at the top-left of the screen with the transition set at about 5 seconds. Note: clicking the PLAY arrow will run a full-screen slideshow. You can then still use the”<” and “>” symbols to the left or right of the photos as this will pause the slideshow.

If you manually scroll, you can click anywhere on the photo to get the 100% view of the photo. The cursor will change from a (+) to a hand symbol and you can click-and-hold to drag the view. Click again to zoom out.

If you want the full experience, keep reading.

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Artsy ex-clematis flower and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting could use a bit more participation, and that’s what the writers are hoping for the coming week. 

If you lead a blissful life, you probably need to temper said life with a bit of a bother, like reading three stories by unknowns. You can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

 . . . as usual, the final variant of a subject is when I go all artsy on them (I use Topaz Labs plugins for all these).

I’m in a hurry, so I’m just dumping a gallery below and forego all my usual witty banter.

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Colorless ex-clematis flower and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting had a momentary swell of activity (three votes) before falling back to dormant status.

I’d like to think it’s because of my promoting efforts, but I think it’s friends of the twins who account for most of the activity (note to self: get some friends of my own . . . but not too many).

If your life feels devoid of meaning and purpose and you want to spice it up, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Not saying reading these stories and voting will improve your life, but stranger things have happened, so I’d say it’s worth a shot.

 . . . for them who don’t know, once I post a set of photos, I’m likely to post variants (see previous posts). In this case, I again decided to go monochromatic. Specifically, on the photos of the clematis seed head.

Wait . . . why two versions of the same photo?

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Ex-clematis flower and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting has ground to a halt.

I don’t think that COVID-19 resurgence, social unrest, impending economic catastrophe, impending climate catastrophe, a government at odds with itself and its constituents, and global tensions are affecting people’s motivation to vote, so I’m at a loss as to why we’ve stalled.

If you’re bored and you want to participate in the process, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories.

So . . . for them who don’t know, a clematis <<link flower looks something like this . . .

That’s a photo I snapped with my phone in my yard, literally a few days ago.

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Restyled rock and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting has stalled, but you can be the one to kickstart it back to life. If that sounds like a mission you’re willing to accept, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories, in case you’ve yet to read them. Hint: read them all before voting. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . the rock (geode<<link) I’ve been sharing — while interesting — ain’t exactly in the same league as geodes showcased in photos and museums. Not wanting my rock to come down with an inferiogeode complex, so I treated the photos to a bit of Topaz Labs Restyle plugin . . .

Whereas before we showcased shape and texture, these treatments are all about the colors.

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Monochromatic rock and “L” stories voting reminder

We’re almost at the halfway mark for the “L” Stories voting round. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . yesterday’s rock got treated to some Nik Collection Silver Efex Pro 2 . . .

Once again, I think the monochrome treatment enhances all that texture and shapes, making it easier to “see” faces and figures on a surface that reminds me of a representation of Dante’s Inferno.

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A rock and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and a couple of stories are making their move, breaking from the pack. Who will win? If you want to participate and help “fix” the race, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . a rock . . .

Look at all that texture and shapes. I bet you can find all manner of figures hidden in those nooks and crannies.

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Multichromatic Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle of giants! Well, mostly giants; I’m still small both in stature and mass.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . .the monochrome wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link were introduced in yesterday’s post. Today we’re swinging all the way to the other end by offering . . . a multichromatic extravaganza!

Today’s post showcases the result of using Topaz Labs Restyle and Impression plug-ins.

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Monochrome Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle of giants! Well, mostly giants, I’m still small both in stature and mass.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link were introduced in yesterday’s post. I won’t be repeating all the information. If interested in what I shared, read yesterday’s post.

Today’s post is about the monochrome versions of yesterday’s photos.

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Wing, helicopter, and “L” stories voting reminder

The “L” Stories voting round is underway and it’s a tight race. If you want to participate, you can find links to the stories and the poll for voting for “Alphabet Challenge L-Stories” HERE.<<<Link Just think; you could be the deciding vote in an epic battle for . . . well, just for the fun of it, really. We don’t actually win anything.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . wing<<Link and helicopter (seed)<<Link . . .

On the left, the wing of a Cicada.<<Link
On the right, a maple seed (I think).

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Doe, Fawn, and “K” stories voting reminder and stuff

The “K” stories voting window will close sometime Tuesday (14 days window). You can wait until then, but to be safe and ensure your vote is counted, you should probably vote for your favorite “Alphabet Challenge K-Stories” HERE<<<This Is A Link by the end of tomorrow (Monday).

Clicking on the above link will take you to the post with the poll where you can cast your vote. The post also contains links to the individual stories. After voting, readers can — if so moved — spread the news about the story to friends and family. Or, not. But, we hope for yes.

So . . . Doe and Fawn . . . we’ve had a doe and fan hanging around the yard last week. We saw them a number of times and I was lucky to see them out my office window.

Unfortunately, I’m shooting with them in the shade and through a window and screen. Still, with a little manipulation, the photos are passable.

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