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Take a Closer Look

November 11th, 2011

No doubt we all remember having a magnifying glass when we were kids and we used them to examine all sorts of things up close. I remember using mine to look at leaves. Leaves always fascinated me with their variety of shapes, the veins and the different colors. I often slowly peeled away the parts of the leaf until only the skeleton of the veins remained. The other morning I noticed this particular one stuck to my front porch step and was reminded of my fascination as a kid.


As I often do, I leaned in for a close look and noticed how the water droplets magnified the leaf making the intricate puzzle of it’s surface visible. I came inside and got my macro lens so I could take some photos as I thought you might enjoy them.


When you stop to notice things like this, it really brings the awesomeness of nature right before your eyes. Think about what a leaf does for a tree, then it drops in the fall and composts into the soil, it really is an amazing thing. As a religious person, I do not believe this is by chance or evolution and every time I take the time to notice these tiny intricate things I’m reminded of that.

What intricacies have you noticed in nature recently?

17 Comments to “Take a Closer Look”
  1. Joan on November 11, 2011 at 8:08 am

    Beautiful!

    Reply to Joan's comment

  2. Sarah on November 11, 2011 at 8:24 am

    Great post! The beauty and intricacy of God’s creation is everywhere if we just stop to look. Thanks for the reminder!

    Reply to Sarah's comment

  3. amy on November 11, 2011 at 9:06 am

    Something to ponder “as a religious person” :) I think you might really appreciate the intricacy:) Have a blessed day.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2011471/Pictures-sand-Close-photographs-reveal-incredible-beauty.html

    Reply to amy's comment

    • KimH on November 12, 2011 at 11:50 am

      That is magnificently beautiful.. thanks for sharing it!

      Reply to KimH's comment

  4. gabe on November 11, 2011 at 9:52 am

    Some of the more recent things I’ve looked at up close are flower seeds, especially those with some kind of ‘wind-catching’ element (think clematis). Amazing how different and intricate something so simple can actually be. Although, anytime I really stop and think, each aspect of the natural world is just mind-boggling, and how everything is so interconnected on both a grand and minuscule scale. I too have a hard time believing that something seemingly so simple, yet so complex, was just by chance.

    As an aside, what kind of macro lens do you have? I’ve been looking at them longingly, and though I can’t quite bring myself to bite the bullet on the expense, it’s definitely on the wish list.

    Reply to gabe's comment

    • Susy on November 11, 2011 at 10:38 am

      Yes, a good macro lens is expensive, but a worthy expense if you’re taking photos of nature, especially insects and flowers. The image stabilization is well worth the added expense in this version that Mr Chiots got me the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras as a gift 2 years ago. It’s a super sharp lens and works well not just for macro, it takes beautiful portraits as well. It was just about the only lens I used for all of last year until I got a wider lens last Christmas. I often use it when I am wanting to get great bokeh as it is perfect for that and I love using it when shooting portraits as well.

      I believe that spending a little extra on lenses is well worth it, especially if you’re hoping to sell any of your photos. Plus lenses will last a lifetime if taken care of and they can be repaired.

      As much as I like to say that it’s not necessarily the equipment that makes a good photo, getting good tools definitely will help you hone your skills as a photographer and sometimes spur creativity!

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • KimH on November 11, 2011 at 3:22 pm

        Wow.. now that is one awesome macro lens.. can you say AWESOME! ;) Maybe someday…

        Tools help, but even really nice tools in the hands of someone without an eye or any natural talent dont account for much, and by the same token, someone with a great eye & some talent can take great photos with a $5.00 disposable. ;)

        to KimH's comment

  5. vegeteble gardener cook on November 11, 2011 at 11:04 am

    As always, gorgeous photos!

    Reply to vegeteble gardener cook's comment

  6. MAYBELLINE on November 11, 2011 at 11:44 am

    Absolutely beautiful!

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  7. goatpod2 on November 11, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    Haven’t noticed anything!

    Amy

    Reply to goatpod2's comment

  8. tj on November 11, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    …Wow Susy! Just wow! These photos are simply spectacular! :o)

    …Oh I notice the grandeur of nature every single day. I marvel at the sky, the warmth of the sun streaming into the windows, the trees, flowers, the sound of the wind, snowflakes, the moon, I could go on and on… Life is a gift and I never forget that. I won’t lie as there have been days when I’ve really had to force myself to focus on that but even thru the darkest days I always know in my heart that being here is truly a blessing.

    …Funny thing, I save particular leaves, acorns, what-not that I see on my walks and I study ’em just like you have here. I rarely hear or see someone else do the same, kindred spirits we are…

    …I have to ask, what type of camera do you have? I’m in the market for a new camera but I would like to stick with a point and shoot for now, is that what you have? Or is it a DSLR? Either way, your photos are breathtaking.

    …Enjoy your weekend!

    …Blessings :o)

    Reply to tj's comment

  9. Grannie M on November 11, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    The water droplets are a definite magnifier…the intricacies remind me of chemistry/biology classes and learning about cell structure and molecules. It looks a lot like the drawings the professors put up on the chalkboards. The last thing I looked at closely was the shells of buckeyes as my Grand Boys were doing some mini-nature environments. The buckeye shells made perfect canoes for their construction paper ponds.

    Reply to Grannie M's comment

  10. KimH on November 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I often spend a lot of time out in my garden sanctuary and notice lots of intricacies of nature and life.. I think the last one was I was raking leaves a few days ago (to shred & put back as mulch) and I had all sorts of seeds on my pants.. I had to pick each one off since I was wearing sweat pants and they were hanging on to relocate for all it was worth.
    The shapes and textures of each of the seeds were so interesting..

    Brought a smile to my face to imagine each of them as a living, breathing, being, trying to to its best to continue on..
    Definitely God Given, without a doubt..

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • KimH on November 11, 2011 at 3:34 pm

      forgot to say, gorgeous photos as always… :)

      Reply to KimH's comment

  11. itchbay on November 11, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I’m still amazed that I can put a tiny little seed in the ground and it will grow into a huge plant that gives me food. I understand the science of it, but it still feels like a miracle.

    Reply to itchbay's comment

  12. Darlene on November 11, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    For me it’s bark. If you look closely at the different trees,the bark is different. There are “mountains” and “valleys” and “canyons” in treebark. I think one of my favorites is shagbark hickory!
    The world is indeed a wondrous place!

    Reply to Darlene's comment

  13. Tee on November 11, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    I love this… Totally something I would do..
    Your pictures drew me in and I feel like that leaf is now stuck to my heart.
    Loved it.
    T

    Reply to Tee's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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