Macro Monday photo challenge

Macro Monday: Pine tree sap

If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. You can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

Well, after a long summer break to enjoy my kids’ company, I am back! I’ve managed to take a few photos over the past couple of months, but my SD cards are so full of photos I’ve taken for the past year or so, I’m not sure where to start. One huge goal I have for September is to completely revamp my Zazzle nature photography store and create new photo products for sale, so that should be me busy for a while…

For today’s Macro Monday, I thought I’d share a couple of photos of solidified pine tree sap I spotted during our summer vacation in the mountains of Southern California. I love the way these drops of tree sap show reflections of their surroundings, a bit like a glass marble would.

Macro Monday: reflections in a drop of pine tree sap

This pine tree sap seems to attract insects, which then get stuck on it while it dries up. Eventually they become permanent fixtures of this art created by Mother Nature.

Now that my kids are back in school, I’ll try my best to post new photos several times a week, as well as visit other photo blogs to take a look at the beautiful shots you’ve been taking. Happy Monday!

Macro Monday: the hearts of poppies

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. You can click on each photo for a larger view.

If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

A few weeks ago, I shared several photos of orange poppies I got the chance to photograph while walking around San Diego’s Balboa Park. Here are a couple more close-ups of those poppies. I find the shapes at the center of each poppy fascinating. On this yellow orange poppy, the center consists of a fuzzy star with 10 arms. Have you ever seen a sea star that looks exactly like this?

Close-up of the heart of a yellow orange poppy

This white poppy would look quite dull without a bright yellow center. That fuzzy center really is something.

March 17, 2014February 6, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Bloom Photos, Flower PhotosTags: blooms, center of a poppy flower, close-up of a poppy, close-up of poppies, heart of a poppy, Macro Monday photo challenge, nature photography, orange poppies, orange poppy, photos of blooms, photos of flowers, white poppies, white poppy, yellow poppies, yellow poppy 10 Comments

Red and yellow bell-shaped flower of the Abutilon

Macro Monday: the red and yellow blooms of the Abutilon Megapotamicum

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

I ran across a number of blooming shrubs and flowers this weekend, including these lovely red and yellow bell-shaped flowers. Many of these blooms were hanging on a shrub inside the botanic garden at San Diego’s Balboa Park. Of course the tree wasn’t labeled so I had no idea what it was while there. I’d love to know why so many botanical gardens label about half their plants and leave you guessing what the rest of them are.

A quick Google search revealed this shrub is called Abutilon Megapotamicum and is native to a few countries in South America. I couldn’t help but admire these interesting flowers and it didn’t take me long to realize they were quite a challenge to photograph, especially because of their unusual shape and the challenging lighting in the garden. I hope I did them justice in these few photos. Happy Monday!

Close-up of the Abutilon Megapotamicum red and yellow blooms

March 10, 2014February 6, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Bloom Photos, Flower Photos, Plant PhotosTags: Abutilon Megapotamicum blooms, Abutilon Megapotamicum flowers, close-up of red and yellow bell shaped flower, Macro Monday photo challenge, red and yellow bell shaped blooms, red and yellow bell shaped flowers, shrub with red and yellow blooms, shrub with red and yellow flowers 14 Comments

Paddle feet / lobbed toes of an American coot

Macro Monday: the feet of the American coot

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

At first sight, the American coot looks like a duck. It’s shaped like a duck, including its head and bill. It spends a lot of time on the water, and it hangs around other ducks. But the American coot is actually a hen, and the dead giveaway is the absence of webbed feet.

Now, if you ask me, this bird looks nothing like a hen, even with non-webbed feet. I’ll let you take a closer look at the feet of the American coot. Technically, they have “lobbed toes”, which allow them to not only swim but also walk well on uneven ground.

To me, the American coot looks like it has paddle feet so it can be good at swimming and walking. Can you imagine if your toes were shaped like this?

Close-up of the lobbed toes of an American coot

February 23, 2014February 6, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Animal Photos, Bird photosTags: American coot duck, American coot hen, American coot is a hen, black duck with flat toes, black duck with white head, lobbed toes of the American coot, Macro Monday, Macro Monday photo challenge, nature photography, paddle feet of the American coot 6 Comments

Macro Monday: colorful orchids

Remember my 2014 nature photography calendars (choose between five different themes) are still available for sale. Look in the left sidebar on my website for the most up-to-date discount coupon code. All calendars are made to order in the USA so you support the US economy with your purchase, and a starving artist (me!). I also appreciate any referral through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and of course your blog or website.

I took pictures of these orchids a few months ago and just discovered them on my camera’s SD card. I hope you enjoy these bright colors in the middle of winter.