Macro Crazy

I think I should just go ahead and change my blog title to Macro Crazy. I love to take macros, I love how they look, and they're pretty darn easy once you find a good subject.

I know this photo doesn't follow the rule of thirds or anything, I'm working on that. That's what you get when you're learning on your own as you go.

Macro Fungus

This is an example of how a macro can make something look better than what it really is. I do not find fungus of any kind at all appealing. But when you get right up close and look at things, they take on different qualities. I love the stripes, shadows and specks that I would never see just glancing at these on a hike. Upon first look these are just little tan blobs on a tree, but the details make them interesting.

Fall in Northern Michigan

The past two years we have gone camping for our anniversary. It's a great time to go because kids are back in school and the weather is usually a little cooler, leaving most campgrounds empty. Two years ago we went to the north-eastern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula for some camping, hiking and waterfall exploring. When I saw this field with the beautiful foliage in the background, I knew I had to get a picture.

Rain Drops on Leaf

I noticed this leaf while on a hike in the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore along Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It had rained earlier in the morning, and the raindrops were perfectly formed on the leaf.

If you ever have a chance, the hikes to waterfalls in this area are very nice and usually moderately easy. Not only are the waterfalls worth the walk, but you'll usually see some really interesting things along the way.

Top of the Rock

Last December I did something completely crazy and out of character for me. I decided to take a trip to NYC with my husband with only a couple weeks notice. I'm a planner, and a couple weeks is not enough time to plan. We lucked out on everything: amazing flight deal, great hotel for a good price, and when we landed in New York the second week of January it was almost 70 degrees outside. We had beautiful weather for our trip and had a great time.

This picture is taken from the "Top of the Rock", the observation deck at Rockefeller Center. We got there about 40 minutes before sunset and were able to get lots of pictures of Central Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the city skyline before it got dark. Then we waited around for the lights to come on to get some shots of the NYC skyline at night.

We had only taken our tiny Elph camera for the trip because we wanted to be able to enjoy the city without worrying about carrying a camera bag. The Elph fits in our jacket pockets, no need to keep track of it. It sometimes doesn't do well in low-light situations, but we did manage this picture of the Empire State Building.

Power Dam Falls

One of my favorite things to do on vacation is visit waterfalls. Whenever we choose a destination, one of the first things I do is check to see if there are any waterfalls nearby. Luckily, a lot of the places we've traveled to do have some. They are usually at the end of a nice hike, but can sometimes be found just off the side of a road.

These falls are located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which has quite a few really nice waterfalls. We found it on a county map, barely labeled. They didn't even have a name listed there, I just call them Power Dam Falls because there is a building off the left of the falls that looks like it might have been a powerhouse using the falls to generate electricity. This is one that you can drive right up to and see without even getting out of your car.

Macro: A Miniature Forest

I love to take macros. They are one of my favorite types of pictures for many reasons. The biggest, though, is that they get me to look at things differently. This picture was taken on a walk in a local preserve, it's a growth of some sort on a fallen tree. When I go out searching for macro shots I really look in detail at everything around to see what would work best, so I think I see more of my surroundings.