It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…Supermacro!

When I am bored, I do crazy things like slap a 1.4x teleconverter on my 105mm macro lens so that I can get in really, really close. Yeah, I’m a wild woman. 🙂 

I honed in on all sorts of items today, from naturals like ice crystals and a dried sweet gum seed pod to the silly like Froot Loops cereal and the bristles of my electric toothbrush. It was all good fun, but nothing was yielding WOW.  

"Red Planet" (Sunlight Through Amber Marble) Nikon D300, 150mm (105mm F/2.8G Macro w/1.4x teleconverter), Manual Settings: F/25, 1/4s, -1.0EV, ISO 500

At some point I noticed this really old marble sitting on the window sill.  

Hmmm, I thought.  

I photographed the heck outta this marble! From all different angles and on different surfaces and backgrounds. Then, just as the sun began to set, its rays lit up the marble, illuminating the interior detail and sending a flare to the opposite side. Eureka! 

Outta this world, man. Outta this world. 🙂

From bad to worse (weather-wise)

You know it’s cold when the stream freezes!

"Stone Cold" (Frozen Stream With Rocks) Nikon D300, 105mm, F/8, 1/30s, +.3EV, ISO 640

I can’t decide if I see an image in the ice…do you?

Fancy that

“Blue Fairies” (Ice Crystals on Window) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, Manual Settings: F/13, 1/30s, ISO 400, Incandescent WB

 
A line of snow squalls blasted through our area last night bringing arctic chilling winds and plummeting temperatures.

Yikes!

I woke up this morning to more ice crystals on the storm windows and, with absolutely no desire to venture out into the bitter cold, looked to them for today’s inspiration.

One particular section seemed to have a fanciful quality about it. Or, is it just my sub-conscious mind reminding me that by this time next week, I will be experiencing a little pixie dust myself? 🙂

Woodland lace

This lacecap hydrangea looks very different now than back in early October. 

"Chantilly Lace" (Hydrangea serrata 'Woodlander') Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G Macro, F/5, 1/160s, -1.7EV, ISO 1000, Built-in iTTL Fill Flash, -0.7EV

Photographed in my camera’s monotone color mode and then enhanced a bit using Silver Efex Pro’s High Contrast Red Filter, this little bloom is certainly living up to her lacy description!