I have always been fascinated by patterns in nature, and by the "detail" of everything around us. Nature is an amazing place, and it contains a depth that just doesn't always seem obvious to the naked eye.
For my 16th birthday, my dad gifted me with my first "serious" camera-- a really nice Minolta 35mm SLR.
A leaf on our red maple, backlit by afternoon sun...
Back then (1976), we used film for everything, so photography could be a pretty expensive hobby, but I saved all my lawn mowing and firewood money to help me pay for film processing.
Unlike many of my friends — who were out there taking pictures of parties, family, events and landscapes — I was most interested in the "inner" worlds of the natural world; in the tiny details of everything around us.
Rolling hills? No, the folds of a pine cone on a tree in our yard...
What Is Not Obvious...
The photos in this post are just things I see in the world around me. There are so many things around us we take for granted, and just notice as "being there," without really pausing to truly look at them, and seeing what is actually there.
It often surprises me what things really look like, when I get extremely close to them. Much of the time, there are details I can not possibly hope to see till I get home and see the image on the computer screen.
A damselfly resting on a rock in the creek...
All the items I am sharing here are part of the amazing world around me. The same things that are — most likely — all around you, as well.
The photos are all much bigger than they appear "in line" in this post. If you want to see them full size, right click and "open in a new tab" if you're on a device with a larger screen!
A small "forest" of moss on our driveway...
A Practice of Gratitude
Pausing to not only appreciate these amazing works of "art" (because I think they are!) — but also to share them with others — has become part of my daily practice of gratitude.
It's so easy to get caught up in the pervasive negativity of the world; to jump on the "me too" bandwagon of lamentations and complaints.
A look inside a rhododendron in bloom...
Sure, there's lots of stuff in the world that could be better... but we can work of making things better without eternally dwelling in the misery of shortcomings, lack and things that are not as we wish they could be.
So take a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature with me!
I might even create this as a "special edition" version of @lyndsaybowes' popular #walkwithme series, in which I invite you to walk with me through the "inner worlds" of nature.
OK, so BeBe the cat isn't exactly "nature," but I like this photo...
How about YOU? Do you ever take the time to stop and really LOOK at everyday items around you? Have you ever looked at some "ordinary object" under a magnifying glass or microscope... or every strong camera lens? Were you surprised by what you found? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
Animated banner created by @zord189
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180509 01:19 PDT