macro shot of the texture and patterns of a fallen fig leaf

This is an up-shot of some colourful scale-shaped rock layers on the side of large cliff. To capture this amazing natural art, i had to setup as low as possible to get enough room between the camera lens and rock layers. There was just enough room for me to lay on the muddy ground and get my head in place to see the focus screen and prepare for the long-exposure.

a cool place to hang out (if you're a seal or if you like a lot of ice in your water)

top of MarcaHuasi in Perú

variegated bamboo trees in China

path through California Redwoods

appearing as a beautiful iridescent wing from a magical creature, this is actually a small portion of a single grain of black sand. we were exploring a small clump of sand for a good shot, and noticed a tiny colourful spot sparkling out from one of the grains of lava rock. zooming in much more, we discovered this 'wing' shape measuring 0.0058 inches long (equivalent to the thickness of a sheet of paper). the entire grain of sand at this level of magnification, would fill 20 of these photos.

despite it's appearance, this is not a coral reef growth, nor anything under the ocean. it is actually a closeup shot within the center of a daisy. we were surprised to discover that the flower's fuzzy brown cone was made up of these finger-like structures that looked so much like something under the sea. the photo captures 0.036 x 0.054 inches (about the thickness of a DVD) of the flower's center cone.