peeking through the trees toward Horseshoe Lake mostly covered with lily-pads and blooms

aerial view of clouds forming over Gulf of Mexico

mysterious mounds of rock peaking through the surface of a mineral water pond in JiuZhaiGou

about a week ago, my finger got pinched and created a tiny blood blister. now it's coming off and i decided to photograph the remains using a very tiny lens. this photo captures an an area about .057 inches wide (about the thickness of a DVD) and is of the outer regions of the blister where the dark dried blood meets the surrounding tough dried skin (whitish areas).

you'd probably believe me if i said this was a tentacle from some deep-sea creature, but it is actually a closeup shot of a common flower stigma (the tiny little stem sticking out of the center and captures pollen from the stamen). the stigma of a red gladiolus is only 0.025 inches in diameter (thickness of 2 playing cards) and this photo captures the very tip that protrudes farthest outside the bloom. (check out our "Balanced Gems" shot to see the neighboring anther part of the same flower).

funny-shaped sandstone monuments in Utah wilderness

Below ground caverns in Arizona wilderness, carved out by centuries of flash flood waters from rain many miles away.

close-up shot of a young tree bud