Posted on November 21, 2014
I took a lot of pictures of spider webs this year. The early morning dew and the rising sun give a sparkling radiance to a beauty we often overlook. The architecture of spider webs can range from simple to amazingly complex.
Number 9 in the 2014 countdown (as determined by our esteemed one-person panel) was taken in a bird sanctuary just east of Jackson, MI. Can you see the designer and creator of this web? The spider – by design – blends in well in the lower right of the web. I have included a magnified view of the artist behind #9 below.
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: dew, spider, web
Posted on September 25, 2014
The early morning dew seemed to linger when Pat and I went out yesterday. The sparkling dew on spider webs radiated like diamonds on a crown. The intricacies of these master builders of silk in their beautifully alluring traps made me think of the line from Sir Walter Scot: “O what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive.” Maybe he had in mind the deception of the beauty in these often hidden gems . . . at least deceptive to insects. A few more tomorrow.
Posted on September 19, 2014
One of the things I enjoy doing in my photography is looking for the unusual in the common. Water (dew, rain, ice, etc.) often adds interest to a photo and sometimes can become the star of the show. This rose, while very beautiful, has a heightened attraction because of the lingering morning dew.
The spider web in this evergreen bush becomes the stage for a dazzling dew dance.
This black-and-white photo of the underside of a fallen leaf would be rather boring without the lingering raindrops.
Occasionally the reflecting water will hit your lens in such a way as to create a dew diamond. The twinkling star-like image in the center of the picture was a bit of luck, but luck favors the person willing to look for dew diamonds. Happy dew diamond hunting.
Category: Photography Tagged: dew, droplets, rain, water
Posted on September 15, 2014
The zoo was less than expected, but the flower gardens were overwhelmingly beautiful. The first image below expresses my state of mind when I was surrounded by the kaleidoscope of flowers in well-planned and well cared for gardens. While the colors were spectacularly vibrant, I have included one black-and-white rose to emphasize the sensuous beauty of roses. Hope you get a sense of the peaceful power of this place. Enjoy.
Category: Photography Tagged: dew, flowers, rose
Posted on July 1, 2014
Pat and I went out in search of gravel roads and all of mysteries they hold, but had a hard time finding gravel roads north of Jackson. What we did find were T junctions . . . at least a couple dozen. It seemed like every road we took ended with a
We did get some early morning shots of sunrise and dew on the flora.
We stopped for more coffee but it turned into second breakfast with some very delicious pecan rolls at a small but very busy bakery in Leslie.
We continued our travels and were able to find more photo ops before having lunch at a depot diner.
It was a fun Saturday morning.
Category: Photography Tagged: bread, dew, hollyhock, road signs, sunrise
Posted on October 7, 2013
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!” The quote from Sir Walter Scott aptly uses the spider web as a metaphor for deception. Spider webs deceive by blending in easily with the background, which is why we sometimes get a face full (and why they can be difficult to photograph). Or they all can deceive by being very visible, attracting visitors. Her are some unoccupied webs and one with a no vacancy sign.