Tag Archive | macro photography

Yep, the Rain Returneth, and So Have the Flood Watches

Nov6
storms 004 (640x427)

Thunderheads up North

storms 003 (640x427)

Storms to the East

storms 010 (640x427)

Raindrops on Berries

Don’t you love how the raindrops were reflecting the color of the red berries? I said I was going to try capturing raindrops soon, but it started raining BIG raindrops on me and I had to go back inside.

And the water from these are clear

And the water from these are clear

And that’s my secret, but I’m not saying. Because then it wouldn’t be a secret, would it? Do you think I’ve been working too hard lately?

🙂 <3 Okay, back to writing Gunnolf’s story. Have a super great TGIF!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

A Drop or Two of Water Inside–A Lot More Outside

Nov1

running water 010 (800x533) gold running water 015 (800x533) goldI did it! I captured a beautiful drop of water, or three. Oh, I know, pros are shaking their heads because their work is really astounding, but really, I admire pros’ work all the time. And I know this isn’t half as spectacular as they can do. But for me? It’s my first time ever. And it’s fun. Beautiful And I’m ecstatic. It’s amazing what will thrill me. I took 15 pictures to get these two. I used the built-in flash, a micro 40mm Nikon lens, and a high speed disk, normal bathroom lighting.

I want to be like them when I grow up. Yes, I write USA Today bestselling books and create award-winning bears, but I want to create fantastic photographs too! Not to resell, not as a livelihood, not enough hours in a day. But just for the simple joy that I can say, I did it! And I did it well.  And then go on and try something else that looks as spectacular–to me. Next attempt is to try to capture a water drop on something like some of the pros do. I have tons of water drop photos on things from flowers at castles while it was raining and we were out in it, to raindrops at home, but they don’t have the sparkle like the pros’ photos do. So that’s something I want to try.

multicolored rose drop of water on drop of waterThis is the closest I have to anything interesting. Water droplets on top of water droplets on a multicolored rose. I wasn’t using a flash. I’m wondering if that would have made a difference. In any event, when I have a chance, I’m going to work on it.

raindrops blade of grass (640x430)In this picture I was focusing on the flower. But the camera focused on the raindrops. Shows what a pro I am! lol Anyway, again, I wonder if I had used a flash, if it would have made a difference, and if I’d gotten closer to the raindrops, not been focusing on the flower (ha!), that they would have been captured better. Like the water drops on water drops on the rose. I wasn’t taking the photo of the water drops, but of the rose. If I concentrate on the water drops, maybe….

raindrops blade of grass1Just a cropped shot to show the raindrops more. What I thought was interesting was that the raindrops were clinging to the underside of the blade of grass, which makes sense, and yet they were propped up on top of the upper side of the blade of grass also. So what made the picture interesting to me was the way in which they settled. Does that sound like a story in the making???

And with that, I’m back to working on THE STORY. The Viking’s Highland Lass is coming along fine. I don’t like the first two pages so will be rewriting them. But I’m already a quarter of the way there on the word count! So off and running. 🙂 <3

Can you believe it’s November already??? With 80 degree weather, I can’t either. 🙂 Have a super wonderful day!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

 

Busy, Busy Honeybee

Oct23
antenna bee 046 (674x593)

Honeybee on wildflowers

Note the sacks on her back legs full of golden pollen? She has pollen on his antennae too and a soft dusting of gold pollen all over her body. These are wildflowers, the last before it gets cold. Wait, it’s supposed to get cold? Ha!

And rain, right? We have 90% today, and I must be living in the 10% that’s getting no rain. Under flood warnings, too. Where is a wolf that can tell us the real weather forecast when we need one???

wings detail bee 051 (800x717) closeAnd this picture of the little honeybee shows her wings as she held them still for a few seconds. I really went out to take pictures of the last wildflowers of the season, but had fun capturing her too.

wings fuzzd bee 049 (800x604)Okay, well, like this busy little bee, I finished Jaguar Christmas! I’m rereading it from start to finish tomorrow, and then I’m working on edits for Billionaire so I can turn them both in by deadline!

Don’t tell me it’s Friday already. *sigh*

Have a great day! 🙂

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Toads of a Warty Skin, Cuddle Together–Macro Shots

Sep30
Like father like son toads (640x427)

Mom and baby loving the mud

4 toads around a leaky hose (325x640)

Four toads around a leaky hose coupling–the only way they’re going to get wet in this dry heat in Texas–talk about camouflage

close up of toad's eye

Close up of toad’s eye. I thought it was pretty cool.

Back to writing!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Sometimes the Amateur Photographer Looks Like a Clown but Gets it Right, Anyway…

Aug29
Yellow, Yellow Butterfly!

Yellow, Yellow Butterfly!

I took the puppies out and naturally, I see a beautiful butterfly and I’m sure it’s a monarch, but it disappears. It’s really rare to see one, so I was disappointed I’d missed it.

So when I’m trying to corral the puppies to bring them inside, I see this beautiful gorgeous yellow, yellow butterfly. I’ve never seen her before in my gardens. So I rush inside, get my camera with the macro lenses, and the tripod, and chase the butterfly all over the garden.

Poor butterfly.

But I’m determined to get a shot. I never managed to use the tripod. The butterfly moved every time. Sooooo, I held the camera on the tripod and took the hand-held shots. I couldn’t get any closer than this either.

And….wouldn’t you know, there were crunchy leaves all over the patio, so I’m trying to watch the butterfly and miss crunching on the leaves, which didn’t matter anyway. I’m sure the poor thing saw this hulking human predator anyway, so it really didn’t matter.

Even so, I got her. Isn’t she just beautiful? My Facebook fans tell me she’s a tiger swallowtail!

She made my day!

Have a great day!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

The Sunflower and the Bumblebee–Fun with Macro Lenses

Aug1

Bumblebees are aggressively territorial. At my other home about a mile from here, I couldn’t step out my front door without one dive bombing me in the summer months. They’re big, and even though I’m a lot bigger, that’s still unnerving.

So here I was, trying to capture some macro shots of the sunflowers before the season is over, and I get really, really close to the flower, too close, look to see what I was capturing, ack, the bumblebee is back. Sooo, I quickly stepped back a bit, and took several shots.

Fading sun last night, telephoto lenses.

Sunflower with Bumblebee

Sunflower with Bumblebee

With Macro Lenses today brighter time of day.

Sunflower and the Bumblebee, macro shot

Sunflower and the Bumblebee, macro shot

The sun behind the flower makes it appear almost translucent, the shadow of a stem showing right through it.

sunflower and dying sunflower (640x581)

The sunlight was behind the flower, so it made the bumblebee and flower dark. I had to lighten them to show the details. It’s better to take the pictures in overcast or lower light, but bumblebees don’t appear on schedule, so, I took my chances and it gives it a different look anyway, and that’s fun too.

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Fun for Memorial Day? Or the Same O’ Same O’?

May22

Well, I’ve got edits for SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble and waiting on a beta reader to see if I need to change anything more on She-Wolf, so that’s what I’m doing. Working, and working and working.

But today, at 6:30, at BN, Waco, we’re having a multiple author contest, so that will be my big exciting thing to do.

I’ve got to get back to edits, but I had to take some morning pictures too. It’s wet out and the snails were having a gathering of the clan.

Then I tried to take a macro portrait of the puppies. They move too much.  But I did get one of them where they didn’t when I was teaching them down before they got their morning meal! Bad hair day or cute and scruffy? The puppies were out in the wet grass before I fed them, and they tend to nose through the wet grass, so they don’t look half as cute as when I brushed them all up last night. Will have to try this again later. 🙂

snail on the walk copy snail on wall copy Bad Hair Day or Cute and Scruffy (640x427) In down, and didn't move (640x427)

Okay, back to writing. Have a super great, wonderful Memorial Day weekend. And if you’re in town, drop by Barnes and Noble for chances at all kinds of prizes, and I’m giving away free copies of The Vampire…In My Dreams to anyone who purchases a book at the store. (Or if you’re bringing in books to have me autograph also).

Woohoo, TGIF!!!

Are you doing anything special?

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

May10

wolf pack mom More flowers Mother's Day roses and lilies

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

It’s Easy Being Distracted…Really

Apr24
Two Butterflies in Symphony--one the Tawny Emperor Butterfly, the other, I think it's the same, just different coloring

Two Butterflies in Symphony–one the Tawny Emperor Butterfly, the other, I think it’s the same, just different coloring

I was out pulling bur weeds, but they’re just too extensive, and I have a million other things to do. So I found my weed killer and started spraying them, realizing too late it’s also a grass killer. Sigh. But the weeds are so thick, and the grass isn’t able to grow where they are, so hopefully, I only killed the weeds.

But look what distracted me. I was in the middle of working on the whole back area where I take the puppies to potty, and they’re going to be carrying the stickers around in the paws and fur. So need to clean this all up. And I saw the variegated privet full of butterflies. Yesterday, I noticed the flowers had all budded out and they smell similar to jasmine, heavenly. But today, they were covered with Tawny Emperor Butterflies. They love rotting fruit, and so when my pears are on the ground, that has attracted them to my wildlife reserve. 🙂

I took a lot of pictures, but this is one of my favorites because it caught two with the wings spread, different coloration, in a faceoff.

Have a terrific Friday!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Roses at the Castle Gate…

Apr11

Hey, I write fiction, so to me, this is my castle and it looks like the roses could be at a castle gate, so…that’s what it is. roses at the castle gate (640x427) copy Everything is in bloom. The Everblooming roses, pictured here in hot pink, macro shot, wind blowing them around, but still got a pretty good shot. And shrubs I didn’t realize bloom are in bloom. I’m working on She-Wolf, only 500 words to go to get word count, though I’ll still need to write a lot more to finish it. And I’m working on Huntress for Hire proofing for the audiobook, which is 9 hours plus long, and I’ve gotten through 2 hours of it. And that’s it! Except for constantly taking the furry ones out, researching about marijuana, not for me, for the story, and, well, yes, stopping to take pictures, can’t help myself, I’m trying to remain focused on She-Wolf. Oh, have 8 bear orders to do also. Okay, back to work! Happy Saturday!