Lmst

Botanical Garden flower series. Fresh leaves? Washington, District of Columbia, United States 2026

#PlantBud #GreenLeaves #CloseUpPhotography #NatureCloseUp #BotanicalBud

A close-up view of a plant with large, glossy green leaves and a long, pointed, reddish-brown flower bud emerging from the center. (AI-generated Alt text)

A tiny insect explores a dew-covered yellow bloom, framed by early morning light. Close-up moments like this reveal how much detail hides in plain sight.
#MacroPhotography #NatureDetails #WildlifePhotography #InsectPhotography #NatureCloseUp

A small dark insect stands on the petal of a bright yellow flower covered in dew droplets, with soft green and brown background blur.

This solitary hibiscus stood out for its warm color and simplicity — one quiet subject separated from everything else at the Butterfly Pavilion.

If this calm moment resonates, sharing it helps it travel.

#BotanicalPhotography #Hibiscus #NatureCloseUp #ScottKissPhoto

A bright yellow hibiscus flower with a deep red center and prominent stamen stands alone against dark green foliage, photographed in soft light with the background fading smoothly into shadow.

Botanical Garden flower series. (Bud 2) Washington, District of Columbia, United States 2026

#PlantBud #SucculentFlower #NatureCloseUp #BotanicalBeauty #Gardening

A close-up view of a green and yellow flower bud emerging from a succulent plant with a textured, spiral pattern. (AI-generated Alt text)

Check out this moss reclaiming an old stump, roots weaving through what’s left behind. It's a quiet reminder that nature never truly finishes its work—it just transforms. Follow and share if you adore the tiny treasures nature gifts us. 🌿🌳 #NaturePhotography #WoodlandTextures #NatureCloseUp

Close-up of a moss-covered tree stump and fallen leaves on the forest floor.

Caught this little guest treating the feeder like a private snack bar. Thankfully it stayed long enough for me to snag a close-up.

There’s always more to discover — I’d love for you to follow along.

#Photography #MacroPhotography #Butterfly #ButterflyPavilion #InsectPhotography #NatureCloseUp #Colorado #WestminsterCO #ScottKissPhoto

A vibrant orange-and-black butterfly rests on a small feeder, its wings closed as it feeds. The background is softly blurred, drawing attention to the delicate details of the butterfly.

'Tis the Season # 17. The Holly and the Ivy (again). #holly #naturelover #macroshot #greenery #forestvibes #winterflora #botanicalbeauty #depthoffield #leafy #texture #naturecloseup #smartphonephotography #photography

A close-up photograph featuring glossy, dark green holly leaves with sharp, spiky edges. The leaves are in sharp focus in the foreground, catching the light to reveal their waxy texture and pale veins. The background is a soft, blurred bokeh of dark ivy leaves and twigs, creating a moody forest atmosphere.

A tiny wanderer with a portable home.
Hermit crabs are a perfect reminder that you can carry your home anywhere – and the world opens up to those who dare to explore.

#hermitcrab #sealife #oceancreatures #naturecloseup #wildlifephotography #beachlife #tropicalvibes #macrotravel #discovernature #underwaterworld #naturelovers #travelmoments #islandlife #oceanvibes #beachfinds

'Tis the Season # 5. The Holly and the Ivy. #holly #hollyleaves #ivy #naturefocus #greenfoliage #moodynature #forestmagic #planttexture #evergreen #woodland #leafy #shiny #botanical #depthoffield #naturecloseup #smartphonephotography #photography

A close-up vertical shot focusing on a cluster of dark green holly leaves with sharp, spiky edges. The waxy surface of the leaves reflects the light, creating bright highlights that contrast with the deep shadows. The background is a soft blur of brown tree bark with ivy leaves crawling up it and other dappled forest greenery, emphasising the sharp detail of the foreground leaves.

A 1mm mushroom carrying an almost-as-big droplet

Sometimes nature hides its most extraordinary scenes in places most people never look. While walking through the Kampina near Oisterwijk with my wife Christel and my sister-in-law Hanneke — a birthday walk and lunch gift from last October — I noticed something no taller than a grain of rice. There, growing out of the lush green moss on a tree trunk, stood a tiny Mycena adscendens. Barely 1 mm tall, delicate as a whisper… and balancing a raindrop almost as large as its cap.

Photographing something that small is always a technical puzzle. Tripods were impossible on the tree bark, the light was miserable — wet, grey, and sleepy — and the mushroom itself looked like shiny plastic thanks to the moisture. So I relied on my Canon 5DsR paired with the MP-E 65mm, shooting handheld with a flashlight as an improvised lightsource.
1/250s, ISO 3200, and the fixed aperture of the MP-E — a setup that pushes both the photographer and the camera to their limits. At this magnification even your own heartbeat becomes camera shake.

But somehow, everything aligned. The droplet clung to the cap with perfect surface tension, turning the whole scene into a tiny physics lesson: cohesion, adhesion, and gravity negotiating their delicate balance on a 1 mm stage.

Moments like this remind me why I love macro photography — you don’t just take a picture; you discover a world that was already there, quietly waiting.

#MacroPhotography #MicroNature #TinyMushrooms #MycenaAdscendens #FungiFriday #FungusAmongUs #NatureCloseUp #ExtremeMacro #MacroWorld #MacroMagic #Canon5DsR #CanonMacro #MPE65mm #HandheldMacro #NatureIsArt #ForestFinds #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #MossAndMushrooms #RaindropArt #WaterDroplet #SurfaceTension #MicroWildlife #NatureWalks #PhotographyJourney #StoryBehindTheShot #NaturalWonder #TinyLifeBigWorld #ForestMagic #NatureLovers #ScienceInNature #PhotographersOfPixelfed #MacroCommunity #HiddenWorlds #ByMaikeldeBakker

Among fallen leaves and chestnut husks, a beetle glimmers like a hidden gem, a quiet pulse of life beneath autumn’s fading breath.

#AutumnDetails #ForestLife #TinyWorld #NatureCloseUp #BeetleBeauty #WoodlandFloor #HiddenNature #AutumnMood

A shiny black beetle crawling over dry brown and yellow autumn leaves next to a chestnut husk.

All the small things...

#insectphotography #macroshot #naturecloseup #beetlesofpixelfed #wildlifeart #naturefocus #macroinsect #microcosmos #greenbackground #nikon

A close-up photo of a small orange-red beetle with long black antennae crawling along a thin green blade of grass. The background is softly blurred in pale green tones, creating a dreamy, minimalistic atmosphere.

Fungus Amongus. #mushroomphotography #fungiofinstagram #mycology #naturecloseup #forestfloor #naturephotography #forestfinds #golden #textured #wildlifephotography #earthfocus #smartphonephotography #photography

A highly textured, golden-yellow, round fungus (possibly a type of puffball or earthball) dominates the foreground, sitting low to the ground amongst blades of grass, moss, and dead pine needles. A dark, vertical crack splits the centre of the fungus. The background is a soft, blurry mix of dark greens and browns from the surrounding woodland foliage.

I can buy myself flowers. Or at least try to capture their uniqueness and let them be(e). 🌸🌺🌼

Sometimes photography and paying attention to the little things around me is all I need to disconnect and calm down.

#naturecloseup #landscapephotography #busybee #macrophotographylove #macrophotography #landschaftsfotografie #focus #panasonic #canon #naturephotography #travelphotography #naturliebe #cinematicvibes #kreativefotografie #storytellingphotography #fineartphotography #authenticphotography #moodygrams #photooftheday #landscape #selftaughtphotographer #photography #photographyenthusiast #blumenfotografie #flowersinframe_

Shellbound Traveler

#snail #macrophoto #wildlifephotography #naturecloseup #slowandsteady #helixpomatia #shelllife #earthcreature #macroshot #tinyworld

A close-up photograph of a Roman snail crawling slowly across a gravel path. Its large, brown, spiraled shell gleams in the sunlight, and its pale, textured body stretches forward with two antennae extended. The background is softly blurred, highlighting the snail’s details and the tiny green sprout in front of it.

Close encounter with a forest master beetle

Meet Trypocopris vernalis, also known as the spring dor beetle — one of the true “masters” of the forest floor. Yesterday, while exploring a beautiful larch and pine forest near Rijen and Oosterhout (the Surea area) with my wife, I spotted this little armored worker quietly making its way through the moss. The day was grey and moody, but a brief ray of sunlight broke through — just enough to bring out that deep black sheen that makes these beetles so mesmerizing up close.

This shot was taken with my Canon 7D Mark II and the Canon MP-E 65mm super macro lens at 5× magnification — a lens that truly lets you dive into another world. At this distance, even a beetle’s face feels monumental. You can see the fine texture of its exoskeleton, this time no grains of forest soil clinging to it, and even the subtle reflection of the forest canopy above.

Scientifically speaking, Trypocopris vernalis plays a vital role in the ecosystem. It’s a dung beetle — recycling nutrients, aerating soil, and quite literally keeping the forest clean. A quiet little hero beneath our feet.

#TrypocoprisVernalis #BeetlePhotography #MacroPhotography #SuperMacro #Canon7DMarkII #CanonMPE65mm #ForestMaster #MacroWorld #WildlifeMacro #NaturePhotography #ByMaikelPhotography #DutchNature #Oosterhout #Rijen #Surea #MossForest #LarchForest #InsectPhotography #MacroDetails #CloseUpPhotography #WildlifeLovers #EcoPhotography #Biodiversity #DungBeetle #NatureStory #InsectWorld #MicroWorld #CanonMacro #NaturalBalance #WildlifeConservation #InTheForest #MacroArt #NatureCloseUp #PhotoStory #NatureLovers #FieldPhotography #MacroMagic #WildlifeMacroPhotography #CanonEurope #ForestEcosystem #TinyWorld