Donde el viento quiebra, la vida insiste
El 17 de noviembre de 2025, Río Gallegos se despertó bajo un temporal furioso:
vientos del oeste, sostenidos entre 60 y 80 km/h, con ráfagas que superaron los 120 km/h.
Un día en que la naturaleza habló con toda su fuerza… y en casa, uno de mis rosales lo sintió.
Una rama se partió sin remedio.

Pero algo curioso ocurre a veces en el jardín:
lo que parece pérdida se transforma en oportunidad.

Tomé ese fragmento roto y lo planté, casi como un gesto de fe
Siete días después, este esqueje, que empezó siendo un pedazo de daño, muestra brotes nuevos, verdes, firmes, decididos.
Un recordatorio silencioso de que la vida no sólo resiste: se reinventa.

En un mundo donde el viento puede arrancarlo todo,
hay pequeñas historias que vuelven a crecer.

#Rosa
#Rosal
#Esqueje
#Jardinería
#Naturaleza
#VidaNueva
#Renacer
#Resiliencia
#NaturalezaViva
#HistoriasDelJardín

#Rose
#RoseCutting
#Gardening
#GardenLife
#NatureHeals
#NewGrowth
#GreenResilience
#NatureStory
#StormRecovery
#LifeFindsAWay

#WindStorm
#PatagoniaWinds
#Storm2025
#AfterTheStorm
#NatureStrikesBack

Yesterday morning felt like one of those quiet bets you make with nature. The night had frozen everything solid, so I suspected there might be low-hanging fog waiting somewhere between the fields and the treelines. As I walked in, part of me was afraid I had already “mist” it — but as the sun crept closer to the horizon, the air began to thicken, soft and silver, like the world taking a slow breath.

Just before sunrise, something unexpected happened. High above the forming fog, an ice cloud lit up in iridescent colours — mostly red, orange, and yellow, with subtle hints of green and blue. Ice crystals at high altitude can refract sunlight much like tiny prisms, creating these fleeting rainbow glows known as irisation. It felt like a quiet scientific miracle happening in real time.

That’s when I saw the leafless tree. Stark, skeletal, patient. And suddenly the composition clicked: a tree seemingly losing its last colours into the sky, like a gentle puff of smoke drifting upward. It’s not my most dramatic image, but there was something special in its simplicity — a moment where winter, light, physics, and imagination lined up just long enough to press the shutter.

Photography, after all, is just another way of studying light and life.

#wonderinglens #ByMaikeldeBakker #NaturePhotography #LandscapeLovers #MorningMist #IceCloud #Iridescence #AtmosphericOptics #WeatherPhenomena #TreeSilhouette #WinterLight #DutchNature #LowlandsMagic #SunriseGlow #ColorInTheSky #FoggyMorning #PhysicsInNature #ScientificStorytelling #CanonPhotography #OutdoorLife #NatureStory #MagicalRealismInNature #NaturalWonder #SkyWatcher #EarthObservations #LightPlay #WanderingWithACamera #DailyExploration #MomentOfCalm #VisualPoetry #CreativeVision #PhotographersLife #ArtOfSeeing #NatureMood #WinterVibes #FieldNotes #MindfulPhotography #NatureIsArt #ChasingLight #StoryThroughLens

A Quiet Guardian of the Forest

On our walk through the forest near an old, forgotten building, my wife suddenly looked up — and there he was. A Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus, or Ruigpootuil in Dutch), resting quietly on the edge of the roof, half asleep but faintly aware of the world. Every now and then, one bright yellow eye would peek open, catching a shimmer of the noon light.

The oak trees around him were dressed in their autumn palette — green fading into yellow and deep orange-brown. In that setting, his mottled plumage blended perfectly with the wood and leaves, a masterclass in camouflage. Boreal owls are rare in the Netherlands, typically nesting in old woodpecker holes in mature coniferous or mixed forests. Occasionally, one finds refuge in an old structure like this — proof of how wildlife adapts when natural habitats change.

Photographed first with the Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm (effectively ~600mm thanks to the crop sensor), and then with the Canon 5DsR and the same lens. The 5DsR reveals even more detail when zoomed in, but for social media, the 7D’s reach gives it a beautiful balance of sharpness and framing.

A quiet encounter, a patient gaze — and a reminder that even in silence, the forest watches back.

#BorealOwl #Ruigpootuil #AegoliusFunereus #WildlifePhotography #NaturePhotography #OwlPhotography #BirdPhotography #DutchNature #CanonPhotography #Canon7DMarkII #Canon5DsR #Sigma100400 #ForestLife #AutumnColors #Surea #NoordBrabant #BirdsOfEurope #OwlsOfTheWorld #ForestMagic #NatureStory #MacroAndMore #WildlifeStories #NatureLovers #EcologyInFocus #AnimalCamouflage #ConservationThroughPhotography #NaturalHabitat #PhotographyDetails #QuietMoments #BirdingNetherlands #AvianBeauty #WoodlandCreatures #ScientificPhotography #StoryBehindTheShot #AutumnVibes #CanonWildlife #EyesOfTheForest #DutchWildlife #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #ByMaikelPhotography

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

A quick morning snack for a starling.

Just a few days ago, I went for a small hike south of the Loonse & Drunense Duinen — a less-traveled area where nature still follows its own rhythm. Unlike busy forests that fall quiet when people arrive, here everything just… continues. That’s where I found this starling, perched high in a tree painted with the warm reds and golds of autumn, against a bright blue sky.

I grabbed my Canon 5D Mark IV with the Sigma 100–400mm, testing different compositions — and reminding myself (too late) to use my polariser for that extra sky contrast! Back home, this image stood out. The balance of colour was striking — the starling’s dark, iridescent feathers shimmering with hints of green and purple against that vivid backdrop. But what really made the shot special was the small detail: the moment the bird snatched a passing insect midair.

Starlings are quick and clever hunters; their eyes are adapted to detect the smallest movements even in bright light. No wonder they thrive in both cities and wildlands alike. To me, this photo captures that blend of elegance and instinct — nature’s little drama, frozen in a fraction of a second.

#Starling #BirdPhotography #NatureMoments #WildlifePhotography #Canon5DMarkIV #Sigma100400 #AutumnColors #DutchNature #LoonseEnDrunenseDuinen #BirdWatching #NaturePhotography #WildlifeLovers #IridescentFeathers #CanonPhotography #SigmaLens #MacroTelephoto #NatureStory #ByMaikelPhotography #BirdLover #MomentInNature #EcoPhotography #PhotographyArt #CloseToNature #InTheWild #MorningLight #InsectHunt #WildlifeInFocus #BirdsOfTheNetherlands #FieldPhotography #PhotoStory #ConservationPhotography #AutumnVibes #ColorContrast #OutdoorAdventure #NaturalBeauty #CanonEurope #WildlifeMoments #AnimalBehavior #PhotoOfTheDay #NatureWonder #DutchWildlife

Zoutelande Through My Lens — Stories in Stillness

Photography is often about more than light and focus — it’s about perspective, emotion, and timing. These four images, taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and Sigma 100–400mm lens, represent a quiet but powerful narrative from last Sunday in Zoutelande.

📸 Image 1: My wife walking away between the wave breakers, avoiding the deeper water where I stood. A moment of everyday humor and love — where practicality meets poetry in motion.

📸 Image 2: A young girl standing alone on a small, sandy island surrounded by water. She gazes out toward the ocean, her solitude and wonder mirroring our own curiosity about the world beyond.

📸 Image 3: Here, lines take over the story — the towering dunes on one side, the endless sea on the other, and a wooden walkway that leads the eye straight to the horizon. Composition meets contemplation.

📸 Image 4: A solitary blue beach cabin, perfectly framed by sand and dune. It stands quiet and grounded — a symbol of stillness amidst the natural elements.

Each photo is a reminder that beauty lies in how we see things — and sometimes, in the space between what is and what could be.

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#zoutelande #landscapephotography #beachvibes #dutchcoast #canon5dmarkiii #sigma100400 #leadinglines #coastalphotography #zandduinen #zeelandnatuur #naturestory #visualnarrative #photographerslife #bluecabin #solitude #seascape #seadunes #compositionmatters #wavebreakers #dutchlandscape #naturalframe #oceanvibes #lifebythesea #dunesofholland #seasideview #perspectivephotography #sandpatterns #emotiveimagery #natureandpeople #climateandcoast #wanderlustphotography #natuurbeleving #femalefigure #everydaybeauty #photographyart #lensbasedmedia #beachperspective #wandelendvrouw #kustzicht #zoutelandemoment #maikeldebakker