This afternoon I explored a different world, and it was only 10 minutes from my house.
Something magical happens in the woods when you take a closer look. There is a world of activity and change going on right before our eyes, it's just too small to see unless you are very very close.
Ever since we moved to the Yukon I've felt very grateful to have abundant nature literally on my doorstep. This afternoon, I headed out to the Hidden Lakes trails with my a 100mm Macro Lens on my camera, no schedule to keep and no one's agenda but my own. I've walked this trail before and admired the flowers and scenery, but this time I saw the local flora in a whole new way.
As usual, the Wild Rose was abundant and beautiful, but this time I noticed the plant in all it's stages.
Once I started looking closer I discovered insects everywhere in the midst of their mysterious rites. I tried to guess at their motives as they continued in their inscrutable ways, oblivious to my presence. I saw ant acrobatics, bees with strange orange pouches, something that might have been an ant daycare and I think I photographed beetle porn or cannibalism, I'm not sure which.
The flowers, leaves and mosses I encountered became stranger and more detailed as I looked closer. Where once I saw a "Purple Flower," now their individuality became apparent, not just in the flowers themselves, but their leaves and stems as well.