Look Out Below

I blogged about this a while back, but I'm a notorious head's down kind of hiker. It not only keeps me from breaking my neck/ankles, but also gets me in tune w/lots of cool stuff on the down low.

Here are some of my favorites -

This was taken at the end of a day spent in an abandoned amusement park - it had been raining earlier and still sort of misty out. The contrast and the color pop are obviously what caught my attention -
http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Nature...4_hmt5G-XL.jpg

I was on a photo meet up when we all sort of noticed at the same time this mass of leaves against a stone wall. The shade preserved the frost, but as soon as the sun came around it was gone -
http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Nature...3_yag8C-XL.jpg

No human interference in this one - I really found this leaf positioned like this -
http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Nature...0_7SUbF-XL.jpg

and last, but not least, some beach detritus, one of my favorite things to photograph. Full of surprising detail like the dew on this feather.
http://wickeddark.smugmug.com/Travel...53_8KMVw-L.jpg

anyway...thanks for looking. off to do a little walking in the woods now, so who knows what I'll come back with!

Very nice shots. All full of interest ... love the colours.

In the last shot ... there's two shells in the bottom left ... we used to get those in Mt Maunganui, NZ where I grew up as a kid. We used to float them in the rock pools like boats :)

Very nice series, WD. :)

very cool shots WD

Thanks all. I tried for more today, but nothing jumped out at me and then we ran into a crowd of kids & dogs on the trail and to stop was to be continuously engulfed by them, so that was out.

I've always known those shells as Slipper shells, MA. tons of them around our coastline.

Liking this series a lot... nice job.

Thanks Richard. I have tons of shots like this...I'm always looking down. Some turn out better than others, but I'm putting together a more serious macro kit for spring. I have the lens, but need a few other things. Should be tons of fun!

nice eye WD! I enjoyed these very much

Slipper shells ... that sounds familiar. I moved away from 'The Mount' as it's called by the locals about 30 years ago. They were common enough there but not so throughout NZ. The more I think about it the more I think we did call them Slippers as well.