Old paper money, seen from a different world.

For this series, I explored an idea using my Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens—diving deep into the details of historical banknotes. A friend kindly brought part of his collection, and this is one of the first results: a Belgian 100 franc note, captured at extreme magnification.

At first glance, you might think you’re looking into the eyes of a lady. But look again—this is actually part of a bearded man. When isolated like this, reality shifts. Scale changes perception.

What fascinated me most are the physical details: the thickness of the ink, the tiny fibers of the paper, and the precision of printing techniques from the early 2000s. These notes were not just currency—they were carefully engineered objects designed to resist forgery through complexity at both visible and microscopic levels.

Captured with my Canon 5DS R and Canon MP-E 65mm.

#MacroPhotography #MacroWorld #CanonMPE65 #Canon5DSR #CloseUp #ExtremeMacro #DetailPhotography #Texture #PaperTexture #InkDetails #Banknote #BelgianFranc #OldMoney #CurrencyArt #HiddenDetails #OpticalIllusion #AbstractPhotography #Perception #VisualIllusion #FineDetails #PhotographyTechnique #StudioPhotography #CreativePhotography #ExploringDetails #Magnification #MicroWorld #ArtInDetails #MoneyArt #HistoricalObjects #DesignDetails #WonderingLens #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #PixelfedPhotography #LightAndLife #VisualStory #AbstractView #PhotographyArt #HiddenWorld #MacroShot

Morning Jewels – Dew, Webs & Wildflowers at Regte Heide

Yesterday’s early walk on the Regte Heide wasn’t just about the sweeping landscape — it was also about the quiet, intricate wonders revealed on my way back. With the sun slowly rising behind me, the morning dew settled like a gentle veil over everything — from spider webs to flower buds, grasses, and seed heads.

Armed with my Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens, I focused in. The Calluna vulgaris (common heather) had just begun to bloom — visible in the first and fifth photos. In the second, a European garden spider (Araneus diadematus) sits patiently in its dew-covered web, each droplet catching light like tiny crystals.

Photo three reveals seeding grass, delicate and fragile. The fourth features a dew-dusted thistle. Then come two species I identified later with Google Lens: Chamaenerion angustifolium (wilgenroosje) in the sixth shot and Lonicera periclymenum ‘Belgica’ (boskamperfoelie) in the seventh.

And finally — a glance outward again. My Canon 7D Mark II with the Sigma 100–400mm lens captured the distant skyline of my hometown, Tilburg, as seen from the edge of the heather fields.

In every drop and bloom, nature whispers its detail. We just need to slow down and look.

#regteheide #morningdew #macrophoto #canon5dmarkiii #canonmpe65 #canon7dmarkii #sigma100400 #heidebloei #araneusdiadematus #dewcovered #wildflowers #natuurmoment #tilburgview #earlymorningwalk #boskamperfoelie #wilgenroosje #nederlandsenatuur #landschapsfotografie #macrodetails #floweringheath #dewphotography #natuurfotografie #herbaceousplants #dutchlandscape #macroexploration #urbanhorizon #quietnature #biodiversity #wildplantsoftheday #hiddenbeauty

Life in a Garden – The Beauty of Staying Close

Sometimes, you don’t have to go far to witness wild beauty. In my own backyard — no tiles, just native plants — I recently photographed three amazing visitors:

• Ochlodes sylvanus, the Large Skipper butterfly (Groot dikkopje, taken with my Canon 7D Mark II + Sigma 100–400mm)
• Mus musculus, the house mouse (Kleurmuis, 7D Mark II + Canon 15–85mm)
• Anomala dubia, a metallic green beetle species (Canon 5D Mark III + MP-E 65mm macro lens)

Each one is a sign that a small, pesticide-free garden can support real biodiversity — from pollinators to small mammals. These species play essential roles: the butterfly as a pollinator, the mouse as part of the food chain, and the beetle as a natural recycler of plant material.

A sustainable garden isn’t just for beauty; it’s a refuge. It reminds me that conservation doesn’t always require travel — sometimes, it starts just outside your door.

#sustainablegarden #biodiversityathome #canon7dmarkii #canon5dmarkiii #sigma100400 #canon1585mm #canonmpe65 #macrophotography #wildlifegarden #localplants #grootdikkopje #musmusculus #anomaladubia #urbanwildlife #dutchbiodiversity #naturephotography #wildlifelovers #insectlovers #natuurinjetuin #tuinleven #backyardwildlife #ecologicalgardening #nativeplantsmatter #nopoison #lifeinthegarden

Zygaena filipendulae – Nature’s Living Jewel

Today, in the warm embrace of the Surea nature reserve in Oosterhout, I encountered the Zygaena filipendulae, or as we call it in Dutch, the Sint-jansvlinder. A striking day-flying moth, its deep black wings speckled with vibrant red spots signal a clear message to predators: “I am toxic.” This warning coloration, called aposematism, is a survival strategy developed through millions of years of evolution.

One photo was taken with my Canon 5D Mark III using the Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens, capturing the intricate details of its iridescent scales. The other, with my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm lens, shows the moth in its sunlit surroundings — a vivid contrast between delicate life and a powerful environment.

This small creature reminds me that beauty and function often go hand in hand in nature. And walking there with my wife made the moment even more meaningful — a quiet celebration of life, science, and togetherness.

#zygaenafilipendulae #sintjansvlinder #canon5dmarkiii #canon7dmarkii #macrophoto #macrophotography #sigma100400 #canonmpe65 #naturephotography #butterflymoth #lepidoptera #oosterhout #surea #insectphotography #naturewalks #wildlifelovers #evolutioninnature #aposematism #dutchnature #natuurmoment