Yesterday, I stepped into something different: engagement ring photography.

Same curiosity, different subject. Using the Canon 5DSR with the MP-E 65mm—and occasionally the Sigma 24–70mm Art—I explored how light behaves on polished metal and cut surfaces. With a few “photographer’s secrets,” I shaped reflections and highlights, discovering just how sensitive these materials are to even the smallest change in angle or light.

And that’s where it became interesting.

At high magnification, every tiny detail becomes visible. Not just the craftsmanship—but also the imperfections. Dust, fibers, microscopic particles… things you don’t even see with the naked eye suddenly dominate the frame. I tried everything: blower, soft brushes, and cloth. And still, it found its way back.

Editing it out in Lightroom? That would have been a project on its own.

So this time, I’d like your input.

Which image do you like best—and why?

Is it the light, the composition, the reflections? Or something less tangible?

For me, this was less about perfection and more about learning to see differently. A reminder that every subject—no matter how small or refined—has its own challenges, its own physics, and its own way of revealing itself.

And sometimes, the smallest details are the hardest to control.

#MacroPhotography #ProductPhotography #EngagementRing #JewelryPhotography #Canon5DSR #MPE65 #Sigma2470Art #LightingSetup #StudioPhotography #Reflections #LightAndShadow #CloseUpPhotography #TinyDetails #HighMagnification #CreativeLight #PhotographyExperiment #InTheStudio #BehindTheScenes #LearningPhotography #VisualStorytelling #PhotographyJourney #DetailShot #ShinyObjects #LensWork #FocusStacking #DustProblems #AskForFeedback #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
A close encounter with the treasure flower, or African daisy (Gazania). Captured with a Canon 5DSR and MP-E 65mm, revealing structures the eye often misses. These sun-loving flowers open with light, maximizing pollinator attraction through bold contrast and symmetry.

#Gazania #TreasureFlower #AfricanDaisy #MacroPhotography #ExtremeMacro #Canon5DSR #MPE65 #FlowerPhotography #NaturePhotography #CloseUpNature #TinyWorlds #Botany #PlantScience #Pollinators #FloralPatterns #NatureLovers #InTheField #OutdoorPhotography #SpringColors #NaturalDesign #Biodiversity #VisualDetails #MacroWorld #ThroughTheLens #NatureObservation #HiddenBeauty #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
Before heading back to our hotel, we returned to ’t Zwaantje—good food, warm light, and a well-earned rest after a long day. Sitting outside in the spring sun, something small joined us at the table: a mining bee, genus Andrena (metselbij in Dutch).

While most would simply enjoy the moment, I saw an opportunity.

My Canon 5DSR was within reach—as usual—so I quickly swapped from the Sigma 24–70mm Art to the Canon MP-E 65mm. From that moment on, it became a different kind of scene. I dropped low and went full paparazzi.

Christel laughed. “Are you trying to kill it?” she joked, watching me fire shot after shot.

And honestly, I understood how it looked.

But macro at this level is unforgiving. At high magnification, depth of field becomes razor-thin—sometimes less than a millimeter. Every breath, every slight movement shifts focus from perfect to lost. Shooting in bursts isn’t excess; it’s necessity.

Andrena bees are solitary ground-nesters, often overlooked compared to honeybees, yet essential pollinators in early spring ecosystems.

So there I was—chasing sharpness on a creature most people wouldn’t even notice.

A quiet moment at a table, turned into a study of life at the smallest scale.

#MiningBee #Andrena #Metselbij #MacroPhotography #ExtremeMacro #Canon5DSR #MPE65 #InsectPhotography #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #CloseUpNature #TinyWorlds #DepthOfField #MacroLife #SpringSun #Pollinators #BeePhotography #NatureLovers #InTheField #OutdoorMoments #BehindTheScenes #PhotographyLife #PatienceAndPractice #NatureObservation #HiddenNature #FieldMoments #VisualStorytelling #ByMaikeldeBakker #MaikeldeBakkerPhotography #WonderingLens
Sometimes nature reminds you that the best moments are the ones you didn’t plan for. Last week, I set off with my wife Christel to Huis ter Heide near Tilburg, hoping for birds and landscapes in the soft early morning light. The birds were quiet, the landscapes less inspiring than I’d hoped—but the insects stole the show.

First came the hardworking Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum), captured close-up as it buried itself in a flower’s nectar. Next, a Pyrausta purpuralis, a tiny but striking moth with purple and gold tones, resting perfectly still on a leaf. Both were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and the MP-E 65mm f/2.8 Super Macro—a lens built for the extreme close-ups that reveal details our eyes often miss.

Switching to my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm, I caught a vivid Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) perched near the water, and finally, a Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) warming itself on a sunlit leaf.

This is why I carry nearly 15 kg of gear on long walks: two cameras, four lenses, and a tripod. Because in nature, the unexpected is always waiting.

#HuisTerHeide #NaturePhotography #MacroPhotography #BugPhotography #InsectPhotography #BombusPascuorum #CarderBee #PyraustaPurpuralis #MothPhotography #DragonflyPhotography #SympetrumSanguineum #RuddyDarter #ParargeAegeria #SpeckledWood #CanonPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65 #SuperMacro #NatureLovers #NatureObsessed #NatureOnEarth #WildlifePhotography #MacroNature #NatureFocus #PhotographyGear #NatureBrilliance #NatureSeekers #NatureHealing #PhotographyLovers #WildlifeMacro #MacroWorld #NaturePerfection #DiscoverNature #NatureShot #NaturePhotographyDaily #MacroBug #NatureCaptures #NatureBeauty #CanonGear
The past week I’ve been outside a lot, though my energy hasn’t always matched my ambitions. Depression has a way of slowing everything down, even the things you love. Reviewing my photos took longer than expected, but today I’m sharing a few from the Loonse en Drunense Duinen—a landscape where sand moves like water, shaped by the wind and light.

Most of these images were taken during sunset with the Canon R5 paired to my older Canon EF-S 15–85mm f/3.5–5.6 lens. The mirrorless R5 brings amazing advantages—sharp autofocus, high resolution, silent shooting—but it also has drawbacks compared to my DSLRs. At its price, every strength and weakness matters. I’m still weighing whether it’s the right step forward.

The last photo is something special: the Japanese Gentian (Gentiana scabra), or Blue Heart. I captured it with the Canon 5D Mark III and the MP-E 65mm Super Macro, a unique lens capable of up to 5x life-size magnification. At this scale, the flower becomes a world of intricate detail—textures and colors most people will never see with the naked eye.

Some days I walk with a camera, other days just with my thoughts. Either way, being out there helps.

#LoonseEnDrunenseDuinen #GentianaScabra #BlueHeart #CanonR5 #MirrorlessPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #MPE65 #SuperMacro #PhotographyTherapy #MentalHealthJourney #NatureHealing #NaturePhotography #SandDunes #LandscapePhotography #MacroPhotography #WildflowerPhotography #SunsetPhotography #PhotographyLovers #CanonLens #PhotographyGear #NatureBrilliance #NatureObsessed #NatureIsAwesome #EarthFocus #NatureLovers #NatureShot #DiscoverNature #NaturePerfection #MacroWorld #MacroNature #WildlifePhotography #NatureOnEarth #NatureMagic #NatureSeekers #NaturePhoto #PhotographyTherapy #NatureFocus #NaturePhotographyDaily #NatureCaptures #MentalHealthMatters #HealingThroughNature