Maikel de BakkerSummer’s Small Wonders
It’s been an intense week job hunting—stressful, but necessary. When the tension builds, I return to my medicine: walking and photography. This time of year, midsummer, wildlife can be scarce. So I turned my attention to the smaller residents of the Kampina near Oisterwijk.
With my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E macro lens, I captured a common honeybee at work. Then a Calopteryx splendens—known in Dutch as the weidebeekjuffer—its metallic blues shimmering in the sun. A gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus) with weathered wings reminded me that beauty exists in imperfection. Another posed with wings closed, its patterned eyes giving the illusion of a cross-eyed stare—an optical quirk of insect anatomy.
A small emerald moth (Hemistola chrysoprasaria) rested among blooming heath (Calluna vulgaris), a gentle hint that summer’s edge is near. Nearby, four perfectly shaped green leaves formed the silhouette of a butterfly—nature’s accidental mimicry.
Switching to my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm, I explored further. After a week of rain, the forest floor has begun to transform—mushrooms emerging like quiet sculptures. These fruiting bodies of fungi are not just beautiful; they are vital recyclers, returning nutrients to the soil and supporting entire ecosystems.
Next up: a closer look at the “wonderful world of fungus.” Until then, I’ll keep walking, keep noticing, and keep sharing.
#MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #WildlifeMacro #NatureCloseUp #InsectPhotography #BeePhotography #Damselfly #CalopteryxSplendens #Weidebeekjuffer #ButterflyPhotography #PyroniaTithonus #GatekeeperButterfly #SmallEmeraldMoth #HemistolaChrysoprasaria #HeathFlowers #CallunaVulgaris #LeafMimicry #NaturePatterns #SummerNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #DutchNature #Biodiversity #InsectMacro #Pollinators #WildlifeOfTheNetherlands #InsectsOfInstagram #MothOrButterfly #NatureObservation #CloseUpNature #MacroMagic #SmallWorldBigBeauty
It’s been an intense week job hunting—stressful, but necessary. When the tension builds, I return to my medicine: walking and photography. This time of year, midsummer, wildlife can be scarce. So I turned my attention to the smaller residents of the Kampina near Oisterwijk.
With my Canon 5D Mark III and MP-E macro lens, I captured a common honeybee at work. Then a Calopteryx splendens—known in Dutch as the weidebeekjuffer—its metallic blues shimmering in the sun. A gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus) with weathered wings reminded me that beauty exists in imperfection. Another posed with wings closed, its patterned eyes giving the illusion of a cross-eyed stare—an optical quirk of insect anatomy.
A small emerald moth (Hemistola chrysoprasaria) rested among blooming heath (Calluna vulgaris), a gentle hint that summer’s edge is near. Nearby, four perfectly shaped green leaves formed the silhouette of a butterfly—nature’s accidental mimicry.
Switching to my Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 100–400mm, I explored further. After a week of rain, the forest floor has begun to transform—mushrooms emerging like quiet sculptures. These fruiting bodies of fungi are not just beautiful; they are vital recyclers, returning nutrients to the soil and supporting entire ecosystems.
Next up: a closer look at the “wonderful world of fungus.” Until then, I’ll keep walking, keep noticing, and keep sharing.
#MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #WildlifeMacro #NatureCloseUp #InsectPhotography #BeePhotography #Damselfly #CalopteryxSplendens #Weidebeekjuffer #ButterflyPhotography #PyroniaTithonus #GatekeeperButterfly #SmallEmeraldMoth #HemistolaChrysoprasaria #HeathFlowers #CallunaVulgaris #LeafMimicry #NaturePatterns #SummerNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #DutchNature #Biodiversity #InsectMacro #Pollinators #WildlifeOfTheNetherlands #InsectsOfInstagram #MothOrButterfly #NatureObservation #CloseUpNature #MacroMagic #SmallWorldBigBeauty
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