Sudden Beauty

Form one moment to the next, who knows what may happen? Just as I was about to leave the temple, I decided to have a quick look at the graveyard. Suddenly, this butterfly alighted on the higanbana flower. A soul of the newly freed departed, perhaps?

This, by the way, was my 500th post here. A quick shout of appreciation to all those who have linked here and/or enjoyed the photos contained. In terms of hits, it is my most successful blog, due in no small part to being found daily through google images and sometimes Stumble Upon. I hope to reach out more and also give my other blogs the time they need, but other writing is currently taking precedence.

May A Day in the Life live long and prosper, with your help as much as mine!

Adios,

Starfire

Ethereal Droplets

The flowers really look like hand-made creations, delicately painted by an artist. This was taken just after a fortunate, early-morning rain. The freshness and colour was unbelievable to see.

Visitor from Another World

A crop of the above, where you can see all the miraculous detail of this tiny creature.

Harmony of Colours Returns 2

Another macro moment, from the depths of flower-meditations.

Silent Hunter

Looking closer at the little black blob, I was amazed to see this detail. Life is stranger and more exotic than we ever imagined!

Rainbow Sakura

One of my favourite shots of spring, the background is a hot-air balloon. Early in the morning , beautifully clear sunlight illuminated this scene.

Drops

Sometimes the simplest things are best- I spent ages looking at and trying to capture these strands of straw and the drops forming on them. It's a kind of 'tiny universe' all of it's own. Sometimes the simplest things are best- I spent ages looking at and trying to capture these strands of straw and the drops forming on them. It's a kind of 'tiny universe' all of it's own. Look through Flickr and you'll see the delicacy of water-drops are a popular subject. Like any beauty, they are momentary and stunning. In many cases, the photo may be all that remains of them.

Cabbage-Flower in the Snow

This flower stood out from the snow, despite looking something like a cabbage. I suppose, seen another way, it resembles a rose!

Droplet

Small is beautiful- in this case, a frozen droplet of melting snow.

Patterns

The endlessly shifting light of sunset is something like molten gold, on these leaves near my school grounds.

Gentlesea

Sometimes it's the soft, magical things in life that impress the most.

Yoko

The other member of Tiny Universe, who also loves to take macro photographs, especially of flowers. You can see her lovely blog, Wonderful World (it's in Japanese, but you can always read the photos!)

Constellation of Leaves

Everyone seems to like these fresh green leaves. They do have a kind of living-crystal appearance to them, so regular, but so pleasingly scattered. It is the light that makes them for us.

Shadow-Play

It also produced these wonderful silhouettes of ferns. Ferns, how I love ferns!

Leaf in Darkness

The light came and went under the swaying branches, like a spotlight on creation.

Paradise Central

It was the first meeting of the Tiny Universe camera club. Here is a lily we saw in the valley (well, in the shrubbery!) Now you see why bees find them so irresistible.

Flickrs of Light

It was a few days before the first outing of the Tiny Universe camera club and I had some spare time and a spare camera, so it was back to Tozenji. Here are some ferns in the last flickers of sunlight.

Holiday Trees-The Hidden Gem

Here's a macro I took in the same garden, right up close to a little leaf. With the light hitting it, it glowed with beautiful colours, something like a gem.

Toyland

Here is a picture from Tobu World Square, which I recently visited with my mate Glen. Getting into the spirit of the place, you enter not only a toyland, but a very Japanese view of the world, open to other cultures and sights. Perhaps a bit stereotypical a view of the various places, but retaining their aesthetic charm nonetheless. It's kind of nice to see them as merely places to see, rather than real places with problems as we tend to get told they are through the news services. There's no terrorism, wars, or grinding poverty in toyland, though there is an attenpt to portray something of the latter in the New York exhibit.

Thorns

Even a thorn is beautiful from close-up. Every rose has it's thorns, but does anyone really look at them?