Noticing Nature’s Tiny Details

I see more when I slow down and take a closer look at the world around me

Bee fly. Photo by Kim Zuch.

When I’m outside on a walk, I’m always looking at flowers and leaves. There’s nothing I love more than wandering around a park or hiking trail with a camera in my hand. If I’m stressed, tired, or overwhelmed, I know I need to get outside and spend some time in nature.

Being outside alone in nature allows my mind to be present. I’m focused on birds, flowers, insects, or wildlife. I’m looking at the ant on the ground, carrying a seed. I’m not worrying about the future or thinking about work.

Tiny details, like the pattern on an insect’s wing or the shape of a flower, draw my attention.

Milkweed flowers up close. Photo by Kim Zuch.

Over the summer, I spent a lot of time looking through our park’s milkweed patch for Monarch larvae, hoping to find a chrysalis. This year I didn’t find anything like that. I did see a lot of Ladybugs, in every phase of their life cycle.

I’ve always looked at milkweed flowers as a bunch. I’ve never looked up close at the individual flowers. When I did, I was amazed at their shape! The photo above was taken with a macro…