“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” ― Aldous Huxley

My Christmas present from my husband was a macro lens. Above is my first photo using my new lens. It’s of the Christmas candle my children gave me.

I wanted this lens because of my mom, who passed January 1, 2023. She was an avid photographer and this was the lens she used most. She loved to take close-ups of nature like mushrooms, wild flowers and sea creatures. Our house was decorated with her amazing photos. I wonder where they are now?

Instead of buying the lens for myself, after dusting off my Nikon after 10 years of unuse, I decided to sign up for a photography class. My class starts later this month and runs through May. I thought by the end of the class, if I had mastered the basics of photography, I’d be worthy of owning the lens.

But with the Christmas gift, I have been trying out the lens. I’m enjoying different close-ups to distance shots.

Here are some of my photos from this week:

A barrel cactus

Barrel cactus close-up.

Elephant feed next to our garage. Quail laid eggs in the planter while we were out of town. They abandoned the eggs after we returned with our car.

Close-up of Elephant feed.

Poinsettia

Close-up

Moroccan Mound is the succulent in the foreground. The purple beavertail cactus is behind the Moroccan Mound — and is the purple plant. 😉

Now for the close-ups:

Moroccan Mound close-up

Purple beavertail close-up, complete with a cobweb I couldn’t see with my own eyes.

After trying out my new lens, I thought about how a different perspective can help us through our days and challenges. Sometimes it’s useful to take a step back, or to take a closer look.

“Look at everything as though you are seeing it either for the first or last time, then your time on earth will be filled with glory.” ― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

When have you changed your point of view or perspective?

Do you prefer a close up view — or looking at the big picture?