There is something about looking closely that changes the way you see the natural world. A fallen branch becomes a miniature landscape, a mushroom reveals intricate shapes and textures, and an insect that might normally go unnoticed suddenly becomes the subject of a photograph.
I enjoy macrophotography for exactly that reason. I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like, but every autumn, when the forests of the Netherlands fill with mushrooms and fungi, I find myself thinking that I really should.
Sometimes the subject is an insect, like the impressive Vliegend Hert (European Stag Beetle, the Dutch name is so much better!) on this page. Other times it is something much smaller and quieter: a mushroom emerging from the forest floor, moss catching the light, or a tiny detail in the vegetation.
A different world, hidden in plain sight
These photographs require a different kind of attention. There is no distant landscape to take in and no large animal to follow. Instead, I slow down, get close and look for the shapes, textures, colours and light that are easy to miss.
Perhaps that is what keeps drawing me back to it. There is always another small world waiting to be discovered, usually right at my feet.
