Sunday, October 31, 2010

Details in Nature Part. 2


"If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living"   -Henri Poincare


Hello again!

Now, this photo was also taken when my family and I went to White Cliff. (Most of the "small details in nature", photos are.)Anyhow... I was taking snap shots when I bent down to examine the type of fungi on the bark of an oak tree. I thought that the fungi was quite neat with it's texture, colors, and just the way that it was sitting on the bark of the tree. When I looked back at the photo that I had taken, I immediately loved it! Because as you can see... the light of the sun that reflects against the crisp curved edges of the fungi, really made it look amazing. (In my opinion.) The actual print of this photo looks quite a bit better. Because the rich creams, beiges, yellows, browns and the blue of the sky, really jump out of the photo and look quite nice. What I also like about this photo, is that just behind the rim of the top of the fungi, you can see the continuous ascend of the oak tree. 

I think that this photo really represents that every little detail in nature is beautiful. Now making reference to the quote that I posted up top: it says, if nature wasn't beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature wasn't worth knowing, then life would not be worth living. Because of what I think this photo represents, I think that this quote goes well with this photo. Now, you're probably asking how it does, well I will tell you... Because the photo shows that the fungi looks beautiful with the sun's reflection, it shows that all nature is beautiful. When you think about it... when I said that I had taken a photo of fungi, your initial thought probably wouldn't have been: "Wow! How beautiful!" Now fungi is mold, mushrooms, toadstools and etc. I know that if someone told me that they took a picture of fungi, that I wouldn't think that it was too pretty. But I think that because this photo of fungi has other elements of nature in it, it really shows that every little detail in nature is beautiful.

I quite agree with Henri Poincare... I believe that if we did not know nature, then our lives would not be worth living. I think that it is really important to appreciate all the little things on our planet. As I previously said before in one of my other posts, I think that if we learn to appreciate the little details in nature, we might grow a little bit more respect for our amazing planet. And it really disturbs me how some of us don't care about the nature on our planet and take it for granted. I mean have you ever gone outside to examine a little blade of grass or one line in a piece of bark? I know that I don't do that too often, and I really wish that I did! Because if adults took the time to do things that we children do, there might not be so much clear cutting and destruction of our world! For one thing, if they were to chop down a tree, we children would probably say: "NO!!! Don't do that! You're destroying so much!" Whereas the loggers would probably think that it was just one tree that they were destroying. Yet if they had examined the bark on the tree, the leaves, and every little detail, they would realize that it wasn't just one element of nature, but quite a few.... 

There is a challenge that I'd like you to do... I'll give you one week to go outside once and examine a little detail in nature. Then, come back and post a comment on my blog saying what little detail it was that you examined, how you think that it is important to our world, and how it gives you more respect for our planet. Then, after a week, the person who best took time to examine a little detail, will win a prize. So go outside and start taking time to look around you...

21 comments:

  1. I really like this picture!!!!!!! You can see every little detail in it! the way the sun goes onto the fungi is so cool looking! Very cool picture jade!

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  2. If I had a billion dollars, I would buy that photo.

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  3. I love your new post, Austyn! You have taken a lot of time to draft up a thoughtful and thought-inspiring entry and I am sure our readers will be in awe and in appreciation of your talent for photography and for prose.

    Challenging the readers is also a fabulous idea! I will take you up on this challenge and post another comment later this week.

    Until then,

    Mme Miles

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  4. I love the simplicity and sheer beauty of your photos Austyn! It reminds me of that old saying: 'Stop and smell the roses' because it shows us that sometimes we need to stop and take note all the simple yet beautiful things around us. I really like the way that the trees in backround are slightly blurred the sunlight hits the leaves at just the right angle. See you tommorow!

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  5. Oh my gosh Austyn! That photograph is sooooooooooo (I put 11 o's) amazing! I can't believe how beautiful it is! I love how the fungi looks so fragile and delicate on the bark, and how the background is blurry, while the fungi on the bark is so clear. How do you do that? I really like the colours in the photograph like the BEAUTIFUL turquoise, greens, browns, yellows and beige/creamy colours. I will take you on on your little contest, AND I WILL WIN!!!!! (I hope the prize is really good (like candy, OR A CAKE!) because I'm going to win and I'm craving candy OR A CAKE even though HALLOWE'EN just happened).

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  6. Hey Austyn. Your photos are really stunning, I must say. I like how you put a quote for each post to represent it. I also agree with Henri Poincare.
    I noticed how you said that it was fungi. But I think it looks more like dried up yellow maple leaves.
    I'm wondering, did you have to lie down on the soil to take this shot? Because it is quite amazing how you captured the tree above while also taking the very bottom.
    Anyway, nice job! I can't wait 'til your next photo!!

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  7. Hi Austyn,
    This is really a great photo, it's really amazing how you made fungi look so beautiful.:) I have also decided that I will take you up on this challenge... so here it goes.

    I have closely examined two rocks, each of which I thought were very similar, that is until I examined them. I will begin by explaining the similarities between the two.
    1) They are both have about a 5 inch perimeter and a 1 inch diameter.
    2) They are both a grayish blackish color.
    3) I found them both in the marsh/stream/grass/mud beside my house.
    4) They are both slightly damp, from the water.
    The closer I examined these two rocks the more I realized how different they were. One had many lines/marks form being smashed against other rocks, and had a rather large bump. The other was a little less asymmetrical, and had less marks.
    I chose these rocks because I found that the fact that they weren't symmetrical, the most beautiful part about them, and realized how important they were. for it is rocks that are crushed to make cement, and build our houses. Or they can be used as a shelter for smaller organisms like insects. It is also rocks that you can use to make fire, and hammer things together with to build things. It is rocks that we use when our other resources are gone, they are what prehistoric men used to discover fire, and draw, and build their homes. It is the root of major discoveries (I think I'm going insane, obsessing this much over a rock :)), but still it has given more respect for our planet, it shows that the things that we think we have "created" have always been there "created" by our planet waiting to be discovered. It has shown men how much our planet provides for us, and how much we take for granted. I think I owe an apology to all rocks, for always shoving them aside and taking them for granted, and I must also thank them for teaching so much today. Thank-you to all rocks!! (I really have gone insane:))

    Well theses two rocks have been returned safely to their humble home, amongst many others.

    This is a great question Austyn, it has really forced me to look at our world in a completely different way.

    I can't wait to hear what everyone else's answers are like!

    -Emily

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  8. Hey Austyn.
    My friend's arm is ok, don't you worry! :^)
    The part that i hate about sassy is the tacking up/down.
    She's a DREAM to ride, though.
    Absolutely fantastic! Lots o' fun, I just wish she'd change her attitude!
    ~Laurel

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  9. Pfffffft!!!!! Of coarse I'll claim it!!!! IT'S CANDY!!!!!! When it comes to candy, I would kill!!! So, here goes...

    This morning, when I looked out my kitchen window into the backyard, I saw the delicate dew on each blade of grass. It was so beautiful. I took a deep breath because I was so relaxed. It was even more beautiful because of the fog around it. It wasn't so much scary as it was breath taking. I've always liked looking at the dew on the grass, but I've never taken the time to look at each blade of grass and admire them. So right before I had to go to band, I went outside to look at the grass. I touched about 20 blades of grass each on the top, so each and every dew drop on the blade of grass would fall off. I watched them in awe as they gracefully fell to the now damp dirt. As I went back inside (because it was getting a little chilly), I wondered what happens to the dew drops on the blades of grass during the day. Would the water elf come when nobody was looking to touch every blade of grass to knock off the dew drops? Would the cute little water gulpers go and and suck up all of the dew drops? Or would boring precipitation evaporate the little dew drops? Maybe the wind would blow all the dew drops off, I didn't really know, but now, as I write this, my guess is that it was probably precipitation. But wasn't it wonderful, to imagine such a place, where water elves take their time to knock off every dew drop on the grass blades? Or where cute little water gulpers suck up all of the dew drops.

    I guess what I'm trying to say, is wet grass can be beautiful, just like rocks (you're not going insane Emily), or even a fat moldy pine-cone for that matter!!! Even if I don't win, or get the CANDY, thank you Austyn, for making me take the time to write about nature in a whole different perspective. I also want to thank you, because writing about the little things in nature gave me inspiration for a story that I'll write. I'm so happy!!!

    All of this relaxing writing almost made me forget and not care about winning. ALMOST.

    Jade:)

    P.S. Good luck on guessing what my close up photo is.

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  10. Wow! You guys have sure put a lot of thought and time into your comments! Thank you, Austyn, for being such an inspiration!

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  11. Well, I always put thought and time into my comments when it comes to CANDY!!!!

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  13. I love , when I walk home from school, just stopping and not looking a the little details of nature, but at the big picture. I notice the leaves on the bushes, and the branches of the trees, and the trees on the mountain. I notice the petals on the roses in front of me, and the rather dsgusting, yet amazing picture of a spider weaving a web. I notice a woodbug crawling up the tree trunk nearest me and I see the mountain rising up before me, like a king observing his subjects. I resist the urge to bow to the mountain (people might think I'm mad, wich I am, but I dont like people to know that) and take a deep breath. It always makees me feel better, looking at all the space on the mountain, and all the pretty little nature-ish (If that wasn't a word before, it is now) things around me, because sometimes I get a little claustrophobic, especially looking at maps, just thinking that, inthe time of Christopher Colombus, people didn't even know about America, imagine all that empty space! No global warming, no bad economy, it sometimes feels as though we are doomed. If the human race keeps growing, and polluting, there will be nothing left to eat, nowhere left to explore, and no room to build another house. Like I sais, we could all be doomed... Anyway, looking at the big picture, and not just the details , is much more relaxing for me.

    P.S Austyn, that is a great picture, and I was wondering, what day are you goinh to announce the winner, and what day are oyu going to bring the candy? Not like I'm going to sneak in to the classroom during recess, ransack your backpack, and steal it or anything, you can trust me...

    P.P.S What pocket of your backpack are you going to keep the candy in?

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  14. Hello Austyn. I thought I would take up the challenge that you posted on your fungi post.
    Here it goes:
    I chose to examine a part of nature that most people just look past, when actually, it is very beautiful and intricate. I chose to examine a leaf.
    It was a round leaf, maybe 10 cm long, 4 cm wide, which fell outside my house on the front steps that lead up to my house. It was still green, although the edges were browning and becoming limp in my hands.
    The veins were symetrical. They came out from the central thicker vein at a 45 degree angle and went right out to the edge of the leaf. It was as if the veins were stamped into the leaf.
    The light on the leaf was also really amazing. Since the leaf was slightly wet from the morning dew, the sun shone on it in a very neat angle, giving the leaf a sort of shining effect.
    I turned the leaf over and it was dry. The veins popped out on this side, and they were even more visible.
    I will never look at a leaf the same, from now on.

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  15. This is a really nice picture. When I first saw the photo I thought it was leaves on the ground. Maybe that should be your next topic.

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  16. Austyn,
    I love the photos they are amazing. What kind of camera do you have? Mine is a kodak and I need a new one do you recommend any brand. Because mine will only take fuzzy photos and the computer or the camera will not allow me to put them on the computer. The picture of the chevron on my blog is from my dad's camera.The photo of the fungi is really clear, I love how you write a quote that goes with the theme or the subject of what your writing about. Thank you for your comments!

    Tiana

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  17. Hi Austyn!!!

    I like how you do challenges, for your followers!!! It is very neat!!! (And cool, and awesome!!! :) !!!) Why do you like photography so much? Not that there's anything wrong with it or anything, I'm just curious because I think that it's really cool! :) Nice blog! :D

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  18. Well hello to everyone!!!

    Now is the moment you've all been waiting for... I have decided the winner for my challenge!!! But I went through much agony and many considerations... but I finally came to a decision... The winner is... Drum roll please!!! (Drum Roll). Wait, I can't decide so I had to come to a final conclusion... There is actually a tie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, the lucky winners are.............................................Alright enough suspense, Jade and Emily!!! Congratulations to all, and I am terribly sorry to the rest of you. You all had such great comments!!! I wish that I could have given candy to all of you... I'm terribly sorry, but don't forget to stay tuned for an upcoming challenge!!! :)

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  19. Oh my gosh Austyn! Thank you so much for making me a winner!!! I wish I had prepared a speech, but I haven't, so I would just like to say a few words. First, I would like to thank my mom and dad for always believing in me.(Sniffle, sniffle) Second, I would like to thank all my friends for always encouraging me.(Sob, sob) And third, I would like to thank you Austyn for inspiring me and everyone else who entered your contest, and for choosing me as a winner. And congratulations Emily!

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  20. To Austyn,
    That is soo nice of you!!! Thank-you for making me a winner!!:)
    Sorry I don't have somewhat of a speech prepared like Jade, but I would like to thank you for inspiring us to write about small details in nature. It really made me and I'm sure everyone else look at the world around us in a completely different way.

    -Emily

    P.S. Congradulations Jade!! :D

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