Valfal's photos

Macro Mondays: The subject can be anything you like. Something you’ve photographed before, a favourite challenge perhaps, or something you’d like to do, but it must be black and white. The macro must be of no more than 3 inches / 7.62 cm A juvenile praying mantis looking at me from the banister leading up to our enclosed porch. It followed my every move (it must have been hungry, lol)! Please view enlarged on black for best detail. Have a good week, everyone!

A juvenile Praying Mantis I found climbing a stair rail. This one monitored my every move! Have a good weekend, everyone!

SaturdaySelf-Challenge: Love: anything that symbolizes love to you. These three teddy bears I hand made years ago each symbolize people I love. The bear on the left was a teddy I gave to my dear friend, Jean, who passed away two years ago. Her family returned the bear to me, and I treasure it. The bear in the middle wears a sweater hand knitted by my late mother. It was the first sweater she made after learning to knit. The little bear on the right I affectionately named "Dicky" after my husband Rich who thought it was cute. I wish you all a good weekend, and keep safe!

One of several varieties of lilies seen at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA.

Macro Mondays: Layers

Saturday Self-Challenge: Patriotism; What do you love about your country? This is one of my favorite towns to visit, Havre de Grace, Maryland. If you enlarge on black, you will see the many details of this downtown district. There are similar streets like this in America that are a popular destination for social gatherings. Thankfully, even in a time of Covid and social distancing, we have found ways to safely socialize, such as outdoor dining as seen in this photo. There are many other things I love about my country like our State and National Parks, our freedom to move about as we like (although temporarily restricted due to the present circumstances). In the photo below I found these duck decoys for sale at a local antique store. Being a marine town located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is known for their decoy artisans. There is a decoy museum that tells the history of this craft and all the local artisans who carve the decoys. Though I do not like duck hunting, I love the decoys.

These beautiful old duck decoys were found in a local antique store in Havre de Grace, Maryland. This town is known for its decoy craftsmen.

Macro Mondays: Abstract flower stem/ stems I hope this is abstract enough; it was the best out of the pictures I took on the subject. HMM, friends!

Saturday Self-Challenge: Guilty Pleasures Have a great week end, everyone! :-)

Black-eyed Susans in my garden. I'm so happy with how well they are blooming! Have a good week everyone; special huggs to Pam! :-)

Macro Mondays: My Profession I used to be a Physical Therapist, and I would frequently use the tool pictured called a goniometer. It measures the active range of motion (AROM) in a joint. The minimum useful AROM for a knee joint is 90 degrees in order to ascend/descend stairs. I apologize for using an archive photo, but I had misplaced the tool and couldn't find it in time to take a new image of it. Have a good week, my friends!

Saturday Self-Challenge: Take a picture in which something is obviously missing. Have a good week end and stay safe, my friends!