Photos

“Seeds” is the name of this photograph and it is a macro shot of dandelion seeds. The flower matures into a globe of fine filaments that are usually distributed by wind, carrying away the seed-containing achenes. This globe (receptacle) is called the "clock", and blowing it apart is a popular activity for children worldwide.
The flower head is surrounded by bracts (sometimes mistakenly called sepals) in two series. The inner bracts are erect until the seeds mature, then flex down to allow the seeds to disperse; the outer bracts are always reflexed downward. Some species drop the "parachute" (called a pappus, modified sepals) from the achenes. Between the pappus and the achene, there is a stalk called a beak, which elongates as the fruit matures. The beak breaks off from the achene quite easily.
This photograph was taken using a Canon 85mm Prime lens and a Canon 250 close-up filter. The macro mode setting was used on the camera. I later discovered that an aperture setting of 1.8 works extremely well.
Macro photography is a great way to see the world in a different light.
This photograph was cropped, level adjusted, sharpened and saved for the web.