… or is it a butterfly bush? I’m not 100% sure. I’ve seen about 18434920 times more bees on it than I have butterflies. It seems to lure the big fat buzzy bumblebees like nothing else. Not that I’m complaining, bees are awesome. But if any of you other plant-lovers out there can set me straight, I’d appreciate it.

I have been having fun with my lens extension tube set in the garden, which is how I took these macro shots above. Seriously, it’s such an awesome and dirt cheap camera accessory!

An extension tube is basically a ring of metal that sits between your camera and your lens, allowing you to get closer to the subject (and still focus). So you get a macro effect, but without a macro lens.

There are more expensive versions, some over $100, but they are all basically just a ring of metal, so I really doubt you’d need to pay more. This one is awesome, gives you three different lengths, and is under 15 bucks. So neat, huh?

The only drawbacks are that it is very tricky to focus, and very difficult to hold steady for a clear shot. You’re so close that every little movement seems magnified. A tripod would have helped, I guess.

I’ll share more photos from our yard soon. I love how alien and strange plants look so close up… these living things all around us that we so often fail to notice or understand.