Laura Ockel

Raindrops balance gracefully on the pink-orange petals of a summer rose in full bloom.

A close up of a pine tree with cones on it

Little cones from a conifer branch with dappled sunlight in the background.

This is a poppy flower, two days after blooming. I grew this flower from seed and took many pictures as it matured. This was my favorite day. The petals are still perfect, like gossamer wings. The center pistil clearly visible with all of its tendrils ready to catch all of that yellow pollen. The yellow anthers bursting like a firework.

a street with cars and buildings on either side of it

Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri October 2013

This is a macro image of a poppy flower, four days after blooming. On the first day, the iridescent petals crowded around the center pistil, all but obliterating the yellow anthers. Each day, the flower changed, but its beauty remained. Here, the anthers cascade out through a gap in the petals, free to dance in the breeze.

an aerial view of a building with a green roof

This is a microprocessor chip photographed with a macro lens and extension tube. 

a white and pink flower floating on top of a body of water

a close up of a plant with water droplets on it