A photographic journey · Northeast Pennsylvania
Nature, Up Close
The Things We Walk Past
Photographs by John Alexiou
Some of my favorite things to photograph are the ones that are easy to walk past. A flower under a leaf, a fern just starting to open, or a small animal blending into the ground. Getting closer changes the picture. What looked like a patch of green starts to show its own shape, color, and texture.
These photographs were taken here in Northeast Pennsylvania. There is a lot going on at ground level. Fungi help return nutrients from fallen leaves and wood to the soil, while flowers, insects, and small wildlife fill the spaces around them. I like looking at the details that make each one different, from the folds in a mushroom to the markings around a frog's eye.
I photographed this collection with my Sony A7 IV, a 33-megapixel full-frame camera with an Exmor R CMOS sensor. For the spring photographs, I used my FE 28–70mm F3.5–5.6 OSS lens. These sixteen views bring together the colors and textures that caught my eye, from a sunflower in the light to a watersnake at ground level.
Sixteen photographs · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
Select a photograph to enter the viewing room
01 · A Face Full of Sunshine Golden petals frame the sunflower's dark center against a soft green background. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
02 · Blue Among the Green Blue flowers gather beneath fresh leaves, with a tiny visitor tucked among the petals. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
03 · One Small Violet A purple flower bends toward the light, its pale center standing out against the green. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
04 · Beneath the Leaves A white bloom hangs below broad green leaves, with its yellow center turned toward the ground. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
05 · Waiting to Unfold A tightly curled fern rises from the woodland floor, its fine hairs catching the light. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
06 · Holding the Rain Drops of water rest across a green leaf, following the folds and veins of its surface. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
07 · Hanging in the Quiet A pine cone hangs from a slender branch, its layered scales set against a wash of green. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
08 · Gathered at the Log A cluster of brown mushrooms grows beside dark wood, their rounded caps overlapping. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
09 · Hidden in the Leaves A morel rises through the leaf litter, its folded cap blending with the colors of the forest floor. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
10 · A Small Place to Land A long-antennaed insect rests on pale mushroom caps above the darker woodland floor. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
11 · Spots on Green An orange, black-spotted beetle rests on a leaf, its bright shell standing out against the green. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
12 · Every Little Step A yellow-and-black millipede moves across the ground, its many legs tracing the edge of its body. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
13 · Orange in the Leaf Litter An orange newt stands among fallen leaves, with small red spots running along its back. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
14 · Blending In A mottled tree frog crouches on a rock, its gray pattern echoing the surface beneath it. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
15 · At Ground Level A toad rests among dry leaves, seen close enough to show the texture around its eye and skin. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
16 · Eye to Eye A watersnake lifts its head above the ground, bringing its eye, dark scales, and pale chin into view. © John Alexiou · 2026 · Northeast Pennsylvania
Prints & digital photographs
Bring the details of nature home
Bring the flowers, woodland textures, and small wildlife of Northeast Pennsylvania into your space. Choose a photograph by its number or title, then request a print or digital file.