My new Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 lens, a macro lens, has me venturing into new territory. Macro photography intrigues me. And this new lens has me thinking in “what ifs” especially after seeing what Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill has done with the lens. Inspired to dig around into kitchen drawers for what might work, I found a package of reusable straws that I bought for some reason even though I rarely use a straw and don’t think I’m too keen on keeping a reusable one clean. But they’re colorful and I thought they would make a good abstract subject. First, I bundled them with a rubber band and shot them straight on. Not too interesting. Then, I thought, “what if use a flash?” I did lots of ‘what if” scenarios with flash including directly behind the straws, so the light came through them. They were all intriguing but not quite right. Then I thought, “what if I pull one of the straws out a little bit?” Bingo! That made all the difference, with and without flash. It’s not really obvious that these are straws which I think is good. I like the abstract nature of it. And, in the end, my favorite image used ambient light and no flash.