The smallest beauty from the biggest state by Bruce Welkovich Alaska is a nature photographer’s paradise: Denali and glaciers, moose and bears, whales and eagles. But there’s more to Alaska than its mega-scenery and mega-fauna. Kneel down, look closely, and there’s another world of natural beauty: flowers and insects, mushrooms and slime molds, mosses and lichens. Badhamia utricularis is a species of myxomycete, or slime mold. The beautiful, bright, spottedyellow stage lasts just a few hours. (Anchorage, focus stacked photo) Meriderma is a genus of myxomycetes (slime molds) that usually occur at the edge of snow melt in early spring. (Anchorage, focus stacked photo Advances in technology allow us to get closer than ever. Mobile phones take great macro photos now, but can only get you so close. For the serious photographer, extreme macro requires a technique called “focus stacking,” which solved a problem that has plagued us since the…