The top three views of Mars are from my backyard showing the planet 18 days before, 4 days after and 16 days after the closest approach of 2016 on May 30. Below them are the planet as seen in Starry Night planatarium software for the same times. The larger geological features can be seen in both. My images also show the change in apparent size that occur as Earth passes quickly by Mars. Note how face of the planet changes as it rotates. The middle pair show a relatively featureless central area. The polar cap to the upper left and clouds around the southern pole to the lower right are easily seen in my image. The dim white spot at 2 o'clock about 2/3 of the way from the centre to the edge is where Olympus Mons is and may be clouds over the peak. The other two images show the sides that have the most visible features.