Made a loop around Washington County on Saturday. Results were generally good, early, under overcast skies, if a bit windy. Camera is my trusty Pentax ME with a 50mm f2.2 with Kodak Max ASA400 film. Some of the close-ups I used the handy 1/2x & 2x settings. Almost every shot is at f22 to maximize the depth of field.
First stop is Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park
Edit: Going to reduce those file sizes a bit; changes will be up soon.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Edited 3/26/2007 4:27 pm by CapnMac
Edited 3/26/2007 4:54 pm by CapnMac
Replies
Ah, good...I can't wait...
Ok, second time lucky is the hope.
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All right, this is down the path to the river, and looking back towards the Visitor Center. There's a range of fuscia and orange in the blue stretch.
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This is a bit farther down the path to the river. The bluebonnets are very dominant, but are punctuated with other wild flowers.
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Here's some of that color mix.
Loverly!!!
Ok, and bit more.
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That's the actual path down to the river; the clouds are trying for partly cloudy, and I'm trying to get the stronger light to cooperate a bit.
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Sun ducks behind the clouds and lets me nab some of the color variation out.
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And, a close-up (barring only a stray stalk of Johnson Grass <grrr,grrr>--the things you don't see framing the shot . . . <sigh>).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
And, a sequence where we dared the wrath of the TPW staff (maybe) by being almost off park.
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And, a good reason to "we" such adventures; this stand of almost-gone to seed, pale blue bonnets leads off to:
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This larger patch.
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Which has the nice contrast of this stand of pricly pear catcus growing out of a fallen tree, and then you look up and see:
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Yep, it goes back that far, almost "dodging" around trees. Every sunny patch seeming to have a different kind of wildflower in it.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
And now, a real "find." Did I mention it's good to have compatriots for this; the location was "scouted" off of a photography site listing locations for wild flowers. The description did not do it justice at all (and direction was so important; it would have been ho-hum the other way down the road).
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This is the laterite county road, where's that hill?
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Whoa, is that it? That's near-solid blue. Let's up the hill a ways.
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That's a lot of blue bonnets (note, this is not the 'edge' of Texas where the trees stop growing <g>, that hill just drops off into more grazing, maybe onluy 2-3 sections more).
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That lone tree framed up under this near-the-road Texas old-oak-with-character.
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And, here's that tree (it might just whomp a student wizard or two, too).
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Oh yeah, I did say it's good to have help at this--(even if this shot is accidental); note how thick the blues are there in the bottom right, that's the verges off a gravel county road.
The shot 180º to show the depth of the woods this road defined was 25 of 24, so it just did not "make." Annoying, about as bad as the second roll not develping at all (at least Walgreen's did not print a CD that was blank. The afternoon light was not so good, either. So, really, the only shots on the second roll I really miss were some I can probably reshoot under better conditions. (It's good to "do" this photo stuff only for the fun of it--it'd be too much like work to get paid for it.)Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
It's so very odd to note that the Indian Paintbrush, which seems like a rippling blanket of red-orange along the roads, is really a quite tall, and stately plant.
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Ah, spring. We will have to see, it's been dry up until the last two weeks, less good for wild flowers, on average. But with a couple of inches last week, and another two last night, we may see a good run of flowers yet.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Nice photos Here in Maine, what we call Indian Paintbrush is a completely different plant. Your bluebonnets look a lot like our lupines, although the lupines don't come in such a bright blue.
Here in Maine, what we call Indian Paintbrush is a completely different plant. Your bluebonnets look a lot like our lupines, although the lupines don't come in such a bright blue.
Hmm, had to go google, not having a guidebook on me (and I are real smart wit internet access<G>)
Texas blue bonnet is lupinus texensis; so, you seem to have a good botanical eye. Color range runs from blue (bright and faded) to a blue-violet that fades slightly purple-y.
Paintbrush is Castilleja Indivisa, guidebooks on line call it both Indian and Texas Paintbrush. It runs from a red-orange to a brilliant red.
Eyeballing the photos, there's Bird's Eyes (Gilia tircolor) and Drummond Phlox (Phlox drummondii) visible.
The State of Texas invests a pretty good sum to supply wildflower seed to each county in the fall to seed the rights of way, just so they'll bloom in the spring. I've yet to hear anyone say we ought spend the money elsewhere, either. Going into our state parks to find fields of wild flowers can be right inspirational, too.
It's the midway point, mostly of the High Season for Texas, between Independence Day, 2nd March, and San Jacinto Day, 21st April. This can make visiting sites like Washington-on-the-Brazos poignant, too.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Edited 3/27/2007 5:17 pm by CapnMac
The only thing I have blooming are daffodils. Lucky you.
The only thing I have blooming are daffodils.
We've got some nice mud.
Throw some seeds in it.
I have blooming are daffodils
Yeah, but that's likely to change, and like a light bulb going on, from my memories of central IN in spring.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I am in North, 15 miles from Lake Michigan. The Cherry trees will be blooming in 2 1/2 wks.
am in North, 15 miles from Lake Michigan
Was a time not so long ago, a person would be inclined to ask just what color they might be blooming . . .
Tho-, the IN side of the line has always been a tad nicer than the IL side--but I may be biased.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
You're not biased.
You're not biased
That's what you say, my family and I moved to Chi-town just in time for Emperor Daley's riots v. the Yippies at the '68 Convention . . . vice that against a life visiting suburban Peru, IN (one of my two, 'permanent' addresses growing up, the others changing about 26 months apart).
Some blooming is better than no blooming, though.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Thanks for the nice photos. I am a native Texan living in Wyoming and it is snowing outside. I miss the bluebonnets about this time of the year.
Thanks for the nice photos.
De nada. Been meaning to get out and get good photos again.
I am a native Texan living in Wyoming and it is snowing outside
Ick, saw on Weather Channel at lunch where they are warning of blizzard conditions along a like from SLC to Billings . . .
And, here, folks are kvetching about it being maybe rainy on Saturday and that it's "only" cooling to 77 or so after the cold front comes through . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Thanks for the refreshment. Looks like you had a fine adventure, stalking the Texas wild flowers. I've done it myself, stopping along the roadside to shoot those big fields of blue bells. But I've never come close to taking a picture that captures the experience of standing amongst 'em though.
But I've never come close to taking a picture that captures the experience of standing amongst 'em though.
Neither have I, not really. I'd like to try a macro in the 26-28mm range on a short tripod some day, but even then, I'm not sure the effect would really be there. That, and it'd be tough to get low enough to viewfinder that (there being some huge issues with we "good" folks not earning wrath by trampling through the wildflowers, crushing them, to plop chillin's & such--that, and it's a violation of State Law).
Hardest thing to convey is the aroma of the wildflowers which is subtle untill you come on a mass of them. The experience of the color, well, "radiating" from them as the sun breaks out is hard to convey, too.
I just found a nice clump in a lee of an overpass in town, if it stays overcast, I may have to go shoot that.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Good pics. If you got the time, run over to Nacogdoches and catch the azalias. Got 40+ acres of'em. The Sam Houston historical site in Huntsville is nice too.
If you got the time, run over to Nacogdoches and catch the azalias. Got 40+ acres of'em. The Sam Houston historical site in Huntsville is nice too.
Well, East is a direction under much consideration; the SH site being only an hour away also is good.
Debating going all the way east to Nacogdoches, though; reports from over near Sna Marcos (about as far, if west) are also good.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Cool pics Cap. I miss those sights while driving down the road, not enough to move back down there though.
I gotta go over to El Paso sometimes this year, DIL is in Iraq and my son is sitting it out there so I want to go visit, should be going now but I'm sure that I'll wait until its hotter then hell before making the trip!
Thanks for posting the pic's.
Doug
I miss those sights while driving down the road, not enough to move back down there though.
Shame, that, that FM that kinda runs from SM over towards Comal is supposed to be all over in colors right now (that's another hour's drive out, and I'v closer counties to see, sadly).
I gotta go over to El Paso sometimes this year
How any one named that Fort, Bliss, is clean beyond me . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
......runs from SM over towards Comal.....
I had to look at a map of Texas to see where Comal was, never heard of it before - not really that far from SM though.
I used to like to take the trip over through Wimberly, Blanco and over to Fredricksburg. A lot of nice scenery. Used to see some really big yellow flowers up on the rocks, almost looked like a big bouquet, looked out of place, Never knew what they were.
Doug
look at a map of Texas to see where Comal was, never heard of it before - not really that far from SM though.
Yeah, kind of figured you might have seen the sign pointing to it . . . <g>
I had to go visit, one time, just to see why somebody would name a town "skillet." Turns out, it's a chicken-egg-chicken thing where river was named for town or town for river, and the person who knew bent to the great beyond three generations ago . . .
Used to be a nice diner over there with a decent enough CFS to stop in and have lunch.
Used to see some really big yellow flowers up on the rocks, almost looked like a big bouquet,
Hmm, need the guide book, like as not--pages & pages of yellow flowers around here.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
And more photos. Had to go back due to a film problem on the first trip.
This field is not in all of the "see the wildflowers" guide fora on line right now. The sky on Thursday was even more dramatic than on the previous Saturday.
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While that field is the one every one is agog about, this one is across the street, and I think it's better.
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That is has this very iconic gate, which almost ensures great photos, helps no small end.
View ImageOccupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Why the red gater field so much? Well, that gate wil ldraw anyone who has ever been through a photography class or two. The having a backdrop other than just sky helps, too.
But really, thrugh the viewfinder, it's the colors
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And the gate and wire make an indellible "Texas" image of it, too.
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Oh, and there's another gate, too <g>
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Ok, having re-acquired my "red gate" photos, I motored on Scenic FM 390 back east towards Independence.
Here's the old Baylor site from the west
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Here's the maintained old cabin for the Old Baylor Museum (I didn't give myself but even odds this shot would "make," it was blowing 15-20, holding that flag straight out, whipping the blues over and back; so I was trading depth-of-field for faster shutter speed; Felicity is as good a girl to have around as that Sara N. Dipity)
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That may be the best shot of those blues--they've had numerous persons stomp through them, go and sit in the middle, smushing spots down . . .
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
And, lastly in the batch (need more film <g>), some color from my very own county, Brazos.
These are from Wednesday, after it clouded up a bit, and right off a middling busy on-ramp/overpass next to the highway. There had been an inverted cloverleaf on-ramp here, and the hill with the subgrade was left behind when the on-ramp was improved to 20th century transportation standards. This makes a sheltered spoy, that also gets plenty of sun shine--good for mee and the bonnets.
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There's a tree with some character down here that looked like it needed a portrait.
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Check out the sky, too.
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Having motored about a bit, Washington County remains the stand out for great huge blooms of flowers.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Edited 3/31/2007 1:47 am by CapnMac
We got to see the bluebonnets last week too Mac. My grandson and I managed to pick a very nice bunch of tiny wildflowers while taking a ten house walk in a sub! Texas has some very pretty flowers.
I can't wait till they bloom here in MI.
blue"...
keep looking for customers who want to hire YOU.. all the rest are looking for commodities.. are you a commodity ?... if you get sucked into "free estimates" and "soliciting bids"... then you are a commodity... if your operation is set up to compete as a commodity, then have at it..... but be prepared to keep your margins low and your overhead high...."
From the best of TauntonU.
You have bluebonnets blooming in Mi.?
No, I was recently in Texas. Got there just after the SxSW.
blue"...
keep looking for customers who want to hire YOU.. all the rest are looking for commodities.. are you a commodity ?... if you get sucked into "free estimates" and "soliciting bids"... then you are a commodity... if your operation is set up to compete as a commodity, then have at it..... but be prepared to keep your margins low and your overhead high...."
From the best of TauntonU.
Texas has some very pretty flowers
The highway department puts down a couple hundred thousand pounds of seed in the ROW every fall just to get the effect. It's worth it.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)