Lake Mineral Wells: Part I

My Facebook feed has been full of fall foliage pictures from Colorado for the past month or so. Just because Texas doesn't have groves of golden aspens doesn't mean it doesn't have autumn scenery of its own worth shooting. Like most things when it comes to nature photography in the Lone Star State, you just have to work a little harder to find it. So after some time on the internet I decided to visit Lake Mineral Wells State Park this morning.

I always hope to get a sunrise shot when I'm out.  Planning for this one was tough, because the forecast for this morning varied wildly throughout the week.  The first time I checked it called for showers.  The next, clear skies and sun.  Then partly cloudy.  As it turned out, I left the house in a steady rain.  While the rain had stopped when I arrived, the clouds were still thick.  So I ended up with something a little more moody.

After shooting sunrise from the lake spillway -- which was not at all unsettling to drive with water coming over the edge -- Penitentiary Hollow was next on my list.  Skies were clearing to the west, but still overcast overhead and to the east which kept the scene from the overlook a little subdued.

The dampness from the overnight rain and cloudy skies may not have contributed to shooting any sweeping vistas.  But they were a huge boon to shooting more intimate scenes, like this bright red vine hanging off the cliff side.

I came in for a nice tight shot of those red leaves.  But I should have kept the aperture closed a bit more to increase the depth of field.  I opened up to f/11, and ended up with some soft focus on the edges I could do without.

The hollow itself would have been very challenging to shoot in full sun.  Again, the clouds came in handy to even out the lighting and keep the contrast down.  I love how mossy the branches are up top.

I hoped the only way down into the hollow wasn't with ropes, and was pleased to find a great stone staircase that was beautiful in addition to being functional.

These four cedar elms are known point of interest in the hollow.  I wanted to focus on the leading lines with this one, so decided to reproduce it in black and white.

This little area of canyons is really fascinating and fun to wander around.  I need to bring the kids back sometime, as much as they love climbing rocks.  Though I'm not sure I want them getting too crazy on the steep faces.

I could have spent hours just in the hollow, but I really wanted to see some of the rest of the park.  So I headed back up the stone stairs, stopping for a shot of the leaf-strewn steps along the way.

More to come!