Waco Paintbrush

On my first bluebonnet drive of the season down to the Texas Hill Country, the biggest patches of wildflowers I saw were actually Indian Paintbrush in the medians and along the side of I-35E north of Waco. They were impressive enough to get their own post!

I was uncertain about both the logistics and legality of stopping to shoot them.  The median seemed pretty obviously out of the question from a safety standpoint as much as anything.  But the roadside seemed like it should be fair game.  Once I passed a couple of other folks out taking pictures, I felt confident getting on the frontage road, exiting the car, and taking some of my own.

Lighting is everything, but composition is a close second.  Frame and crop just right, and the hand of man (or car of man) vanishes.

Speaking of lighting, the sun was still pretty high in the sky when I got here.  There was nothing to be done for it, but the lack of much contrast in this angle still bothers me despite the wonderful color and sheer volume of Indian Paintbrush.

This scene was the cherry on top of a delicious sundae of a road trip!