Sunday, April 15, 2018

Ennis Bluebonnets 2018: Sunrise

I always look forward to April in Texas. Sunrises aren't too early, the days are warm without being scorching hot, the stinging insects and thorny plants haven't emerged yet, and vibrant color from new growth is everywhere. This weekend marked the fourth year in a row I've headed to Ennis to see the annual show put on by the Texas Bluebonnets. And once again, they did not disappoint.

Ennis Bluebonnets Sunrise
I headed back to the same field where I had shot my "second sunrise" and spent the bulk of my visit last year.  This year I wanted to be there for the actual sunrise.

The Bluebonnets were again great, but the Indian Paintbrush had yet to bloom in abundance.  And it certainly wasn't warm -- in fact, despite wearing a jacket and two shirts I was pretty chilled as the sun appeared briefly between the tops of the trees and the bottom of the clouds.

Ennis Bluebonnets Sunrise
A cold breeze wasn't helping out with the temperature.  I decided to work with the wind rather than against and try something artistic, with a long-exposure shot of some swaying Bluebonnets.

Mach Road Sunrise
I decided to completely swap my first two stops from last year, proceeding next to Mach Road to see if a "second sunrise" was again in the cards.  Fortunately, the position of the clouds rewarded me once more.

Mach Road Sunrise
I was mesmerized by the dazzling rays bursting forth from behind the patchy clouds, continuously shooting and recomposing in different ways.

Mach Road Sunrise
I found myself progressively including less and less of the landscape and getting more and more focused on the sky.

Mach Road Sunrise
As the sun nearly emerged completely, I found the old, worn fence for the foreground and took a final set of shots.  Already a satisfying visit after only about half an hour!

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