Clymer Meadow Preserve, West Side

I had a good start to my shoot at the Clymer Meadow Preserve on Saturday, finding some nice vistas and striking wildflowers in bright sunlight on the east side of FM 1140. As the afternoon crept on, I needed to turn my attention to finding a spot for sunset.

I liked how the rutted truck path through the grass faded off into the distance, but the high sun didn't do the scene any favors.

Walking down the path brought me to something I felt a little more comfortable shooting -- a pond!

Ponds + Texas + Summer = Dragonflies like this Halloween Pennant.

A pretty consistent breeze blew throughout the afternoon.  Instead of trying for a long-exposure abstract, I tried to capture the feel of the wind with a fast shutter speed on these American Basketflowers being bent over.

As the day moved into golden hour, the wind also died down some.  Enough to capture another Texas Thistle in warm light.

I had to get down on the ground to shoot up at this silhouetted Widow Skimmer.  It was worth it; I love the detail I was able to capture in the wings.

I made it back to my pond for sunset, but struggled to find a place to set up that I loved.

The change in location ended up not mattering much, as low clouds on the horizon caused the sun to disappear from view a little ahead of schedule and without much fanfare.

Still, it couldn't hurt to wait a while and see if dusk would yield a last dash of color in the clouds.

It didn't.

Three hours at the preserve passed incredibly quickly.  I missed a few opportunities, but overall enjoyed the time there and got a few solid shots.  Maybe I'll return in the future and see if I can look at the space a little differently!