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!

Woodway Park

If there's any time of year when Texas is a nature photographer's paradise, it's during bluebonnet season. This year I decided to expand my normal range and take an overnight trip to the Hill Country to shoot some. Reports a couple of weeks ago indicated things were about to peak, so I booked a room in Killeen and headed out on a Friday afternoon.

My first stop was actually in Waco.  I planned my drive to get there just before sunset, and some online research pointed to Woodway Park as a promising destination.  I didn't find huge fields of bluebonnets when I got there, but I did discover this nice patch right on the shore of Lake Waco.

Golden hour side light can make just about anything look good.  When your subject is bluebonnets, it really doesn't take much.

Being on the east shore of the lake, I then had a nice view of the setting sun.  Others had also come out to enjoy the tranquil and serene moment.

See my earlier comment on golden hour side light. :)

I picked my way through some already overgrown shoreline terrain to a spot where a bit of a tree graveyard added some foreground interest as the sun prepared to dip below the horizon.

No clouds in the sky meant there was little twilight color to speak of.  I was satisfied with this appetizer, but I had a fever.  And the only prescription was More Bluebonnets!  So it was back to the car and on to Killeen for some sleep before an early departure to catch sunrise on Saturday!