Ennis Bluebonnets 2023

The universe seemed to be conspiring to keep me away from shooting pictures of the bluebonnets around Ennis this year.  Overcast skies and even a bout with COVID had forced me to postpone three planned trips.  This past Saturday I was bound and determined, so much so that after seven previous sunrise visits I instead went in the afternoon with aspirations to stay for my first bluebonnet sunset.

The first shot is always the toughest, and this pond along FM 660 was my icebreaker.

A short walk from the pond was a more expansive bluebonnet vista.  The grasses had begun to overtake them, but the flowers themselves were still in beautiful bloom.

I loved the flags flanking this structure near Sugar Ridge Winery, but couldn't get very close and had to shoot from quite a distance away.

A spot near Sugar Ridge Ranch was where I had intended to make my initial stop, and it was quite a challenge to get a view that didn't also include the literally hundreds of other people who were also there enjoying the day.  But I did file the location away as a potential sunset spot.

I wandered around to the east side of the road and became really intrigued with the flowers at the base of this pair of trees.  Bonus -- the spot was set down below the ridge a bit and therefore out of the persistent breeze, so the flowers were fairly motionless

Nobody else seemed to care about this spot, so I stayed and kept recomposing.

2024 calendar cover, perhaps?

I envisioned this composition as a great option for an opening spread of a magazine article, with the headline and lead printing in the expanse of blue sky.  I have no idea exactly what magazine, or what the article would be about, but I am now prepared should such an opportunity arise.

Eventually I exhausted what seemed like all the interesting options for shooting essentially the same scene.  But I definitely feel like I got the most out of my time there.

There's a fairly small field along Andrew's Road that typically has a dense bloom.  This year was no exception, with Indian Paintbrush dominating.

I switched lenses and took my only close-up shot here, taking advantage of the backlighting from the late afternoon sun.

I had to see Sylvester Holy's field in Telico, but the clock was ticking with only a little more than an hour left until sunset.  Still I had to stop to shoot this tattered American flag along Union Hill Road.

And of course an adorable pair of donkeys demanded another stop.

Sylvester's field, unfortunately, was pretty sparse this year.  I didn't bother to take a single picture there.  Having to choose between the unknown quantity of the Meadow View Nature Area and the earlier scouted spot along Sugar Ridge Road for sunset, I went with the known.

My instincts were solid.  Even without any clouds to speak of, there was a pleasant amount of color in the evening sky.

Once the sun dipped below the horizon I packed up and started to my car, only to reconsider and set my tripod up one more time to just get the hint of a glow off in the distance.  Then it was a satisfied drive home in defiance of the universe's best efforts to deny me my bluebonnets!

Ennis Bluebonnets 2022

I made my annual pilgrimage to Ennis last Friday. The weather forecast called for comfortable temperatures and mostly sunny skies, so there seemed like an excellent chance for a colorful sunrise.

Itching for something a little different on my seventh trip to shoot the bluebonnet bloom, I decided to give the west shore of Bardwell Lake a try for sunrise.  I like sunrise shots across water, and felt confident I could find some interesting foreground elements.

Unfortunately, the cloud cover turned out to be thicker than I'd anticipated.  The clouds rolled in while I was watching the sky grow lighter.  Shame, because I did find a foreground I liked. 

A brief break in the clouds came right as I was walking by some other nice foreground scenery, so I quickly set up and shot again.  That would be the last time I saw the sun that morning. :(

I headed next to the Meadow View Nature Area and waited for the local constabulary to come and unlock the gate at 8 a.m.  They were a little late, but the bluebonnets weren't going anywhere.  Patches were thick near the lake, and the thick clouds actually served to provide some nice drama.

A young Texas Longhorn gave me a wary look.

I headed to another area of past wonderment -- Mach Road.  The bluebonnets here were sparse, but yielded a nice "less is more" shot.

My favorite spot was next -- the field south of Telico where last year the owner approached me while I was shooting and asked if I thought he should put up a welcome sign.  I was delighted to see that he had!

The flowers here were as thick as ever, in full bloom, and still taller than the grass.

I got down low for a nice look at an isolated White Bluebonnet.

There were fewer Indian Paintbrush than I had seen in past years, but not a complete dearth.

I always enjoy the "something extra" the hay bales in Holy's field add to the scenes.

Hay bale triangle!  Fundamentals of photography, y'all.

I headed towards Sugar Hill Road and stopped to spend some time with a more mature Longhorn steer.

None of my other stops -- Union Hill, Andrews Road, or Sugar Hill Road -- yielded anything of interest.  Sugar Hill Road was actually quite nice, but also quite crowded by the time I got there.

All in all, another worthwhile trip.  The skies weren't what I had hoped for, but I was told something 25 years ago when I started playing competitive Magic and I think it applies just as well to photography -- Anything is workable!

Ennis Bluebonnets 2021: Trail Drive

Various and sundry other images from my drive around the Ennis area...

I made my first return to Union Hill Cemetery in six years.  Confederate flags like this one dotted the graves.

I understand the problems people have with what the flag symbolizes.  I also appreciate the desire to honor one's ancestors.  The issues are problematic, so I won't be sharing this photo anywhere other than this blog.

Paintbrush in bluebonnets -- like these on Andrews Road -- are significantly less controversial.

I shot this wreath two years ago when I first saw it, also on Andrews Road.  It's a bit brighter now.

A small herd of cattle on Union Hill Road were accompanied by a small flock of Cattle Egrets.  I like the view of this one through a cow's legs, though I could do without the wire.

I like that this sign isn't promoting a particular denomination, church, or service.  Simply proclaiming the good news.

An internet tip on a lush field along Highway 34 paid off.  It takes a walk of a couple hundred yards or so from the road to really get into it, but it's completely worth it.

Visually, I much prefer my fields of bluebonnets to be broken by the occasional splash of red from a paintbrush.  Or even a more substantial element like the midground tree.

I spent about five hours driving around, enjoying the warm weather and beautiful sights.  A trip I look forward to making again in another year or so!

Ennis Bluebonnets 2021: Telico

I made another return trip on Saturday to one of my favorite fields.  It's actually not on any of the driving trails recommended by the Ennis Garden Club, but it very likely should be.

The field is southeast of Telico along FM 1181, and it was absolutely stunning when I first shot it back in 2017.  While I was shooting, the owner of the property approached me. I was at first concerned that I had missed a "No Trespassing" sign. Instead, he told me that he had a "Welcome" sign that he had put up in years past and wanted my opinion as to whether he should put it up again. I told him he absolutely should!

He was quite happy to chat, and added that he hadn't put up the sign yet because he didn't think the field looked as good this year. He found it funny that people now came to see plants that he used to have to hoe to get rid of when he was young. And he relayed a story of how two visitors to the field once struck up a conversation with each other and discovered that they lived 15 minutes apart in Iowa!

Lovely man, lovely field.  I savored my time there, trying both a telephoto lens to shoot this view ...

... and then a more traditional wide angle.

There were butterflies and bees aplenty also enjoying the blossoms.  I was happy to get this sequence of a bumblebee sampling nectar from a paintbrush.

I loved getting to see a second gorgeous field on one trip.  I do hope the owner put the sign up!

Ennis Bluebonnets 2021: Sugar Ridge Road

Among the many, many things the pandemic took from me over the past year was my annual pilgrimage to Ennis to take pictures of the bluebonnets.  This year, I was very gratified to go back.

My big decision every year is where to go for sunrise.  I completely botched that this year and went first to the Ennis Veterans Memorial Park, where I saw no bluebonnets whatsoever in the predawn darkness despite reading online that they had a beautiful patch.  After making a mental note that it might be worthwhile to scout locations in the light myself rather than relying on what complete strangers post on the internet, I hurried to Sugar Ridge Road.  I'd also read that things were beautiful there, and I'd had success there on my first visit back in 2015.

Score another success for Sugar Ridge Road!  I found a scene I liked and managed to set up in time to shoot it before sunrise...

... and immediately afterward.  I've been increasingly annoyed by the significant amount of lens flare I get in my sunrise and sunset photos, so I took off the polarizing filter to see if that helped at all.  I'm not honestly sure if it did or not.

Turning 90 degrees to the right I also had a lovely view.  Always advisable to look around you before assuming the only thing worth seeing is in front of you.

The property across the street from the field is really gorgeous as well.  The hilly terrain and fence provide some interesting challenges for composition.  But if I lived here, I think I would just walk outside every morning and pinch myself at my good fortune.

I'm not that put out by the fence, actually.  I suppose the image would be stronger without it, but there may be a powerful message about man's attempt to claim ownership over natural beauty in here.  Or it might just be a fence.

I'm not that put out by the fence, actually.  I suppose the image would be stronger without it, but there may be a powerful message about man's attempt to claim ownership over natural beauty in here.  Or it might just be a fence.

Golden hour means close-ups get warm side light.

I'll confess to having hopped the fence in the previous shot back in 2015 to get a closer view of the reflection on this pond.  This year I opted to respect the property line, and it's likely a good thing I did since the likely owner came strolling out to fish. 

Speaking of ponds and reflections, I'd gotten back into my car to head off to another spot when I nearly passed another, closer, and arguably more striking pond.  So I stopped and shot that one as well, because why not?

A few years back the people who live at the intersection of Sugar Ridge Road and FM 813 decorated their hay bales to look like a giant pink mouse, which I found delightful.  This year they went with a more patriotic theme, but equally impressive artwork.

The day was off to an amazing start, and I still had eight more stops marked on my map to check out!