Travelin' About

At a recent photo meetup I met a young man who was taking pictures of flowers on a tripod in broad daylight. I thought he was foolish. There was plenty of existing light for nice flower photos. I discovered I had something to learn. The kind sir, Justin Welsh , was gracious enough to explain that he had purchased extension tubes that allowed him to get closer into the flower. The tripod is because he is getting a great depth of field in a very tight area. And with that depth of field, his shutter speed was at 1/3 of a second or slower. Thus the tripod was a "must."  He was kind enough to offer me the use of his extension tubes which are really a great deal for a budget conscious photographer. You can get 3 different sizes for about $60.  The tough part is focusing. You need to turn vibration reduction off and, I believe, you get best results by manually focusing. I was so impressed, I cam home and ordered a set of my own. I got a 12mm, 20mm and 36mm with a Nikon mou...

What is it that compels me to take way too many images of the things that move me? I was absolutely awe-struck at the beauty and majesty of Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas.  I had seen pictures in a magazine last summer that made me insistent on planning a spring trip there. A good friend urged me to be sure to go in early April when the desert would be blooming and to definitely get a place at Chisos Mountain Lodge, the only accommodations right in the park. Both were excellent recommendations. If you read my last blog you know that the trip there and back were almost as good as actually being there (the wildflowers are STUNNING this year! Still are!). Well, almost.  The last 2 hours of the ride were boring, colorless desert and I really thought that nothing could make this trip worthwhile. And then we saw the graceful Octillo cacti with their bright orange blossoms on the long, thin green stalks, waving in the breeze with a backdrop of some spectacular mountain...

This blog is not for Texans.  They already know how outrageously awesome the landscape of their highways and byways is in March and April.  This is intended to try and describe how magnificent and exciting the mosaic of the ever-changing colors that blanket the entire state - especially on the highways, appears as you travel. As a photographer, I am challenged to try and capture images that move me. And, as you can see, I was compelled to photograph every darn mosaic meadow we passed. But it was like being in a blender with Crayola crayons - the tapestry of colors kept changing and changing.....for MILES! An assortment of yellows, then suddenly a mix of yellows, blues, purples and whites mixed with the lush green grass. We pulled off the side of the road several times, exclaiming things like, "look - a pink one! Hey, have you seen this orange puff ball thing? (horticulturalists, we are not) Look at this different kind of purple flower!" And the landscape itself kept sh...