Field Notes from the Republic: November 2009

Friday, November 13, 2009

B&W day

As promised from my previous thread, this is a follow up set of black and white images of late. No deep thoughts today, just a gallery.

We'll start it off light....these Least Grebes have these almost unblinking bright eyes...like they're looking into your soul....add a little film noir lighting and this is the most scared I've ever been of waterfowl.

Lost Maples Reflecting Pond (Lost Maples SNA)

Old Baldy vista, Garner State Park.

Bones of the Earth - bald cypresses on the Frio River at dawn

Cactus Singularity, Prickly Pear Cactus, Lost Maples SNA

High Country Wood, Lost Maples SNA

Big Tooth Maples, Lost Maples SNA

Utopia, Utopia, TX

Bridge to Terebithia, Bandera, TX (Medina River)

Burn Boundary, Bandera, TX

Anguish

Battle Scars, Brazos Bend State Park

Life's Work

Kingdom of the Ducks ( I love the ominous feel of the gnarled old branch juxtaposed with the inherently non-sinister nature of the comical black bellied whistling ducks)

Forest Layers

Kind of Cute. (Nutria, Cullinen Park)

Flooded Forest

I am Become Death, Devourer of Dragonflies (Golden Silk Spider)

Blossoms

Rain

There and Back Again

With apologies to Mr. Baggins.

I have not posted since June. Things have happened, as they are wont to do.

In the interim, I have:

- started a new job
- put my mother to rest
- climbed an Alp
- attended a German wedding in Germany
- Stayed at a Dude Ranch (for work reasons)
- sang Country kareoke without a hint of irony
- had a second anniversary
- developed a greater fondness for Cormac McCarthy's OTHER works
- finally ridden a car to death
- photographed. A lot.
- become a volunteer/amateur naturalist for one of Texas's premier state parks (Brazos Bend)
- tried to be good. Occasionally succeeded.
- Had a hundred thousand thoughts that, upon having them, I said to myself, "self, you should post about this on your blog"
- not posted.
- been somewhat weary in general.

So instead of trying to unclog the stopped-up, stygian depths of my mental plumbing, I am going to just give the update above, and then post pictures. I find that works better than my long ramblings.

The pictures, as always, are available in larger size at www.flickr.com/photos/jmbower

I've been moving toward doing a little more post-processing to heighten effects, or to get what I could envision of a scene even if I shot at the wrong time of day. This has lead to a lot of shots of Texas landscape elements that I thought went nicely together. I have tried not to play up too mnay cowboy-esque stereotypes. This set is the generally sepia-tones/antiqued lot. Color and B&W sets to follow. At some point. Breath-holding is ill advised.

Progress