Dried Woodland Pinedrops
I photographed this Dried Woodland Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea Nutt) while on a snowshoe hike along the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellwostone NP in the winter of 2022.
Flowers & Plants
Flowers & Plants
Big Bend Bluebonnet Flower
A Big Bend Bluebonnet flower that i photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2019.
COVID-era Blackfoot Daisy
This COVID-era Blackfoot Daisy was photographed in Northwest Austin in the spring of 2020 prior to the virus spreading around the world.
Desert Marigold
A Desert Marigold photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park. The flower was photographed during the spring of 2019.
Trans-Pecos Senna
A Trans-Pecos Senna photographed along the Hot Springs Trail in Big Bend National Park during the Spring of 2019.
Another Big Bend Bluebonnet
Another Big Bend Bluebonnet photographed along the Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2019.
Chihuahuan Flax
A Chihuahuan Flax (Linum vernale) photographed along Terlingua Creek, North of Terlingua, using the focus stacking method.
Big Bend Bluebonnet
The Big Bend Bluebonnet is similar than the bluebonnets we have in the Austin area. The Big Bend variety has fewer leaves and grow much taller.
Desert Marigold with Bee
A Desert Marigold with a bee photographed along Terlingua Creek in West Texas using the focus stack method.
Brown-Eyed Susan
A Brown-Eyed Susan photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in the spring of 2018 using the focus stacking method.
Rock Rose Warning
A Rock Rose photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin during the summer of 2018. Many rattlesnakes in the area. Beware!
Trailing Windmills
A pair of Trailing Windmills photographed in the fall of 2018 in the Earnst Tinaja area of Big Bend National Park.
Autumn Sage
Autumn Sage is a very popular landscape plant. It grows throughout the Southwest. Its flowers are edible!
Gray Golden Aster
A Gray Golden Aster (Heterotheca canescens) photographed during my trip to Big Bend National Park in the fall of 2018.
Window and Flowers
This window and flowers arrangement are part of the Hotel Azul located in Oaxaca, Mexico. The hotel is clean and the staff is friendly.
White Gaura
A White Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri) photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in the summer of 2018 using the focus stacking technique.
Mature Texas Gayfeather
A mature Texas Gayfeather photogrpahed using the focus stacking technique at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX last week.
Young Texas Gayfeather
A young Texas Gayfeather photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. There were many flowers growing in a batch. This was the newest.
Chocolate Flower
The Chocolate Flower is not my favorite wildflower but it is my favorite flower name. The Chocolate Flower does smell like chocolate!
Apache Plume Seedhead
An Apache Plume Seedhead photographed at the Lady Bird Jonson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX in the summer of 2018.
Eastern Purple Coneflower
I photographed this Eastern Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea) at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin last April.
Mealy Blue Sage
The Mealy Blue Sage is an excellent plant for a flower bed, and is often planted in groupings to create an attractive mass of color. It is also a good plant for a rock garden.
American Basket Flower
The American Basket Flower (Centaurea americana), is native to south-central United States and northeastern Mexico. I understand that this is a very easy plant to grow and that it requires little maintenance.
Katydid Nymph on a Pink Evening Primrose
I captured this photograph of a Katydid Nymph on a Pink Evening Primrose during my trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in April.
Last of the Bluebonnets
It’s the last of the Bluebonnets. Most of the Texas Bluebonnets growing in central Texas have gone to seed. I captured this specimen at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this spring.
Hill Country Penstemon
A Hill Country Penstemon photographed at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX using the Focus Stacking technique.
Coneflower Pollinator
A bee serving as an Eastern Purple Coneflower pollinator at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX.
Texas Bluebonnet Time
It is Texas Bluebonnet Time in Central Texas and especially out at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I was impressed by the quantity and quality of the bluebonnets at the Center this year.
Dew on an Eastern Purple Coneflower
I finally made it out to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to photograph some of the wonderful Texas Wildflowers. I was making my way around the grounds when I came across this Eastern Purple Coneflower with dewdrops on its petals.
Prairie Fleabane
Spring is moving along much faster than I expected. Wildflowers are springing up everywhere! I decided that I better get outside and make sure I still remember how to photograph Texas Wildflowers. This pair of Prairie Fleabane flowers were ideal to photograph.
Red Columbines
Eastern Red Columbines are one of my favorite flowers. I enjoy looking at columbines in general. My favorite is the Longspur Columbine.
Rainbow Cactus
I posted the top view if the Rainbow Cactus yesterday. This view shows you the colorful bands of spines that are the reason for its name.
Rainbow Cactus
I photographed this Rainbow Cactus along Humphries Peak Road using the focus stack technique during a recent trip to the Big Bend area.
Cedar Sage
I was out doing some work near a creek on my property when I noticed quite a few Cedar Sage plants so I got my camera and photographed them.
Lone Tree
I was photographing flowers in the Agua Fria area located near Big Bend NP when I ran across this lone tree and decided to photograph it.
Giant Spiderworts
Giant Spiderworts are hard to photograph using the focus stack method. There are too many parts that move in the slightest breeze.
Eastern Red Columbines
I photographed these Eastern Red Columbines during a trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center using the focus stacking technique.
Longspur Columbine
I photographed this Longspur Columbine at the Cattail Falls in Big Bend National Park during a trip to the area in the spring of 2017.
Feather Dalea
I captured this photograph of a Feather Dalea (Dalea formosa) while on a drive in the desert to an area called “Agua Fria Springs”.
Eastern Red Columbine
photographed this Eastern Red Columbine at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin a couple of weeks ago.
Texas Bluebonnets
Texas Bluebonnets against winter grass. I liked this because it is a symbol that spring has sprung and what has passed will be new again.
Spring has Sprung
Spring has Sprung in Texas! The much warmer than normal temperatures has confused Mother Nature to the point that she has given up on winter
Crooked Gayfeather
I photographed this crooked Gayfeather at the LBJ Wildflower Center last September. The Texas Gayfeather is one of my favorite wildflowers.
Grassy Sunrise
I photographed this Grassy Sunrise starburst during my last trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center last September.
Gayfeathers
I photographed this very large clump of Texas Gayfeathers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this year.
Hunting Wasps
Our photography group hiked the Blue Creek Trail one day. That is where I found these two Hunting Wasps engaged in a ritual.
Lichen Stump
I spotted this Wolf Lichen growing on a stump just down the path from where I captured some Wolf Lichen growing on some dead branches.
Texas Gayfeather Closeup
I photographed this Texas Gayfeather at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center earlier this month. It is one of my favorite flowers.
Fall in the Tetons
Fall in the Tetons is amazing. Aspens turn bright yellow-orange, grasses change from green to golden and the Cottonwood leaves to yellow.
Wolf Lichen
I captured this photograph of Wolf Lichen (Letharia vulpina) at Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone lower falls area.
Grass Clump
One of the interesting things about my trip to Yellowstone NP is to see how a plant like this grass clump survives in a hostile environment.
Jimsonweed Flower Detail
I was actually trying to photograph this Jimsonweed flower detail when I captured the photograph of the Jimsonweed Pollinator last month.
Maximilian Sunflower
The Maximilian Sunflower is a Texas Native prairie perennial. It is a very desirable range plant as it is consumed by livestock.
Jimsonweed Pollinator
I stopped by a Jimsonweed at the LBJ Wildflower Center to photograph new pristine flowers when I spotted this Jimsonweed Pollinator.
Yellow Waterlily
A Yellow Waterlily photographed earlier this month at the LBJ Wildflower Center. This aquatic plant grows in shallow water and wetlands.
Prairie False-Foxglove
The Prairie False-Foxglove is another great plant that attracts butterflies. I photographed this flower at the LBJ Wildflower Center.
Gregg’s Mistflower
Gregg’s Mistflower is a common addition to gardens as it attracts butterflies. Their blooms coincide with the Monarch fall migration.
Sand Palafox
I captured this photograph of the Sand Palafox (Palafoxia hookeriana) flower during my last trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Imperfect Jimsonweed
I posted a Jimsonweed photo last week. I returned to the same location a few days later to photograph this imperfect Jimsonweed flower.
Twin Seashore Mallows
I photographed these Twin Seashore Mallows at the LBJ Wildflower Center earlier this month. Seashore Mallows are beautiful flowers.
A Mature Swamp Rose Mallow
I photographed this mature Swamp Rose Mallow flower at the LBJ Wildflower Center last week. It is one of the better specimens at the Center.
Seashore Mallow
This is a Seashore Mallow flower and it is not commonly found in the wild in Central Texas but is plentiful on the gulf coast.
Buttonbush Fine Art
I’m not a big fan of “fine art” photos but it does have its place in photography. I thought this Buttonbush was a great candidate.
Mexican Primrose Willow
One of the things I like about the Mexican Primrose Willow is that it’s very symmetrical. It has four yellow petals flanked by green sepals.
Texas Gayfeather
My trip to the LBJ Wildflower Center was a very productive wildflower photography trip. I photographed this Texas Gayfeather on that trip.
Apache Plume
Apache Plume gets its name from the pinkish feathery seed heads which appear after the flowers bloom in the summer.
Jimsonweed
This is Jimsonweed, a member of the Nightshade family. It is highly toxic to humans and animals. Flowers open from evening to early morning.
Swamp Rose-Mallow
I found this Swamp Rose-Mallow specimen with a nice grasshopper during a recent trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Eryngo Flower
I photographed this Eryngo flower last week at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I thought it important to show the plant detail.
Eryngo
I made a trip to the LBJ Wildflower Center last week to photograph an Eryngo plant that I found growing near the Center’s courtyard.
Fairchild Botanical Garden
I made a trip to Coral Gables, Florida last year to attend a friend’s wedding. We took some time to go to the Fairchild Botanical Garden.
Western Wild Petunia
I photographed this Western Wild Petunia using a new piece of equipment that I acquired called a bellows. It allows for higher magnification.
Heartleaf Hibiscus
I photographed this Heartleaf Hibiscus at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center while practicing my manual focus rail technique.
Wild Poinsettia
I mentioned that the summer heat has turned into tropical rain. I decided to photograph a Wild Poinsettia in a secluded area of the center.
Rock Rose
I captured this image of a Rock Rose using the focus stacking technique. I used a manual focus rail instead of using the focus ring.
Buffalo Bur and Spider
I spotted a budding Buffalo Bur plant growing while mowing last week. I went out earlier this week and photographed the plant outdoors.
Blackfoot Daisy
I photographed this Blackfoot Daisy at the LBJ Wildflower Center. As a member of the Aster family, it resembles many other Texas Wildflowers.
Silver Dwarf Morning-glory
This is an image of a Silver Dwarf Morning-glory bud. I was looking for subjects on my property and spotted this tiny plant.
Turk’s Cap
This is another image taken in my studio with my white box. This time I photographed a Turk’s Cap that was growing in between some hedges in the front yard.
Expired Rain Lily
I was mowing the lawn this week when I spotted a Rain Lily. I meant to photograph it while it was still in its full glory but I forgot and it was too late.
Multi-column Macro Panorama
I decided to take a Purple Headed Gomphrenas into my studio light box to photograph a high resolution multi-column macro panorama focus stack image.
Purple Headed Gomphrenas
I planted Purple Headed Gomphrenas in years past. They came up again on their own this year so I decided to photograph them before they wilt in the heat.
Another Prickly Pear Flower
This is another Prickly Pear flower taken during my trip to Big Bend earlier this year. I captured this photograph while hiking the Contrabando Trail.
Prickly Pear Flower
I captured this Prickly Pear flower at the Big Bend NP last spring. I like prickly pear plants because they are easy to spot and they have a lot of flowers.
Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus
This Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus image was taken during a hike on the Contrabando Trail at the Big Bend State Park during my visit to the area last spring.
Yellow Bells
We stopped alongside one of the park roads during last spring’s trip to Big Bend National Park where I captured this photograph of some Yellow Bells.
False Dayflower
The False Dayflower is one of my favorite flowers. I like it mostly because the petals and stamens together give the flower the appearance of having a face.
Daylily Flower
Daylilies are perennial plants, whose Daylily name insinuates that the Daylily flower typically does not last more than 24 hours. They do tend to wilt fast.
Calla Lily
It has been raining quite a bit and the ground is soggy so I decided to cut a Calla Lily and take it into my studio to do a detailed focus stack.
Texas Thistle
I captured this image of a Texas Thistle during my outing to the Pedernales Falls SP. A majestic plant with bright purple flowers is a magnet for insects.
Nyalas and Aloe
Two things that were very common at the Safari Lodge that I stayed at were Nyalas and Aloe plants. Nyalas came into the lodge compound frequently during my stay.
Centuries and Millennia
This photograph of the Chisos Mountain Range and the two Century Plants was taken at sunset on the western side of the Big Bend National Park.
Chisos Sunrise
We normally stop along Glen Springs Road to photograph the sunrise onto Nugent Mountain and the Chisos Mountain Range on our way out of Big Bend National Park.
Desert Plants
Desert plants like this Tree Cholla are not only beautiful but they have adapted to the environment and have been surviving and thriving for millennia.
Giant Spiderwort
I was photographing flowers when I spotted a tiny insect on a Giant Spiderwort. I thought it was a bee or a wasp but upon further research it was a flower fly.
Wildflower Meadow
One of the big advantages of going out to the LBJ Wildflower Center in Austin is to see the wildflower meadows in the springtime.
Cerro Castellan
Cerro Castellan (Castellan Mountain) is located near the Castolon Visitors Center (note the different spelling) on the scenic Ross Maxwell Drive in the Big Bend National Park.
Roadside Flowers
My maternal grandparents loved the LBJ family and, like Lady Bird Johnson, my grandmother loved wildflowers. She wrote a poem titled “Roadside Flowers”.
Texas Paintbrush
This photograph of a Texas Paintbrush is another one in the series that I captured while attending the Plant Identification course at the LBJ Wildflower Center.
Longhorn
I signed up for a Plant ID course at the LBJ Wildflower Center. I ran across this Double-banded Bycid hanging out on this Wild Carrot head during an outing.
Chihuahuan Desert
The Big Bend National Park is located in the Chihuahuan Desert. This desert is the second largest in North America, covering about 140,000 square miles.
Tree Cholla
I returned from my trip to Big Bend NP with hundreds of photos to process. In the meantime, I’ll share a Tree Cholla flower that we found along Highway 118.
Big Bend #4
We usually stop at the “Ocotillo Fields” near the park entrance to photograph the sunset on our first day at the Park. The official road is Texas Highway 118 and it’s named “Panther Junction Road”.
Wild Onion Blooms
You know it’s spring in Texas when you smell the Wild Onions. This is especially true if you are near a field that is being mowed, the aroma is amazing.
Red Poppies
Red Poppies are not native to Texas. I normally only photograph Texas Wildflowers but the scene was so nice that I decided it would make a good photograph.
Natural Paintbrush
Spring in Texas is the best time of year. Temperatures are pleasant and the wildflowers are in full bloom. Among the colorful flowers is the Texas Paintbrush.
Wide Macro
I purchased a Laowa 15mm Wide Angle Macro Lens last year to photograph wildflowers. I struggled to get decent results when I had an idea of how to improve.
Bitter and Blue
This image of a Bitterweed in the foreground and the Texas Bluebonnet in the background was taken at Pedernales Falls State Park near the Bird Blind.
Bluebonnet Time!
Spring is just around the corner which for us Texans means that it’s Texas Bluebonnet time! This year, we are seeing Bluebonnet blooms much earlier than usual.
Black and White
Next in the digital B&W series is an image I have titled “Black and White”. I did so because there are really only two colors, pure black and bright white.
Clematis
I planted a vine 9 years ago and each year the vine blooms with giant purple flowers. I never researched what I planted. It turns out it is a Clematis,
Fiddleleaf
The flower below, Havard’s fiddleleaf (Nama havardii) was one of the flowers that was new to my collection and is a rare plant as well.
Thorny
This thorny plant was pointed out to me by a friend during our trip to BBNP. We completed our sunrise shoot and turned our attention to flowering plants.
Ocotillo Sunset
This Ocotillo Sunset was taken in an “ocotillo field” that is located near the main entrance to the park on Highway 118 close to mile marker #21.
Sotol
The Sotol plant is very prominent throughout the Big Bend NP. It was during a trip to the park that I photographed the now dead and empty stalk.
Fall Colors
We normally associate fall colors with Maple, Oak, Cottonwood and Aspen trees but, we seldom associate desert plants with fall colors.
Gold Cobblestone
I was hiking the Lost Mine Trail in the Big Bend National Park the other day with some friends and I noticed this wonderful Gold Cobblestone Lichen.
Bamboo
Bamboo is an amazing plant. It’s not only the largest member of the grass family but it is also the fastest growing plant in the world.
Soft
I have discussed the importance of soft backgrounds on some of my posts. In photography, this is referred to sometimes as Bokeh.
Spot Sided
I was out in the front yard trying to find some material for my blog when I ran across this Spot Sided Coreid minding his own business.
Golden
This is another image of the same Western Honey Bee (also known as European Honey Bee) that was part of my “Western” post the other day. I titled this one “Golden”.
Western
I posted a Bee and Sunflower Tryptic made of images of flowers that are growing around the property and the Western Honey Bees harvesting the pollen.
Triptych
I decided to take a walk around the house to see if there was something interesting to shoot when I walked by a bunch of Sunflower Goldeneye flowers.
Sweat
I posted an image last week of Maximilian, a Maximilian Sunflower that was sporting a very nice creature. This is a different kind of creature. My best guess is that this is a Sweat Bee
Maximilian
Maximilian was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire. But that’s not the Maximilian I wanted to showcase. It’s the Maximilian Sunflower that is the subject of this post.
Feathers and Butterflies
Feathers and butterflies are not usually associated in the same way that bikes and flowers are as well. Texas Gayfeathers are know for attracting butterflies.
Bikes and Flowers
I was invited by a friend of mine to do an unusual combination of mountain biking and Texas Wildflower photography. Bikes and flowers don’t normally go together.
Rock-n-Rose
Well, it’s not really Rock-n-Rose but rather Rock Rose. This flower (Pavonia lasiopetala) is a native Texas Wildflower.
Quartet
There was a flower arrangement that was about to start wilting so I decided to take this quartet of purple mums into my light box and capture them for posterity.
Fruit Rollups
The Spiny Hedge Hog is found throughout Texas. I found this specimen during my trip to Big Bend earlier this year. The stigma looks like fruit rollups.
Prickly Baby
I was hiking In Big Bend when I ran across this Engelmann’s Prickly Pear Cactus on the way to see Cattail Falls. I was fond of this little prickly baby bud.
Mexican Hat
On of my favorite Texas Wildflowers is the Mexican Hat. Not only do I think that the name is cool but so is the flower.
Soapy Asparagus
I’m sure the title “Soapy Asparagus” conjures up terrible childhood memories. The combination of soap and asparagus is not something any of us care to think about. But, those words are not what they seem.
Buffalo Cactus
During my recent trip to Buffalo I was able to visit the Buffalo Botanical Gardens in addition to visiting the Basilica. My favorite part of the tour was the cactus exhibit. I named this one Buffalo Cactus.
Big Bend NP Sunset
I made a trip to Big Bend NP in April of 2015. It was a great time for Texas Wildflower photography and for a great Big Bend NP Sunset.
Indian Blanket
Indian Blanket is one of my favorite Texas Wildflowers. It grows in the late spring and early summer and is one of the more colorful wildflowers in this area.
Very Prickly
While doing some editing I ran across this Engelmann’s Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii) and I thought this very prickly image would make a good post.
Rain Lily
I spotted this Rain Lily (Cooperia pedunculata) back in May growing in the wild area of my property. I was about to have knee surgery so I could not kneel down to shoot it.
Water Droplet on a Purple Mum
I was experimenting with my white box and my 5x macro lens earlier this year. I was also trying to improve my focus stacking technique with high-magnification subjects.
Spider, Spider on the Flower!
I began taking Texas Wildflower photographs early in 2015 after a discussion with some of my photography friends. At first I did not think that I would be interested in “taking pictures of flowers”, but, it was fun and intriguing.
Rock Rose Pollen and Seeds
Another macro photography example. This one is of pollen and seeds from a Rock Rose, a native plant of Texas. I was actually trying to do another focus stack but the flower kept wilting.
Crab Spider on Purple Horsemint
I was in my photography studio taking pictures of a Purple Horsemint for my Texas Wildflower collection when I spotted this tiny crab spider.