The Bluebonnets of Texas

Historian Jack Maguire once wrote about the bluebonnets of Texas that “the bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland.” But did you know that Texas actually has SIX DIFFERENT SPECIES of native bluebonnets?…
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Fall Foliage in McKittrick Canyon

The fall foliage in McKittrick Canyon makes a great subject for nature photography. Now that it’s actually cooler than 90 degrees here in central Texas, I can finally wrap my mind around photographing Texas in autumn. Below, you’ll find some info about one of my favorite autumn destinations.…
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Best Nature Destinations near El Paso

I’ve been working steady getting images ready for the book that Mary and I are doing for Texas A&M University Press. It’s tentatively titled “Explore Texas — A Nature Travel Guide” and will be out in spring 2016. I thought I’d share some of the best nature destinations near El Paso that we’ve featured in the book.…
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Go Native! ~ Texas Native Plant Week

October 19-25 is Texas Native Plant week 2014. This got me thinking about Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) in particular. Why those two species? Just last week I returned from leading a photo tour in the Brazilian Pantanal–—a wonderful wildlife experience that I will write about some more another time—–and both species were plentiful there.…
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Wildflower Photography Tips

It was 26 degrees here at Red Belly this morning. Cold for us, but for many of you I suspect that would be considered warm! After months of really nippy temps here, I see signs of spring “springing” and the beginning of great wildflower photography opportunities.…
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Texas Wildflower Photo Workshop Report ~ 2013

The sold out 2013 Wildflower Photo Workshop was held on March 30. Topics included lighting techniques (as demonstrated by the above image courtesy of participant Allan Wyatt), depth of field, dealing with midday light and a bonus painting with light demonstration.…
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