There is something about watching the sun set and then getting up and watching it rise the next morning on the opposite horizon that is a bit surreal to me. Maybe it is the feeling of being so small in a giant mechanism and watching the large scale workings occur from my powerless position. Maybe… Read More Desert Sunrise
On Saturday I did a little hiking on the Mule Ears trail in Big Bend National Park. I had never been on this trail before, but it seemed interesting. It is basically a hilly hike through the desert in the general vicinity of the Mule Ears, which is a jagged cliff that I suppose looks… Read More Mule Ears and Sunset
In Big Bend National Park there is a feature called The Window, which is an opening in the mountains surrounding Chisos Basin. The Window is on the west side of the basin so it is an interesting place for a sunset. There is also a hiking trail that takes you down to The Window if… Read More Big Bend: The Window (both sides)
In the autumn Texans look with envy upon the New England and Rocky Mountain states with their beautiful fall foliage, but in spring we get even with wildflower season. Wildflower season is in full swing in Texas right now and I took a few photos of bluebonnets while my daughter and I were out in… Read More Bluebonnets of Big Bend
I have been wanting to practice shooting in the fog. The fog obstructs your visibility and mutes the colors, but it also allows you to conceal the background and simplify your composition. It can also give a dreamy look to photos. Early on Saturday morning the forecast called for thick fog and I had this… Read More Austin Fog
Closed Canyon Closed Canyon is a short trail that lies right off the main road. There is a parking lot from which you can quickly hike down to the stream bed and walk to the canyon’s entrance. The canyon cuts through the mesa to the Rio Grande, but you can’t hike all the way down… Read More Big Bend Ranch State Park – Canyons and Sunset
After Big Bend National Park, we went to check out Big Bend Ranch State Park. I had never been to this state park and I was eager to see this scenic area of the border. After stopping at the park visitor center, we headed down FM170 also known as the Texas Mountain Trail. Our first… Read More Big Bend Ranch State Park – Hoodoos
On the way back from Santa Elena canyon, I took the scenic route which is called Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. I knew that there were a few overlooks along this road that would be good for some pictures. In the image below, the yellow highlighted route shows the more scenic highway through the park that… Read More Big Bend – Desert Mountains
Saturday morning well before dawn, the workshop group was off to Santa Elena Canyon in the dark to get there in time for sunrise photos. To get there we took the Old Maverick Road from the west entrance gate. This is yet another rough unpaved and dusty road which I didn’t enjoy driving in the… Read More Big Bend – Santa Elena Canyon Sunrise
Ernst Tinaja After the Rio Grande overlook, our next location was Ernst Tinaja. Tinaja meaning a pocket in the rock formed by water; I don’t know who Ernst was. To get to the the parking area for this little hike we had to drive part of the way up the Old Ore Road, which might… Read More Big Bend – Ernst Tinaja and the Boquilla Overlook
