Day 63: Tiny Bluet

 Backyard Nature, Native Plants, Natural History, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Mar 042014
 

On a raw gray day, with the temperature hovering in the mid-40s, I compelled myself to seek out more signs of spring’s eventual arrival.  I spent perhaps fifteen minutes endeavoring to photograph a tiny bluet (Houstonia pusilla), a native wildflower so minute (a few millimeters across, on a stem a couple of centimeters high) that it is a challenge to capture even with a macro lens.  The result, though, is worth the effort:  a photograph with a vibrant splash of violet color, in the midst of a dark and drab late-winter afternoon.

Tiny Bluet

Day 62: Mementos of Autumn

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Mar 032014
 

The weather took a turn for the cold and damp today.  Although the rain had ended hours before, the gray sky lingered into the middle afternoon.  I set out down Piney Woods Church Road with hopes of new reflection photos, but a cold wind stirred what water there was (the largest drainage ditch was completely dry).  It no longer felt like spring was near — there was a raw edge to the air that reminded me of winter, or possibly even late fall.  So I took refuge instead in mementos of last autumn — a pair of acorn caps left behind on a branch after the acorns had dropped away.

365Project

Day 60: First Web

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Mar 012014
 

I turned the corner onto Piney Woods Church Road this afternoon to be greeted by the first orb web I have seen this season.  The minute spider was resting near the center of her construction.  There were some imperfections in the web’s symmetry; but then again, the young spider, like this photographer, is a novice at her craft.

First Web

Day 59: On the Fence

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Feb 282014
 

For weeks I have been trying to photograph robins along Piney Woods Church Road, since they seem to be abundant there this time of year.  I picture the American robin as the ultimate suburban bird, equivalent to the urban street pigeon.  So while they seem to be everywhere, it has also been difficult to photograph them in a way that does not leave them looking nondescript and, well, uninteresting.  Finally, this image of a robin on a wooden fence works for me.  Perhaps it is because this particular robin seems to be taking an interest in the photographer, in turn.

On the Fence

Day 58: Equal Areas

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Feb 272014
 

After a marvelous day-long composition workshop with Kathryn Kolb last weekend, I have been thinking a great deal about geometry and nature.  I have begun exploring the diverse colors and forms all around me on my Piney Woods Church Road walk.  Water oak leaves in winter, with their vibrant splotches of green, orange, red, and brown, make fascinating subjects for the camera lens.  Until today, I have always concentrated on entire leaves and clusters of leaves.  This time, I zoomed the lens a bit further;  The result is this image.

Equal Areas

Day 56: Three Leaves

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Feb 252014
 

Three red greenbrier leaves stand out vibrantly against the forest background on Piney Woods Church Road.   After a cloudy spell, the late-day sun shone magnificently through the trees.  Much though I eagerly embrace the spring, there is much beauty to the bare branches and lingering leaves of these late winter days.

Three Leaves

 

Day 54: New Growth

 Backyard Nature, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Feb 232014
 

Spring is underway along Piney Woods Church Road.  Late this afternoon, after taking many more photographs of the daffodils, I noticed that several of the shrubs along the roadside are coming into leaf.  Winter has not yet relinquished its hold; by mid-week, temperatures are supposed to reach highs in the 40s and lower 50s and lows into the 20s.  I worry about all of the spring growth — will it be able to endure the return to colder days?

New Growth

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