Texas Hill Country Photography

When all the family gets together for the holidays it is a perfect opportunity to take those multi-generation photos of your loved ones. Plan ahead if possible to wear clothing with similar colors without distracting designs. Choose a location with a simple background and fill the lens with the subjects. Remember it is the faces that you will want to see–not the feet, etc.

This trip was a first for us because as teachers we never got to vacation in the fall. The colors were near peak as we got into West Virginia and Pennsylvania and peaked while we were there. The mountainsides were amazing with all the red, yellow, gold, and orange foliage. There were a number of days that were overcast and rainy as you can tell from some of the skies in the photos. However, for the most part I attempted to eliminate the sky or keep it to a minimum in the composition. Another tip for getting pictures in difficult weather conditions is to take more close-ups instead of large expanses of the landscape.

The gristmill photo was taken at Babcock State Park where it is supposedly the most photographed spot in West Virginia. Apparently, that is true because I lined up along the stream with six other photographers there to take photos. Without any preplanning we were lucky to arrive at the best time of the day for a good exposure from the morning sun.

I restrained from photographing any of the Amish people where they could be recognized but the working of horses was particularly impressive and I just couldn’t resist a few shots of the action. The farm land, barns, crops (pumpkins in the fields) and mums made for a beautiful fall landscape.

I hope you enjoy viewing the West Virginia and Pennsylvania photos as much as I did taking them. Check the gallery for more of the pictures.

I have posted my first two free downloads under my downloads section. I hope you enjoy them; happy downloading.

The Texas Association of Bass Club’s (TABC) state championship tournament held on Stillhouse Hollow Lake and Lake Belton on September 10-11 provided a different format for my photography. As my husband Bobby launched the boat on Saturday morning, I hurriedly got my camera ready to get a picture of the sunrise that was unfolding. What a beautiful beginning to the weekend!

Looking for fishermen who were actually “catching” was a challenge. Also, photographing with the hazy conditions and using full zoom increased the difficulty of actually getting a good shot with the rocking action of the boat. It was fun getting an overview of how everyone was progressing in the tournament and then to see the teams as they arrived for weigh-in at the Bell County Convention Center each day.

The tournament is an annual event and was sponsored this year by the Belton Chamber of Commerce, Marine Outlet and Legend Boats, Tempest Rods, Waypoint Marine, and Travis Boating Center.

Most of my coastal photography consists of the many species of birds found there. Usually, my husband takes me out in the bay boat so I can either catch an exceptional sunrise or look for wildlife in the bays. This hot August trip seemed to be a little void of wildlife or scenic wonders—just overwhelming heat and humidity. The one exception of “wildlife” was my dachshund, Lyndi Lu, who literally attacked the trout and flounder as they were brought into the boat.

She actually ended up with her entire body in the net and got totally covered with fish slime and scales. Many porpoise surfaced near the boat and she really got into her protective mode by growling and barking. It seems she was successful because not a one of them actually got in the boat—-ha! There are numerous pictures of her but somehow I don’t think those will do much for my collection of photos. However, one sight was spectacular and that was watching a gigantic piece of oil field equipment being moved down the ship channel by numerous tugs.

With any luck I hoped to add a little variety to my portfolio while we were in the Port Aransas area. After crossing the ferry into Port A, I photographed scenes such as the red snapper catch and the Deep Sea Headquarters. It was with some difficulty that we passed up all the new stores (no shopping this trip) and headed out to the beach. As we drove down the beach we became aware of how much the dune structure had changed over the last several years. They are no longer barren but are covered with vegetation which is a sign of a successful program to prevent dune erosion. But, that does not make for the stereotypical picture with picturesque sandy dunes facing the incoming gulf waves. There were a few people on the beach which was good because they added a little life to some of the pictures that I did take.

Pictures without living creatures remind me of how my uninhabited Dept. 56 Christmas village looked in it’s beginning. I suddenly realized my village looked as if a plague had wiped out the entire population—not making for a Happy Holiday appearance at all!

Frame your picture with trees, structures, etc. It gives depth and perspective.

When taking photo of an animal, bird, or person be sure the subject is looking into the picture from their position on the thirds (rule of thirds tip). The subject should appear to be looking into the scene, not about to exit the photo. This keeps the viewer focused on the picture and does not lead them out of it.

Summertime has been fun filled with our four grandsons. I think we look forward to keeping them as much as they look forward to staying with us. My pantry was stocked with foods that satisfy the wants of boys between the ages of two and six at the beginning of May. Okay, so the list goes like this: mac and cheese; chicken nuggets; juice; hot dogs; yogurt; and a huge box of Fruit Loops.

The first set of boys, Max and Wes, came with their mother to help with my booth at Gruene Market Days the third weekend of May. After having a successful show, the boys stayed a week with us. We entertained them non stop and kept them hyped up on all the junk food. In June, we (parents, grandsons, grandparents, two dogs, and one cat) all went to spend the week at the houseboat in Aransas Pass. Loads of fun was had boating, swimming, fishing and shopping. No need for food preparation with the usual stash of ready to eat foods. I even found a few photo opportunities while we out and about.

In July, I had record setting sales at the the Rockport Art Festival which made the heat and humidity more tolerable. Recovery time was short since I was to go baby sit Max and Wes in Richardson, TX for a couple of days before we all returned back to San Marcos for the week. So much for nutritious food when there has been no time to grocery shop. Thank goodness for that grandkid food we stockpiled at the beginning of summer.

After celebrating Wes’s fourth birthday in August at Six Flags we returned home with our other two grandsons, Cameron and Clayton. They were to stay with us for only three days so we had to play fast and furious. We went boating, kayaking, fishing, made crafts, and went to the movies. On the final morning with us, I emptied the last of the Fruit Loop box for the boy’s breakfast. I asked my husband, husband, Bobby, if he knew what that meant. He thought it meant he had to go put it in the trash. However, it meant the end of summer for Gram and Papa because that was the last meal we would have with any of the boys before they went back to school and preschool. As soon as they left for home we packed up and went to the Salado Art Fair where I had another good show.

Now, I hope to get caught up (is that ever possible) and have time to take a few more pictures.

Probably one of the most basic tips concerning composition of a photo is the use of thirds. Think of the scene you are viewing through your camera as being placed on a tic-tac-toe board. The most important portion of the picture should be where two of the lines intersect. For example, if the horizon falls in the center of the picture the viewer’s eye is in conflict because it doesn’t know whether to look at the sky or the ground. The photo is more interesting when people, objects, etc. are placed using the principle as well.

Bobby, my husband, drives me around for photo shoots and now understands why I never centered things when he was helping me hang decorations or pictures on the wall. The same principle of using thirds applies in all forms of art.

This summer I was thrilled to have my first published images. Four of my cardinal photos were selected to appear in the Summer 2005 issue of Texas Hill Country Magazine.

The magazine is a relatively new publication that features items of interest from the Central Texas area. Distribution will be at these stores: HEB, Walmart, Walgreen’s, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings and Super S. (All stores may not currently stock it but will eventually.)

The Fall 2005 issue will appear in newsstands by mid September.