Just Some Photos I Wanted To Share

	OK, so this started out as a gallery for the wildflower photos I took over 3 seperate trips to the west of Austin this spring. I missed the Cactus blooms last year and since they are my favorite I wanted to make sure I got to shoot them this year. But the photo selections started to get a little Cacti bloom heavy, so I added a few other flower photos taken over the previous years but that have never made it into a gallery on this site. Then I found myself tossing in a few shots of insects and the lizards and such. Eventually I decided to toss in other photos that don't really fit into any single gallery but that I like. But I will say that if you follow me on Facebook you may have seen some of these photos in the past, as a few have been posted there.
	The original gallery was going to be something about how everyone makes a big deal about the bluebonnets but I'm of the opinion that a few weeks later, when the hillcountry is blanketed in the yellow and red flowers, and the cacti are in full bloom, it's often even more beautiful. With the exception of 3 photos, the first 7 rows were taken mostly in 2 spots within a 1/4 mile of each other. And the remainder where taken traveling to or from that spot. The location is about 20 miles East of Willow City. The rest of flowers and critters where mostly taken at the Zilker Botanical Gardens, on the Green Belt, or in a few other natural areas in Austin. After that it's mostly shots around Austin.
	I typically try to post process my photos to look natural, but there are a few in here where I played around with some heavy adjusting. Ther are also some HDR composites in the mix. I've still got a lot to learn about photography and post processing, but I feel that first I need to be able to reproduce what my eyes saw before I start using that as a basis for creating a more fictional image. Eventually I'll take some classes, but I want to have an idea of what my own style is before I do that. I want to learn to make MY photos better, instead of learning to take photos like someone else. I hope you enjoy some of these.

A windmill near Willow City Same windmill, different day Windmill and thistle Windmill in a field of yellow flowers Windmill with cactus blumes A different windmill and some more cacti Cacti in bloom Cacti in bloom Cactus blossom Another cactus blossom This one was up on top of Enchanted Rock. Cactus Bloom Another cactus blossom Some cactus blooms and a bee Bees really like cactus Close up of a bee inside a cactus bloom Some fields of mostly yellow Some fields of mostly yellow Some fields of mostly yellow Some fields of mostly yellow Some fields of mostly yellow A close up of what i belive to be Bitterweed Butterflies seem to like the Bitterweed Butterfly Bees like it too Bee and Bitterweed A butterfly on a thistle flower Same shot, just cropped in a bunch. Side shot of a Thistle Thistle just before it blooms, I think. And of course Bluebonnets And of course Bluebonnets And of course Bluebonnets And of course Bluebonnets And of course Bluebonnets I don't know what this one is but they are tiny and pretty Red White and Blue, like the TEXAS flag A lady type bug in a wet rose Butterfly in disguise with it's wings closed Same butterfly, but now it's wings are open and letting the sun shine through Now we move on to dragonflys One of my favorite photos No dragon fly, but still a nice waterlilly Ah, another dragonfly A rose captured drop of water A waterlilly with water on the inside And now a single drop of water on a rose leaf Here we have LOTS of drops of water Of late i've become fascinated by high speed photos of turbulant water (Expect more of this in the future) A tranquil part of Barton Creek after the flood waters calm down A less tranquil part of the creek but still somewhat peaceful. Ah, much calmer now One of my first HDR composites Enough water, here is some interesting fungus. And a lizard disguised as a snake. Straight up lizard. This was on my old porch Peacock at Mayfield park Enough nature. This is in the State Cemetary. Austin from the water just east of the 1st street bridge (fall of 2015 I think) Downtown just after a storm (2014 maybe?) I like this shot of downtown from the walk bridge. It was a long exposure which made the train on the other bridge a long transperant grey stripe. This is gone now. It was the Milagro Chip factory. This shot looks great printed on metalic paper. My friends shadow on a graffiti wall Wet sand drizzled on my nephews back Dancing the night away! This is a really old photo, like 2004 or 2005, in Washington DC. I like how water on the gooses beak looks in this shot I think she's supposed to be standing up but I think it still makes a good silhouette shot. Sun light making the paddles glow.