Tuesday
Jun222010
Piney Woods and Bumping the Edges
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 06:49PM
On my way back from my dad's house today, my camera was burning a hole in my car, to abuse an old expression. (There was no actual fire involved, thank goodness.) I'd passed a hundred different scenes I longed to photograph on the drive out there, but when you're going 70 miles per hour, by the time you've spotted something to capture, you're already too far past it. Plus, stopping on the side of those back roads is not advisable or possible with such non-existent shoulders.
So I promised myself that, on my return drive, I would stop somewhere and take some photos. I chose Mission Tejas State Park because of its incredible tall pine trees, perfect examples of the Piney Woods region that covers most of eastern Texas. (The phrase "piney woods" puts me straight back into elementary and middle school, when we learned all about the varied ecoregions of my enormous home state. I need to brush up on that info; it's been a while.)
I parked my car and walked out along the path. It was so quiet-but-loud -- no road noise, no airplanes overhead, no air conditioners whirring outside, but the sounds of wildlife cascaded over me as I stood still. I heard at least three different bird calls, insects chirping and clicking, the trees swaying in the wind.
It is astonishing how quickly nature can ease my spirit. I wanted to pitch a tent right there and spend three days just lying under the trees, watching the sky and listening.
Relaxing was easy, but capturing the towering stature of the trees was more difficult. Six months into my first year with a digital camera, I find myself bumping up against the edges of my skill more and more often these days. It's satisfying and frustrating at once. Rather than take a class, which I'd love to do sometime, I'm learning the hard way: raw experience, repetition, and by watching how other photographers work in their craft. Is this what they call experiential learning?
So I promised myself that, on my return drive, I would stop somewhere and take some photos. I chose Mission Tejas State Park because of its incredible tall pine trees, perfect examples of the Piney Woods region that covers most of eastern Texas. (The phrase "piney woods" puts me straight back into elementary and middle school, when we learned all about the varied ecoregions of my enormous home state. I need to brush up on that info; it's been a while.)
I parked my car and walked out along the path. It was so quiet-but-loud -- no road noise, no airplanes overhead, no air conditioners whirring outside, but the sounds of wildlife cascaded over me as I stood still. I heard at least three different bird calls, insects chirping and clicking, the trees swaying in the wind.
It is astonishing how quickly nature can ease my spirit. I wanted to pitch a tent right there and spend three days just lying under the trees, watching the sky and listening.
Relaxing was easy, but capturing the towering stature of the trees was more difficult. Six months into my first year with a digital camera, I find myself bumping up against the edges of my skill more and more often these days. It's satisfying and frustrating at once. Rather than take a class, which I'd love to do sometime, I'm learning the hard way: raw experience, repetition, and by watching how other photographers work in their craft. Is this what they call experiential learning?
Reader Comments