Circuit of The Americas Tower

The tower at the Circuit Of The Americas track in Austin, Texas stands 251 feet above the race track.  I didn’t go up the tower but it was pretty impressive to look at from the ground.

Weekly Photo Challenge: The Golden Hour

It’s Lonely At The Top

This lonely tree grows on a rock outcropping in the Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone.  I photographed it one cloudy morning but the result was even, flat lighting, leaving the photo without much of a sense of perspective.  The next day I was lucky enough to return at just the right time.  The cliff face and tree were bathed in the warm, direct morning sunlight but the opposing canyon wall and the foreground elements were still in shadow.  As a result, the subject is literally highlighted.

Cluster of Roses

This group of roses was one of those small scenes I just couldn’t resist photographing.  The composition probably breaks all the rules but I like it just the way it is.  To me the three roses in the background on the left seem balanced by the larger, fully blooming rose in the foreground and the opening bud in the upper right.

The dark green leaves of the rose bush are riddled with insect damage.  Some photographers might be temped to “repair” them during processing but I like the imperfection of the scene.  It reminds me that, upon close inspection, even the beautiful things in life are not perfect.

Gray Squirrel 2

This gray squirrel came by to get in on the action as birds were dropping seeds from my backyard feeder.

Three Amigos

These painted turtles remind me of three friends posing for a portrait.  They were basking in the sun, soaking up some solar energy in the Great Dismal Swamp when I took this photo.

Painted Turtle 1

This painted turtle was sunning itself on a cool spring day which probably allowed me to get closer than I otherwise might have.  There were a few other turtles nearby but I like the coloration of this one.

Curious Horned Grebe

I spotted this Horned Grebe swimming in one of the canals at The Great Dismal Swamp.  It didn’t seem to mind me watching it at all.  It just swam around, in and out of the shadows and would occasionally dive under water.  I was able to get quite a few photos of it but this is one of my favorites.

Female Cardinal on Feeder

This female cardinal enjoys the sunflower seeds at my backyard bird feeder.  I was out taking photos and the feeder was in full sun when I snapped this photo.

Seed Pod

I can’t identify the plant which produced this seed pod but I can confidently say it wasn’t a dandelion.  It was low, leggy bush with dried up leaves when I took this photo in November.  Regardless of my ignorance, I thought the plant’s seed pod was worthy of a close up photo.

Forest Still Life

During a hike I noticed this piece of bark resting on stones by the side of the trail.  I was initially intrigued by the texture and patterns in the bark itself.  My first thought was to get a close up of the texture but when I noticed the bark was sitting between two shadows I thought it made for an interesting forest still life.