Wide-angle view of the ornate interior of Teatro José de Alencar in Fortaleza, Brazil, with rows of cane chairs, sweeping iron balconies, and a painted ceiling converging in perfect symmetry toward the proscenium arch stage.

Guided by the Frame: Compositional Tools in Fortaleza

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Lens-Artists Challenge #401: Focus on the Subject with These Essential Tips A photograph is more than the sum of its subject. The best images are built and constructed with intention before the shutter is ever pressed. As my followers are … Read More

Scrapbook-style collage of four nature photographs set at slight angles with white borders and soft shadows: three Brown Pelicans on a beach, three Great Blue Herons atop a coastal shrub, three Blue Curls flower clusters, and three orange beetles on a pink thistle.

If Two Is Company, Is Three Perfection?

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Lens-Artists Challenge #400: Rule of Three When this post goes live, I’ll be spending time with family and friends in Brazil.Any comments you make are appreciated, and I’ll respond to them in due time. Photography has so many rules that … Read More

A Greater Roadrunner stands tall and alert in a sun-drenched meadow of Indian Blanket wildflowers, gazing skyward with a composed, slightly regal expression. Soft golden light and a painterly blur of red and gold blooms surround the bird. Likely the female.

Love Dance

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I was out walking and photographing wildflowers at Southwest Williamson County Regional Park when a movement in the grass caught my eye. A Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) — not an unusual sight on the Texas trails I frequent — but … Read More

Side profile of a Crested Caracara walking through a green field, showing its hooked bill with an orange base and pale blue-gray tip, black crest, pale barred neck and breast, dark brown wings and long tail, and bright yellow legs.

Carcará in Texas: Meeting the Crested Caracara

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During a recent walk at Berry Springs Park & Preserve in Georgetown, Texas, one of my friends pointed out this Crested Caracara in a distant field. That was a lifer for me. I had heard about this bird of prey … Read More

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) perched on a bare branch against a pale sky, showing rufous wing and tail feathers, buffy underparts, and raised crest — National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas.

A Flash of Yellow in the Canopy

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“It’s not what you look at that matters,it’s what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau Spring migration through South Texas brings surprises, and this Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) was one of the first birds to greet me during my … Read More

A thin waterfall spills down a moss- and lichen-covered limestone cliff into the cypress-lined pool at Krause Springs on a calm winter afternoon.

A Hush in the Hill Country: Krause Springs in Winter

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Considered by many to be the best swimming hole in Texas, Krause Springs sits in Spicewood, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Austin. Thirty-two springs feed its pools and waterfalls, all held inside a 115-acre (about 47-hectare) property listed … Read More

A Pearl Crescent butterfly clings to a slender green grass blade with wings folded together, revealing the warm orange and black-veined underside lit by late-afternoon sun along Katy Crossing trail at San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, Texas.

Pearls in the Prairie

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Some treasures travel light. Along the Katy Crossing trail at San Gabriel Park, the Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) carries its namesake quietly — a small, milk-pale crescent tucked beneath the hindwing, visible only when the butterfly closes its sail. Late … Read More

A wild bobcat, Lynx rufus, crouches low among rocks and green vegetation along Brushy Creek Trail East in Round Rock, Texas. The image has a textured, painterly quality revealing the animal's spotted tawny coat as it moves cautiously along the limestone ground.

The Bobcat Who Stayed

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Some mornings on the creek, the water tells you everything. The clarity, the flow, the temperature — data points that paint a picture of a living system. But on this particular morning at Brushy Creek Trail East, just below the … Read More

Soft, impressionistic reflection of bare trees and a wooden footbridge mirrored on the calm green-blue surface of the San Gabriel River, with grasses along the bank.

The River’s Quiet Garden

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Although I enjoy biking at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas, lately I’ve spent more time walking one particular trail there — Katy Crossing. It’s a beloved route for mountain bikers, but what keeps drawing me back, besides the riding, … Read More

Close-up of a male Red-Winged Blackbird perched beside a green wire suet feeder at Garey Park in Georgetown, Texas, his glossy black body filling the frame and a flash of red and yellow showing on his folded shoulder.

Wings of Fire: A Red-Winged Blackbird in Full Display

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Since I first spotted a Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) many years ago, I have always wanted to see one with its wings thrown wide — shoulders flared, the scarlet epaulets blazing in the sun. It was not until last month, … Read More

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