Day 116: Moment in the Sunlight

 Backyard Nature, Golden Hour, Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  2 Responses »
Apr 262014
 

Without intention to do so, I found myself yet again this morning photographing the play of morning sunlight and green leaves.  There is so much possibility here, in the ways the early morning and late-day sun illuminate, for a brief moment, a particular leaf or plant.  The light calls to me — there is so much to wonder at that I had never noticed before.  In this particular moment captured in this image, a misshapen hickory (mockernut?) leaf catches the sunlight and becomes a form of beauty and delight.

Moment

Day 114: The Edge of Morning

 Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 242014
 

Early this morning I set out down Piney Woods Church Road.  Again and again, I was drawn to the play of shadow and light among the leaves of roadside shrubs and trees.  In this image, the saw-toothed edge of a hickory leaf (mockernut, I think) stands out sharply against the surrounding darkness, like the first burst of sunrise a couple of hours before.

The Edge of Morning

 

Day 112: Moments of Grace

 Golden Hour, Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 222014
 

I set out down Piney Woods Church Road this morning still carrying the heavy burden of the recent news of a much-loved local store’s plans to close in May.  Although clouds and storms are expected this afternoon, the morning sky was mostly clear and the sun angling its light through the trees.  Again I was drawn to explore the possibilities of the morning light, this time bathing tulip poplar leaves.  I think it would be fitting to refer to these moments of wonder that I find with my camera lens as moments of grace.  I am gratefull that a digital camera enables me to share these moments with others.

Moments of Grace

 

The Wind After the Rain

 Backyard Nature, Native Plants, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 192014
 

A moderate breeze was blowing through the tulip poplar saplings on the morning after a long rainfall.  I took this picture while the leaves swayed in the wind, water droplets clinging to their stems and upper surfaces.  As proof that yesterday’s rain was quite intense, I include the bottom photograph:  evidence that it did, in fact, rain dogwoods and catkins.

1-DSC09157-001

1-DSC09182

Day 107: A Fallen Star

 Backyard Nature, Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 172014
 

Today’s featured photograph is another image in a category that has become a series now, roadbed still lifes.  I turned the corner from Rico Road onto Piney Woods Church Road, and was immediately captivated by this fallen sweetgum leaf, in a found composition with a catkin (probably oak).  The title of this image refers to the star-shaped leaves of the sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua).

A Fallen Star

Day 105: Wild Strawberry

 Backyard Nature, Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 152014
 

On a raw, rainy, windy morning I set out down Piney Woods Church Road looking for new images, new windows into wonder.  I battled the wind for most of my journey; I would frame a photograph of a flower or leaf, only to have it start to sway in a suddenly-renewed gust.  Ultimately, my favorite three pictures from the journey (this one and two in a subsequent post) were successful because they were relatively unaffected by the wind.  This wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) was blooming in a ditch near Rico Road, sheltered from the elements.  I glimpsed it from above, as I was peering down into the ditch, and I was immediately drawn to take its picture.  I cannot wait to search here for strawberries, later in the season.  I can almost taste them on my tongue as I type these words.

Wild Strawberry

Day 104: Rain Falling on Sweetgum

 Backyard Nature, Geometry and Nature, Native Plants, Piney Woods Church Road 365 Project, Sense of Place  2 Responses »
Apr 142014
 

Not long after I set out for Piney Woods Church Road, the rains began.  I was ill-equipped for a deluge, having left my camera bag at home (trusting too much in Doppler radar maps which showed precipitation still an hour away).  I quickly focused my attention on certain shots — mostly particular wildflowers I noticed in bloom.  Fortunately, the rainfall remained fairly gentle, though it didn’t prevent me from getting fairly soaked.  Toward the end of my walk, my camera still functioning and my body rather drenched, I eased up a bit and began letting images find me.  This is one of the products of that last part of my walk.  Droplets cover a new sweetgum leaf that hangs like a curtain in front of the road I have just walked.

Rain on Sweetgum

Welcoming the Morning Light

 Backyard Nature, Native Plants, Sense of Place  No Responses »
Apr 132014
 

On an early morning saunter down Piney Woods Church Road (rather unusual for me; I tend to frequent the sunset hours far more often), I paused to photograph the newly-opened leaves of a common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).  I am discovering that if a plant is classified as common, it is often overlooked and under-appreciated.

Persimmon

 Older Entries  Newer Entries