This will be a quick post with more to come later in the week. After record rains in central Texas this past Wednesday I went back to the same tree to get an update. As you can see, the water is now rushing past and is more full than at my last visit. During my last visit the Blanco River was said to be at 6 feet. I would guess after looking at the dam that it is now around 8 feet. The weather report Thursday morning immediately after the rains reported the depth at 35 feet. I went by that afternoon and you could not access the park. It's been feast or famine in central Texas when it comes to rain. Even now, they are 

This was taken just one week after the last photo I posted here. The area received anywhere between 5-11" of rain over a 3 to 4 day period. Even with all of the rain, the LCRA is reporting that our reservoirs went only from 33% capacity to 34% capacity. That will tell you just how bad it has been. 
Below you can see that there was enough water to actually make the falls flow again. If you are in the area I would suggest going out and taking a look. I've always loved this place, it's just got a nice sense of piece to it

This was one of the first images that I found with success with. On the strength of this image I was able to become the artist of the month in the South Austin Barnes and Noble. This image was taken on 12/30/2007, right as central Texas was beginning to enter what has become a major drought. Most of Texas is what is considered to be a sever drought or worse. In central Texas, lakes like Lake Travis, which acts as a reservoir are only 32% full now. This past weekend, I went looking for this same tree and below you can see what it looks like today, It was quite a shock to see. This is part of the park surrounding Five Mile dam on the Blanco river in Hays county. Almost all of the river bed in the park is completely dry now and is in fact covered with grasses and even shrubs.
 I know I don't usually post in color but I thought it served this tree well originally and now to show the stark contrast.

When my wife and I first moved to Hays county we heard about this place and saw a full and flowing river. This was taken from the dam looking upstream. Vegetation has started to take over what was once a popular swimming hole. Below you can see a close up of a part of the river bed that has not been able to support even the weeds that try to grow here.

Finally, here I found a log that has left a trail in the dried out bed of the Blanco. I found it this way so I am not sure if this was carried away before the water completely evaporated or if some industrious individuals were trying to drag it to the nearest water, which is just out of frame. 

As always, I hope you enjoyed these images. I would love to hear any and all feedback you might have.
Cheers
Marc

These were taken on a day trip to Wimberly TX. I had been through the downtown area before but didn't have my camera and had always wanted to make it back to get photographs of the creek. So, I took a day off and made it happen (on the way to Beorne and then the San Antonio Zoo.) 
I knew I wanted to do something different but still somewhat in the classical landscape direction so I decided on using a portrait orientation and went for a limited depth of field.
Between the first and second pictures posted here, you can see what a difference a small change in perspective can make in a picture. Always be on the lookout for how moving just a little bit can change your perspective enough to take a photograph from a snapshot to something you are truly proud of.
It really is a beautiful and peaceful place. I highly recommend heading that way if you ever get the chance. There are many local stores that sell fine art and hand crafted goods and it's a beautiful drive into the beginning of the Texas hill country.

As always, I hope you enjoy the photography and if you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

This was a moment I walked in on that just filled my heart with joy. The cat in the window is Brooklyn, a cat that we rescued just about two years ago. He is open to the world, filled with love, and can't wait to turn you into a new friend as soon as he meets you. 

I am fascinated by the idea of chance when it come to photography. With long exposures of things like fireworks or fire we are open to pure chance. Sure, we can do things to try to give us some control over the situation but, really, it comes down to luck. This photo was a 4 second exposure. There was no way for me to guess that the firing would lead to the shape of a heart. Just serendipity.

Most of my work is previsualized. I read the Ansel Adams technique books and put a lot of what I learned from them into practice.  I find a great deal of pleaure in seeing a photograph in my head and making it happen in reality. The idea of shooting something like fireworks or fire in general is exciting in a completely different way. I have to give up a lot of control over the situation and just hope for the best. 

For this series I varied shutter speed from .8 to 6 seconds and incorporated both camera movement and focus shift to achieve these effects.
You can see more of the fireworks series and some of my work with fire by clicking here.

As always, I hope you enjoy the photography.

If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you. 

Have a few more pictures from the San Antonio Zoo developed. More are still in the works so stay tuned for more.