hill country - PhotoTrice

Mirrors

We see the reflection and are tricked into believing it is our real self. We see pictures and struggle to recognize ourselves. The reflection is the illusion we see every day. The photograph is foreign to our self image. We choose the imperfect reflection.

Looking In

Something you often hear is that photographers are voyeurs peeping into places where they don’t belong. That perception is not entirely untrue. We do look into places that other people avoid. Photographers are curious to see and capture what is around them. That is part and parcel to being a photographer.

I am always curious to discover unique scenes. My finished photographs are interpretations that generally differ from the raw source images. It is highly likely that someone will view any photograph I make as a misrepresentation of reality. That is a consequence of the common belief that photographs capture truth rather than light and shadow. Capturing a fraction of a second in time will always be out of step with the human eye in some way.

The images of the musician and ranch house share a common frame of reference. They were both captured from outside a building looking into interior space. Both are biased by my detached point of view and approach to the subject. I have no idea what the musician was playing because I could not hear the music. I also have no knowledge of the lives lived within the abandoned farm house. They are literally moments in time that strike a visual and emotional chord for me. They are interpretations of the subjects that were in front of my camera. Another photographer will interpret these scenes differently.

Sunday Morning in the Hill Country

Hay Field, Comfort Texas
Super Takumar 35mm 3.5 @f5.6

It has been my habit to go for an early Sunday morning ride since I was old enough to drive. For most of that time my preferred vehicle was some motorcycle. As a young man I favored speed. The technical challenge of riding the back roads and canyons was my obsession. Much later the idea of enjoying the ride in a more relaxed fashion finally occurred to me and I slowed down. That’s when I bought my first camera.

For some years now a four wheeled vehicle has been my choice for Sunday morning drives. Not as much fun perhaps but infinitely safer while allowing me to carry some lenses and a tripod. I got old or I got practical. Take your pick.

Echo Bluff Ranch Gate
Super Takumar 35mm 3.5 @ f3.5

If you live in Central Texas the obvious place to spend Sunday morning is in the Hill Country, The pace of life there matches my weekend ambitions. Getting out before church means you see few people. You can literally stop anywhere to shoot even in the middle of the road.

I carry a camera whenever I’m on the back roads but I tend to look more than shoot. Once in a while something catches my eye but mostly I drive slow and enjoy myself. If I shoot more than two or three photographs then I’m highly motivated. Last weekend I got three.

These photographs were all made within a few miles of Comfort Texas. Just at the Southern edge of what I consider the Hill Country. There are still many active farms and ranches in the area but they are slowly being replaced by recreational properties. Some of which are quite large.

Fence Line Super Takumar 35mm 3.5 @f8.0 — Fence Line
Super Takumar 35mm 3.5 @f8.0