Jack Judson Nature Trails, Olmos Basin (in Alamo Heights)

Friday, June 24, 2011

While the Judson Nature Trails located in the Olmos Basin upstream of Olmos Dam in Alamo Heights are maintained by the San Antonio Audubon Society, today's photos are dominated, not by the birds, but by the magnificent trees growing in the area:

The construction of Olmos Dam in 1926 to control downstream flooding subtly divided the Olmos Basin ecologically into two zones. The overall ecology is the same both upstream and downstream from the dam. However, differences in land use and water flow patterns on either side of the dam following its construction have resulted in changes in the micro-environment of the two locations.

More Photos, The San Antonio River, Mission Reach 1

The grand opening of phase 1 & 2 of the Mission Reach is this Saturday, June 25. In the spirit of the celebration, today's photos are more of the ones I took this past Wednesday, June 15:

Comanche Lookout Park

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Today's photos:

For some reason, I seem to be attracted to waterways. Given the much needed and welcome rain early this morning, I decided to head for higher ground for my walk today. As a matter of fact, it was much higher ground. Comanche Hill in Comanche Lookout Park tops out at an elevation of 1,340 feet, the fourth highest point in Bexar County.

As indicated by the photos, there were numerous rabbits. And Texas Spiny Lizards abound. The chickadee was a pleasant surprise.  But most important of all, the earth drank in the rain and all the creatures, plant and animal alike, celebrated.

Birds in Flight; The Challenge of Action Photography

If there is a secret to taking good action photos, it is that one must know the subject well enough to be able to anticipate the next move. The photographer must begin to apply pressure to the shutter release a split second before the peak of the action, so the shutter actually opens at the right time. People who aren't experienced with action photography tend to end up with photos where the subject is just past the peak of the motion.

I know ballet, contemporary dance and most sports well enough that coordinating the shutter release with the peak of the dancers' and athletes' motion has become almost perfectly reflexive for me. Photographing birds in flight, however, is a whole new experience. Different species of birds move differently in flight. I'm beginning to figure it out. Following are a few examples from the Mission Reach photo series taken last Wednesday: