Roadside Blooms: Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush cover the roadside in the Texas hill country west of Austin. Bluebonnets are seen around the state, but this area is a favorite to photograph. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Afternoon Light: The late afternoon light skims across the landscape with a warm glow of color. The blooms are always beautiful but time of day and other factors such as this old gate add another dimension in the framing of this field of flowers. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
You know its Spring when the bluebonnets and other wildflowers begin their annual display of colorful blooms along the highways and across the landscape throughout Texas. The lupinus texensis, commonly known as bluebonnets are the star of the show while Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers provide contrast and color to the blankets of blue landscape.
The bluebonnet was named the state flower of Texas in 1901. The popular flower is a member of the lupine family and can be found in many areas in the state every spring.
The bluebonnet season is similar to the fall color season in the Rockies where many venture from their homes in search of the most colorful aspens. The bluebonnet season is prime time for photographers to take advantage of the colorful surroundings. Many use the fields of bluebonnets as a backdrop for family photos or photos of the children as they mingle about in the blanket of color.
The timing of the blooming season for the wildflowers are somewhat predictable but there are several factors which determine how many blooms and the exact timing and length of the colorful season. Blooms in the Texas hill country west of the Austin and San Antonio area can start around the first of March and can last through April. Generally, the last week of March and the first week of April are prime time to expect to see the flowers in bloom.
I have photographed the bluebonnets several time through the years but will not be in the area this year to see the blooms as we are traveling west this spring. Bluebonnet season, like the fall aspen season, is always a joy to see even if you have been to the same area year after year and taken hundreds of photos of the event.
As a photographer, I am always looking for that unique angle, shot, or location that make a photo stand out from the others. Sometimes I succeed and oftentimes I look at the photos and they look similar to all of the others. The enjoyment is getting out and seeing these displays of nature and appreciating the time outdoors. The photos shown in this post were taken on a previous trip to Texas during the bloom. Perhaps, next spring will work out for a return trip to Texas to search for that perfect blanket of color during the bluebonnet season.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Barn and Bluebonnets: An old barn with a rusty tin roof makes a nice backdrop to this beautiful field of Bluebonnets north of Fredericksburg, Texas. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Blue and Green: A single oak tree stands in the center of a large field of bluebonnets on HW 16 between Kerrville and Fredericksburg. In a field this large one would expect to see other colors mixed about but this area was covered in blue from side to side. The blue and green contrast in color creates a pleasant balance. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Fenceline Decor: A ground cover of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush provide nice decor to a fenceline in the hill country of Texas. The bluebonnet season in central Texas is generally mid-March through mid-April with the peak being around the first week of April. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Indian Paintbrush: While the bluebonnet is the star of the show, the Indian paintbrush is another favorite. The red color of the paintbrush provides beautiful contrast to the green plants and blue blooms of the bluebonnets. Shown are Indian paintbrush blooms surrounded by the green plants and a compliment of yellow. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
