The bluebonnet bloom in central Texas is second to none when it comes to landscape photography potential. During the period of several weeks in late March and early April, the hill country around a variety of known Texas hot spots sprout exquisite countryside displays at varying times depending on a variety of factors. It is somewhat laborious and even difficult to research what locations are experiencing peak bloom, especially coming from out of town where a random field off a farm-to-market road might be your best spot yet.
This past year I sought out Jason Weingart Photography to assist in up-to-date research on where to find which fields offered the best potential. I highly recommend their tours and workshops. I scoured the internet and this was by far the best and most thorough researched photography workshop. His photos are amazing as well. Due to the impact of COVID-19, there was not enough participation for them to hold their Bluebonnet Tours through the countryside when I was scheduled to arrive in early April 2021. However, they still offer up-to-date detailed maps for in-bloom areas of the Hill Country which I used to locate prime shooting areas. Below are areas in the Marble Hill vicinity. The second photo illustrates how I shot at a lower angle to blur more of the background with limited depth of field.
Evening (and morning times) allow soft beautiful light to fill your scene. The bluebonnets can either be their own subject or accents for a greater landscape motif. Small and still ponds and lakes work well to compliment your scenes and are nice for reflections.
Some of the coolest photos I’ve seen in the area involve wide shots of either horses or longhorn cattle. The opportunities are endless and will differ from day to day depending on your light and potential animal encounters. Unfortunately, I was not able to photograph any longhorns in bluebonnet fields but I did manage to come across some horses late in the day. They would not cooperate but I was able to get a wide shot of them trotting away from my camera with a colorful foreground.
Fence lines of all types, wooden, metal, barbed wire, can create leading lines for your fields. In addition, Indian Paintbrush (the red flower), sprinkled among the fields of bluebonnets and green grasses, completes the color wheel.
Below are a couple of my favorite shots. The first is just a country road sunset. The trees in the frame help direct the subdued soft light of sunset. The second shot was taken at about 1/8 of a second shutter speed in the wind using a tripod. (By the way most of these shots use a tripod). The paintbrush was swaying while the bluebonnets in a back far end of the frame stayed mostly still. Happy shooting and good luck in 2022!
