3/31/15
It’s bluebonnet season in Texas, ya’ll!
I can’t pass up a good field of wildflowers– especially ones that only last a few weeks and especially the state flower of Texas– so this weekend I drove through the Texas hill country and stopped at a couple spots along Highway 2244 and Highway 360 to shoot patches of bluebonnets backlit with the setting sun.
I drove home will slightly bloody elbows (the best kind of tripod) and a few scrapes, but this probably doesn’t surprise anyone who’s seen how intense I get while shooting flowers.
Highway 2244
The other reason I wanted to get out and shoot was to test out my new (to me) Canon 17-40mm f/4L. During my days at The Daily Toreador, I shot on a 16-35mm f/2.8L II and it quickly became my favorite lens. After I graduated, I found myself unable to shoot anything wider than 28mm on a cropped body…and it killed me.
When the opportunity came up to buy the 17-40mm, I was skeptical of the f/4, but decided to give it a chance. Five minutes into this bluebonnet shoot, I changed my mind. I was surprised to not feel limited with the aperture at all! (At least not outside. I’ll give another review in May after shooting an indoor wedding.)
Highway 2244
Highway 2244
Highway 360
Highway 2244
And don’t forget the bluebonnet’s sidekick– the Indian Paintbrush.
Highway 2244
Highway 360
Highway 2244
Highway 360.
Highway 360. The only photo here not shot on the 17-40mm. This was taken with a 70-200mm f/2.8L.
For a downloadable bluebonnet calendar page, head over to my friend Brad Tollefson‘s site.
(c) Lauren Pape
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