Red and Yellow, Nacogdoches TX

Two very different colors of maple under the tall pines at the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden. Only a few of the Azaleas have flowers on them but I bet it will be a sight to see in the spring. Right now the maples are stealing the show, but I also really like the huge tall pines that tower over everything and make you feel small.

This is a single 1/5th of a second exposure. I almost always use a circular polarizer for shooting plants and blue skies, because it cuts the glare off of the leaves, preventing them from getting blown out, and can help saturate and reduce hot spots in the sky. For this photo I used a tripod, but I often like to shoot some handheld while I'm trying to figure out a composition. I'm still struggling to compose in these woods, but eventually I figure it out.

Nelli asked how to pronounce Nacogdoches, and while there are lots of variations (this is TX), most say Nac-a-doe-shis. I like to hit the CH a little harder though with CH rather than SH, which seems to be the trend amongst people from this midwest.

Thanks for all of the comments on my Holiday lights photo yesterday. One trick I've found with holiday lights and artificial city light in general, is that it's best to shoot during blue hour, before it gets pitch dark, especially if you're shooting handheld. So for Christmas lights you want to get there as soon as the lights turn on and shoot until it gets pitch dark.

Critiques are always welcome.

Daily photo: December 5, 2012, taken December 1, 2012

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