Morning on the Pedernales River
I love photographing rivers - they're just so peaceful, you know?
I think the sound of running water is universally liked, unless you need to pee really bad that is, then you hate it. But you know what I mean. It's so soothing and tranquil - it instantly relaxes me. Even in the midst of some busy-ness, the soft sound of running water immediately has an effect.
I assume that is why I enjoy shooting along rivers, or at least partly why I like it. When the water is still (say, a big, wide, slow-moving river) then you can capture some great reflections, and I love those. This is usually something I find in cities. Here in Austin is a great example. Portland is the same. It's pretty common, of course. So when I travel to a new city, I am always looking for a river near the downtown to try and get some sweet reflections.
But out in nature it's great to shoot too, even when reflections are not possible. I was out one morning down on the southwest side of Austin, off towards the hill country. I had been at Hamilton Pool and upon leaving there, decided to head over here to the Pedernales River (that's pronounced Purd'nalis for any non-locals reading this) to grab some shots. I was loving the awesome sky that morning, and glad I made the stop. It's great to enjoy scenes like this without even seeing another car go by.