I took a walk with the kids through the neighborhood yesterday in the late afternoon. It was breezy and warm and screaming of spring. But there were plenty of things to photograph that still reminded me of the death in nature that we see during the winter. I came across this thorny bush—no leaves, no green. Just a bunch of brambles. And I really loved the tangled mess I saw through my viewfinder. The sun was pretty low so I got some cool highlights and contrast. I modified the curves a bit in Photoshop, then added a vignette and played with the tint to make the image just a little moodier. Taken with my Nikon D40X, 50mm, f5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO 200.

Then I came across this cool sight. Someone mentioned that it looks like a bunch of fish piled on top of each other. Nope, it’s just a close up shot of a palm tree trunk. (Although I have to admit it would have been much more interesting as fish!) I loved the textures and deep, rich colors in this tree. To me, this image is inviting and uninviting at the same time. I love that! Nikon D40X, 50mm, f7.1, 1/1000 sec, ISO 200.