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Archive for 2013

Sparky Park

Sunday, November 17, 2013

     Last weekend, my friend Emma and I went on a little adventure to find a small park I was told about named Sparky Park. This park is off 38th and Grooms and used to be an electric substation (hence the "sparky").

 

 
The park features an art wall that makes it so unique. On the wall there is a variety of stone, mirror balls, wood, shells, and other neat objects. It's definitely worth a stop!
 
We walked on a sidewalk lined with sunflowers which were beautiful.
 


 
 
 

Graffiti Walls and Historic Halls

Saturday, November 16, 2013

     This past weekend I had the opportunity to photograph Landon, a graduating senior at UT. We took pictures at various places on campus and at Castle Hill. You might notice a few pictures feature someone who isn't graduating quite yet, but he was a delight to photograph alongside his big brother and the pictures turned out great. Check out Landon's session below! 





 
 
 
 

Adventures in Turner Falls

Monday, August 5, 2013

 
This past weekend I discovered the beauty that is Turner Falls in Oklahoma. Only about two hours north of Dallas, this place is gorgeous and there is so much to explore. We left in the morning and once we got there we already saw children swimming and playing in the Blue Hole Pool area.


We decided to go on a two mile trail through wooden bridges and dirt paths, passing by a few wooden benches. The trail opened up into an empty field at the end so we took a different way back to head over to the main attraction: the waterfalls. 

The falls were beautiful and the water was filled with people having a good time. You can hike, go for a swim, relax in a stream from the falls, or explore nearby caves. 



 
 
 
Near the falls is a cave to the right inside the large hole you can see. We noticed children climbing into the cave and naturally we were curious. After climbing over some rocks and finding our way inside the cave, there was such a lovely view. The cave was pretty small inside but it was neat to see.
 


Turner Falls with the cave in the top right corner.















Castle from afar.
Little stairs!


















 
The next part of this area features a castle. Yes, a castle. Built during the Great Depression as a summer home by a University of Oklahoma professor, this castle now attracts tourists and several children who although scared something may come out at them, still venture down small stairs into dark rooms with tiny ceilings. This castle is beautiful and it is sad to see graffiti on the walls and the lack of care it has received in the past years.


 
As we started to head back to our car, we passed by an artist creating his next work. This man paints on mirrors. How creative! I never would have thought of that but he creates such beautiful pieces.
 
 
As you enter the park, you pass by an optional turn to see Turner Falls from above. This overlook is breathtaking, and you can see the falls and the castle. I definitely recommend stopping by the overlook if you get the chance.
 

 

Unexpected Sights

Monday, July 22, 2013

 

I've gone to Mount Bonnell several times over the past year I've been in Austin, but what I didn't know was that there was a park just a short ways away with roaming peacocks. That's right. Instead of turning right on Mount Bonnell Road, make a left to Mayfield Park.

My friend Chanel came down for my birthday awhile ago and we decided to check out Mayfield Park because we found out that peacocks roam around freely. It is a must see, and these birds are stunning! It's incredible how close you can get to them and how well preserved the park is for these birds to simply walk around. The pictures show just how beautiful the colors and feathers of these peacocks are, no editing necessary. Right before we were about to leave, a peacock finally opened its feathers completely and I got the shot I was hoping for!

 
Along with the peacocks in the park is a small cottage and gardens with a pond. Walking around was relaxing and the pictures came out great. Next time you find yourself going to Mount Bonnell, make that left turn instead!
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
View from the top of Mount Bonnell
 

Taking On the Greenbelt

Monday, July 8, 2013

Being in such a wonderful city really makes me always want to do something fun and adventurous. So, naturally, waking up at 6:30 in the morning with a few friends and driving to the Greenbelt for pictures and some early morning hiking was the adventure I had in mind.

Going to the Greenbelt has been on my Austin bucket list for awhile now, specifically Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls. We finally found the right place to park...and began our hike. The scenery was beautiful, the weather wasn't hot (..yet), and the company was enjoyable! As we continued walking until we saw something that looked like an image I found on Google, we came across a large tree in a clearing. Just an ordinary large tree, that happened to have a ladder made out of tree branches on the side of it. How cool, right? Obviously we planned on climbing up the ladder, and so we did. So many pictures! 



We continued on the trail, asking people along the way if we were "getting closer," or if they "knew where Sculpture Falls was." One response was, "around 6.25" and the man continued on jogging. 6.25. That could be 6.25 miles, 6.25 minutes... You get the point. Little did we figure out until a little hike down the path, is that we were at 5.75, only .50 away from our destination. A light of hope entered our minds and we continued on, embracing the scenery around us.


Once we finally arrived, it was gorgeous. The water level was low (and much lower than the Google image showed) but despite that, the scenery made the long hike in a new pair of Chacos worth it. Seriously, if you have the chance to walk a bit (roughly 2 miles over some terrain) then go for it. You will not be disappointed! Of course I'm biased because I absolutely fell in love and took so many pictures... to the point that my friend Jeffrey had to let me borrow a back up memory card because I forgot mine! This hike was meant for photoshoot purposes but I definitely plan to be back for a nice hike or swim (once the water is higher of course).

Enjoy the pictures and special thanks to Jeffrey, Jon, and Mallory who took pictures of me! I love how they turned out! 



 
Can you see the person sitting?