After being here two weeks prior, you'd think there wouldn't be anything new to see. If you've done much nature photography, you know that the notion is short-sighted. Experienced photographers know that even though you go out to the same location day after day, each and every experience is different:
The angle of the light is different.
The way the breeze lays across the trees is different.
The weather always varies.
The overall experience is different each time you return to a location.
Nature is in a constant state of renewal.
We start our second Caddo Lake and East Texas Autumn Nature Photography Workshop in the same fashion as our last outing: with rain all around. November is an unsettled season in Texas. It's when big cold fronts clash with the last vestiges of warm air lingering across the state. It's a classic recipe for storms.
During a first night highlighted by a barbecue supper, we get to know one another and go over the week's itinerary. While the plans are straightforward on paper, the nuances of the experience make it worthwhile. This week will be an immersive experience of the culture and beauty of East Texas.
On Monday morning, we overlook a beautiful backwater slough peppered with mature bald cypress trees that stand sentinel over the mysterious lake. Each tree's trunk is of a unique and undulated configuration that belies traditional understanding of how trees grow. This buttressed bark gives the tree more surface area in which to stand, hence providing more stability in wet, muddy, and unstable soils. Flanking each tree are protruding roots called knees that stick up above the ground. The knees are a snorkel of sorts and aid the tree in respiration when water levels rise.
Draping from the horizontal tree limbs is Spanish moss. This epiphytic plant grows in every tree, and its airy, lightweight structure lies along the wind as it blows. It also looks beautiful when backlit as sunlight shines through its delicate structure. Tipping the end of the branches is the linearly arranged leaf. A cypress leaf is small and only grows a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long, but when grouped with an infinite number of other leaves, it creates a canopy that turns bright green in the spring and the summer and then rust red in the fall.
With each tree, there is a lot going on. So much so that you could spend a considerable amount of time just finding photographic subjects in a single specimen. However, this is the world's largest bald cypress forest, and the photographic compositions are limitless.
Every morning and evening of this adventure, we explore the swamps mainly by boat, but occasionally, we walk in or drive to our location.  With each excursion, we are looking for that one picture that captures the essence of the location.  The good news is that there is not one location—it's all the locations that make Caddo Lake a place so magical. People from all over the world travel here to witness the changes that autumn brings.
While the lake is remarkable, there's so much more to offer. After finishing our morning sessions, we travel around the area to locations historically significant to the area and the world as we know it. It's from this area that Lady Bird Johnson was born and raised and developed her love for nature. While she was First Lady of the United States of America, she ushered in state and nationwide beautification programs that we still enjoy today. We see old, historic drawbridges, old cemeteries, and country stores that have operated since Texas first became a state. We learn how this slice of the old south - while far inland - has a distinct New Orleans and Creole feel about it.
Seeing sites of historical importance is an important way to get a true understanding of the entire region. Â The cypress trees are unique, but when you place them alongside the context of the historical and contemporary culture of this slice of East Texas, they paint a unique picture of a unique part of the country.
The week flies by, and we've covered a lot of ground. Â On the last evening of the trip, we grab pizza from a local restaurant and opt to dine back at our lodge instead of going out to supper at one of the outstanding local eateries. Â The meal is simple, but the conversation around the big table is lively and fun. Â Belly laughs punctuate the constant chatter from the workshop participants.
I even hear someone from another state talk with a bit of a Texas twang.
No one knows these locations better than us. For an immersive photographic and educational experience that's an incredible value, be sure to check out our all-inclusive 2025 excurions to Caddo Lake.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES FROM THIS EXCURSION
Commentaires