First Steps Into Nature Photography

The spiral formation at the Canyon Estates Trailhead in Tijeras, NM.

Thanks to my friend buying me the Flock Around game on Steam the other day, I was inspired to go on a real life nature photography hike. My son and I loaded ourselves into my SUV equipped with my Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR camera and a 35mm lens. We stopped at the gas station to get some gas, where I also picked up a can of White Monster, which is not something I drink very often, because I didn't sleep well last night and I was woken up very early by noisy trucks making deliveries on my street.

We drove about 15 or 20 minutes to a local trail called Canyon Estates Trailhead in Tijeras, New Mexico. I told my son, "Remember, we're here to photograph birds. Keep your ears open and your eyes sharp so maybe we can find one." Even though I was hopeful for the possibility of finding a bird, I knew my camera lens wasn't up for the task. I admitted defeat and chose to prioritize what my camera was actually capable of capturing, which was plants!

I didn't want to just take an artistic photo of the many cacti scattered around the hillside on the trailhead, so I kept my eye out for something interesting. Following the sound of a bird, we diverted off the main trail and I found three beautiful flower stalks that almost looked otherworldly. I instantly knew that was going to be my first photo for my nature photography hobby.

The first photo of what I believe to be Conopholis alpina var. mexicana.

I'm not the best person at plant identification, but I do seem to know more than your average person. This particular plant species was unknown to me though. When I got home I uploaded all of my photos to my PC and used Google Lens to see if it could shed some light on what exactly this plant is. After narrowing down the specifics with my location, I have determined that this plant is most likely a Mexican cancer root, also known as Bear Corn. The Latin name is Orobanche alpina var. mexicana.

This next part is probably too much information for your average reader, and is definitely not flattering for myself, but I don't think so highly of myself as to paint a perfect picture of my life for readers. That Monster Energy drink I got at the gas station immediately caused gurgling in my belly. I told my son we needed to leave right now! The trip home was a race against time, but luckily I made it back before I unleashed the monster in my pants.

I've always been looking for a reason to get out in nature more, and I don't like hiking for the sake of hiking. I've always gone out with purpose, usually to forage seeds or harvest medicines, depending on what time of year I'm going out. Nature photography inspired by Flock Around gave me a reason to visit nature and engage in a creative hobby such as photography. Due to the limitations of my current lens and the ridiculous price of a decent zoom lens, in the future I will probably prioritize taking pictures of colorful flowers and beautiful scenery.

The contract in this scene is what caught my eye and caused me to click.