Category: Tolleston Dunes Trail

After Planting…

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After finishing up the last Great Marsh plug planting the day was still young, so I headed over to the Tolleston Dunes trail to check out the progress of the Lupine and other spring wildflowers at the Indiana Dunes National Park.

Wild Strawberry is out in abundance. Low to the ground with white petals and serrated leaves, they are abundant throughout the trail.
Birds Foot Violets always look to me like they are sticking their tongue out at you.
Not sure what this is, but I sure like it.
Wild Columbine. Quite unmistakeable and it grows in large patches all along this trail.
And of course, plenty of Lupine. It is still early and most have yet to flower. But I like capturing the early stages when the flower blossoms are just beginning to open. The symmetry of the plant makes for great overhead shots.
Lupine and Hoary Puccoon often appear together as they like the same sandy soil conditions.

More Sticks & Dead Leaves…

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… more November goodness out at the Tolleston Dunes. Muted colors under a grey sky are so much fun to work with, and the sparse foliage provides more options for composition.

The Tolleston dune complex is older that the dunes closer to the lake and supports a rare Black Oak Savanna ecosystem. Black Oak Savanna once covered 5 million acres in the Great Lakes region. Today only about 30,000 acres remain and about 10% of that is found within the Indiana Dunes National Park.

By mid November much but not all of the ground cover has receeded. But this just means that there are more options for subject isolation and compositions that feature strong lines.

In another post I quipped about people seeming surprised that I would come out to the park to photograph dead leaves. Dead and dying leaves are so interesting though. The colors and textures are fascinating and beautiful.

Dead leaves and water always a good combination.

Mosses, Lichens and Fungi are year round subjects. The patterns and textures they present make for interesting closeups.

A lot of vertical subjects present themselves.