Larry Braun Blogs

Often on a hike I become lost in time. Exploring the surrounding. Looking for adventure, looking for a connection, looking for something out of the ordinary that appeals to my senses, appeals to my sense of adventure, the concept of time evaporates... 

I am often impressed by what remains of a structure after it has been destroyed. The empty rooms, the vacant windows, the sunlight that strikes the inside of the structure and emitted through the vacant windows make a pleasing site to behold. Ha H... 

A vacant bench is a poplar subject for photographers. For me its a symbol of not taking the time to sit and enjoy the greatest show on earth. Too busy with ordinary activities. So let this be an invitation to my viewers to take a few moments today... 

An Ozark stream at dusk is one of the most tranquil scenes you will ever witness. I love the pink of the skies that competes with the granite gravel in the stream, the hint of mist in the hills, and the eternal flow of the crystal clear water ... 

I often think of a swamp as someplace dark and mysterious. The'er not always dark, but almost always mysterious. It has many secrets. The bald knob cypress with its protruding knees, the hoot of the owl that seem to come from nowhere, a distant ... 

I have heard it said that painters create and photographers see. I would have to agree with this. For the most part I am a seer. I see what most people don't notice. Its my niche in this world. A quite observer, a fly on the wall. Invisible in... 

There something mysterious about a road I have never been done. Something calls me to explore. Exploring has always been a key motivation in my life. I want to know whats over the next hill, whats around the bend. 

I'm always somewhat amused by the pattern of the cracks in the rocks, they reveal something about the history and composition of the rocks. It might be similar to the pattern in your hands. Palm readers can look at your hand and read into your soul... 

Large rocks in a stream bed remind me of a puzzle. Days are like puzzles. Some days the pieces fit, and we're left feeling complete. Sometimes a piece is missing and we're left with a empty feeling inside, and other times we have too many pieces, a... 

After all the trees and bushes are removed. and the soil is washed away, we are left with bedrock. What an odd name; bedrock. It would be hard to sleep in a bed full of rocks. Its the start of the layer of earth called the crust, a thin veneer of ... 

Sitting on top of Lee's Bluff in Madison County Missouri looking out over the Mark Twain National Forrest is a great way to end the day. Being high up generates a sense of tranquility thats hard to explain. Thats why I photograph this experience. ... 

A symbol of our relationship with God, a church provides a sense of tranquility. A structure that has spanned several generation, a place that shares our joy and sadness. The joys of baptisms and weddings, the uncertainty of life's trials and the s... 

How the forest works is a wonder. We (as the totality of mankind) are creating a mechanical world. Were building robots to make products with very little human intervention, a central nervous system we call the world wide web, and artificial intell... 

Rivers seldom move in a straight line, they meander, going this way then that, sort of like how I go about, Sometimes I don't have a clear destination in mind, I just travel in some general direction until I find IT. "I'll know it when I see it" s... 

Just watching the massive flow of the Mississippi, its swiftness, its volume, and at times its radiance, always leaves me with a good feeling. I like watching any river flow but especially this one because of the energy thats slipping by. Energy th... 

Every have a day when everything comes together? Your driving down a busy street and hit all the green lights and scoot across town like your on a magic carpet. Then your favorite song comes on the radio just as you pass the last green light befor... 

One can almost hear the conservations of the planet here. Seeing the country side laid out in patterns, and the farm buildings gives one a little different perspective of the world. High places like this radiates a sense of tranquility. Looking ou... 

Transitions lets you sit on the border between two states. Here at the top of Knob Lick we see the transition between a mountain and the flatlands below, and at dusk we see the transition between the day and night. This is also a time of transition... 

Trees go on even after their sap has stop running. A tribute to the engineering marvels of nature. I look at this dead tree still standing as a monument to life. Its still a benefit to the forest even though it no longer makes leaves its wood pro... 

One of the Icons of Southeast Missouri. Tower Rock is a remanent of our geologic past. Composed of limestone stacked in 6 inch layers it is said to be about 400 million years old. A youngster compared to the 1.5 billion year old rocks found in the... 

Tower Rock is not the only outcrop visible from this site, its just the most prominent. As I looked south from the Tower Rock parking lot I noticed that the bank had several outcrops of the same limestone formation. I hiked down into this area to g... 

At one time I quit hiking in the summer. The high temperatures, ticks, and spider webs along the trail made it difficult to enjoy the hike. This year I discovered gravel roads. Why not just find a decent gravel road, park the car and walk? The ro... 

When I look at this scene I get the feeling that something is missing or gone. I'm thinking that at one time there was a barn here, couple of sheds, a fence, chickens running around looking for unfortunate bugs. A few pigs with a mud hole to wallo... 

If you could paint a picture what would you paint? Some say that sunsets are done by God's hands, In tend to believe that as the sky is the most prevalent subject of landscape painters and photographers. Some have said that nature sets the standard... 

Excellent example of the countrside in rural Missouri.  

What are the possibilities. We have many options, many paths to choose from. I choose to retire and make photographic images. I feel that I am following a path that has been worked out for me by higher power. Where it will lead I do not know, I ju...