Last fall I took a photography class at Oklahoma State University and one of our assignments was to take photos of nature. I can't remember all of the exact details of the assignment but we needed a variety of intersting shots. Many of my classmates chose to photograph places around town, but I decided to go the extra mile and visited a state park about 2 hours away to take my photos. I went to Gloss Mountain State Park located in Fairview, Oklahoma. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is a very neat place to visit. These are some of the photos I took while there.
It's a small mountain, almost more like a big hill. But in Oklahoma, even hills are mountains because it is so flat. It is called Gloss Mountain because of the significant amount of selenite crystals that are found in it. On sunny days the mountain shimmers and looks as though it is covered in glass. Unfortunately, when I went it was somewhat cloudy and the selenite didn't show up in any of my photos. You are able to climb to the top and the view goes on for miles. It is truly a gorgeous place.
While I was there I also got to see a few different insects/wildlife and shot some up close photos of them.
I have to admit I was a little terrified to be that close to a tarantula and a centipede, but you gotta do whatever you have to do to get a good photo. And these photos definitely impressed my professor so that was a plus.
If you ever find yourself in Oklahoma and are looking for somewhere to explore I highly recommend checking out this state park. It's a beautiful place and unique to the area. And it is very cool to see the selenite gleaming in the sun.
