One of the things that I have noticed in the last few years since I have taken a greater interest in my photography, is that I often see things a little differently now. This longleaf pine branch is a prime example. During one of our frequent afternoon rains it had broken off the tree and fallen or been blown into the viburnum that lines my driveway. Before photography, I probably either would have thrown it in the back of the truck to take to the dump, or more likely thrown it in the brush pile and not given it a second thought. However, now when I came home and found it hanging there, I noticed the cool textures of the bark and the way the scales run in several different directions in a relatively short span. I thought to myself that it might make a nice artistically interesting photo, which I think it does. I even had an idea in my mind about how I wanted to process it (which changed somewhat once I got to that, as it often does). Still, I was a little surprised at myself, when I realized how my thinking had changed. Now mind you, the downed branch still ended up in the brush pile eventually (there’s nothing artistically pleasing about dead branches hanging in your bushes!), but it got put to a good use first.