Storm Chasing Across the Texas High Plains

I drove into Austin two nights ago after my most thrilling photographic adventure since moving to Texas.  My subject was a massive electrical storm that raged across Central Texas’ High Plains region during my drive back from New Mexico.  I followed the storm for over six hours as it swept southeast anticipating – almost uncannily – my route to Austin.

I caught up with the storm first in the small town of Sweetwater, Texas.  Outside of this town, lie the state’s largest wind farms.  The turbine-dotted landscape of Nolan County is a testament to the fact that Texas produces more wind energy than any U.S. state.  It was surreal to drive through fields of massive sentinel-like turbines as they were repeatedly struck with lightning.

Even when I couldn’t see the lightning bolts, I could always see the constant flashes caused by sheet lightning inside the storm’s towering thunderheads.  While leaving Winters, Texas, I stopped to shoot this effect as it lit up the skies behind an old garage hangar.

Sometimes, if I stopped for too long, the storm would distance itself so much that I could see the Texas night sky emerging from its edges.  This photo was taken outside of Coleman, Texas.  (Click the image for a larger view on this one!)

Being in Texas’ High Plains country meant I could often get unobstructed views of the storm.  This view from a bluff overlooking Brownwood, Texas was especially serendipitous.

My trusty storm chaser light-painted by my headlamp outside of Goldthwaite, Texas.

I took this picture outside of Lampasas, Texas (the bloodcurdling animal(?) screams coming from the woods to my immediate right meant I didn’t wait too long here for a better bolt).  After unexpectedly following the storm for so long, I was convinced we would part ways soon.  I thought this would be my last shot as the storm had drifted quite far from the road.

Remarkably though, I was able to catch up with the storm near Watson, Texas.

Finally, only 40 miles from Austin at nearly 4:30AM, the storm began rolling east as I headed south.  This was my final picture of the still raging storm in Bertram, Texas.

“Allá Tenemos…Para Cuando Quieras”

Just came back from delivering prints and discs with additional outtakes to all the participants in my ‘Gallo Fino‘ portrait series.  It was a real scavenger hunt last month finding these farmers with my car loaded down from lighting gear.  Then once on location, each shoot had a myriad of technical and other difficulties (read: naughty cord-chewing puppies and uncooperative chickens) to deal with.

The experience and resulting images made the whole process worth it; but, even that satisfaction was eclipsed by the feeling of happiness I had today at seeing each subjects’ face light up at their portraits.  A really moving experience.  José Guerrero’s parting words, spoken while gesturing towards his coop, were a great finale to this project, “Allá tenemos…para cuando quieras.”

“We have them there…for whenever you want.”

Valdemar Arias, William Levy, and family.

¡Pura Charrería!

I’ve spent the past few weeks covering a ranch outside of Austin which trains in Mexico’s national sport: charrería.  The sport consists of a series of 10 rodeo events atop horses and bulls.  My final presentation will be an audio slideshow; but, here are some of my favorite stills from my past month of shooting:

Gallo Fino: Urban Chicken Farmers of Austin

A couple teasers from my in-progress portrait series on criadores of East Austin.

Holi at the Radha Madhav Dham

Nearly three thousand people, Hindu and non-Hindu alike, gathered at the Radha Madhav Dham Hindu temple outside of Austin for a Holi celebration last weekend.  The festival is famous for jubilant song, dance, and tossing of colored powders to commemorate the beginning of spring.

SXSW ’13: Antone’s Last Hurrah

Antone’s is an historic nightclub in downtown famed for helping to make Austin the ‘Live Music Capital of the World.’  Over the past 35 years, it has become one of the most important venues in Austin – playing host to countless landmark Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Country musicians.

Last Thursday, I worked on a PBS documentary during the bar’s last SXSW show as Antone’s is closing its downtown location and moving outside of the city this week.  It was a great opportunity to shoot some amazing musicians playing on one of the city’s most well-known stages for the last time.

One of the night’s first acts: American folk band Field Report.

Heard James Brown, looked up and saw this guy: the incredible British Soul singer James Hunter.

American country singer Buddy Miller who played alongside Jim Lauderdale (below).

American country and bluegrass artist Jim Lauderdale.

British legend Richard Thompson.  I challenge 99% of the artists that played at SXSW to be more badass than this guy.

Another living legend – Emmylou Harris.

The astoundingly energetic American singer/songwriter Josh Ritter.

The Mavericks were the closing act for the night.  A racially-diverse nine person band from Miami with an even more eclectic set list.

SXSW ’13

Last week, Austin held its most famous music and arts festival: South by Southwest.  It was a great opportunity to shoot musicians, artists, and the tens-of-thousands-strong crowds that descend upon the city each March.

SXSW is known for attracting numerous artists seeking to make a name for themselves performing on street corners around the city – separate from the festival-sanctioned stages.  This is a detail of ‘The Box’ – a mobile rock/electronica music machine created by the five member YEAH Babies.

Another of the festival’s roaming street musicians, Dannyboy Dillinger, plays on East 6th Street atop his mobile stage.

(Mental note: don’t ride downwind again from a band of tall bikers from L.A.)