Big Bend Workshop: Oct. 21 - 25, 2011

I'm holding a photography workshop based in Big Bend this coming October. If you are interested in attending, please contact me to register. Please see the workshop listing for detailed information.

Dates: October 21 - 25, 2011
Focus: Landscape and Night Photography
Students: 9
Tuition: $600

Click for more info about the workshop

Big Bend is my favorite place in the world. I have enjoyed exploring and photographing the area for seven years. I greatly look forward to this workshop and sharing it with other photographers!

The Field Lab

Last Friday some friends and I paid a visit to the Southwest Texas Alternative Energy And Sustainable Living Field Laboratory, otherwise known as The Field Lab. It is owned by John Wells, and he maintains a daily blog here: thefieldlab.blogspot.com.

click for larger images

We caught up with John at the Grub Shack on Terlingua Ranch Road and visited over lunch. He then led us out to his place and gave us the grand tour.

You can read all about his work on his website and blog. Basically, he's living off the grid and working towards a 100% self-sustainable life on his property located on Terlingua Ranch.

click for larger images

His massive greenhouse project was most impressive. He has many other projects going, including a self-powered washing machine dubbed the Bike-O-Worsher. We also got to meet Benita, a longhorn cow that is a Field Lab regular and a companion, pet, and guard to John. Who needs a dog with teeth when you have a 1000 lb.-plus animal with horns like that? :-)

Many thanks to John for his hospitality and giving us the tour!

Terlingua Ghost Town

I'm very slowly processing my photos from our recent trip to Big Bend National Park. My progress is hampered by the cleaning up needed after Hurricane Ike. I can't complain, at least we have power and Internet! As I write (5 days after the storm hit), about 60% of people in the Houston area still don't have power. A good chunk of them won't have power until possibly next week.

Church in the Terlingua Ghost Town

Canon 5D, 17-40mm f/4L, tripod
13 seconds at 27mm, f/8, ISO 200

This was taken about 30 minutes after sunset, September 5th. My wife and I love this little church. We've stopped by several times over the years since our first visit four years ago. The church appears active and is slowly being restored. We considered renewing our vows there (the 5th was our 10-year anniversary), but didn't want to make firm plans because she's 8 months pregnant and we weren't sure the trip out there would even happen.

The Ghost Town is a neat place to wonder around after dark. It's a great place for night photography.