SLEEPING IN PLASTIC

I lived in Texas from 2004 to 2011 and during those years, I drove thousands of miles around the state passing through small towns like Pecos, Monahans, Midland, and Eagle Pass to larger cities like San Antonio, El Paso, and Houston – covering assignments as a freelance photographer. I was lucky enough to be able to shoot for one of my favorite magazines: TEXAS MONTHLY. And they sent me everywhere. The lonely stretches of highway, the weathered faces, the vast and flat landscapes, and the dry heat can all surely leave a lasting impression – especially to a newcomer. You can feel the history with every abandoned oil rig or gas station you pass. Being alone on the road offers you plenty of time to think and daydream. Being an editorial portrait photographer offers you the chance to embrace the unknown and the opportunity to meet interesting people from all walks of life. The sheriff. The doctor. The grieving family. The lawyer. The high school teacher. The exoneree. The corrupt politician. The prison guard. For a brief moment you get to hear their stories and see a tiny glimpse of their lives. You swap tales and then head back on the road, with hands on the wheel but with thoughts still stuck on all the things you were told and the faces you saw. Somehow I was always left wanting more and selfishly, I just didn’t want these stories to end or the faces to disappear. So I would make up my own – putting people in strange places and then stranger situations. It made being on the road a bit easier but more importantly, it strengthened my joy for storytelling.