West Texas, Texas - 2024

Our West Texas team found this location on private ranch land about two hours from El Paso. I knew it offered potential because the dusty amphitheatre was framed by sizeable mountains to the south and west. Also, there was one solitary tree standing out from the scrubland, which could be used as a prop. It immediately looked like a place where people would camp in the fabled days of the American West. With that in mind, we arranged for an antique wagon to come from the other side of the State. The last mile was not easy for the wagon or those responsible for its delivery but we know that it is that extra mile that always matters.

It is a little intense shooting in the last minutes of daylight as there is a need for many composition decisions to be taken in full knowledge that there is no second chance. This is no time to iterate, only time to be instinctive, especially with a herd of cattle roaming freely around the wagon. Most of the time in these situations, I find something that is not quite right and the moment is lost. However, it is much better to roll the dice and play with the benefits offered by twilight; appropriate lighting is integral to our creative processing.

On this occasion the tableau worked as well as I could possibly have hoped and there is nothing I would change. I am a greedy storyteller and my preference is for every inch of frame to contribute in some way, but this approach risks unintentional visual tension points. It is the part of the job that I take the most satisfaction from when I deliver, as it is not easy.

Brooks Nader’s styling was influenced by Sienna Miller’s character in Kevin Costner’s Horizon. I wanted to couple a simple white lace dress with dirt; this, after all, was the Wild West not a Victorian drama in England. Brooks is not precious and was more than happy to get dirty to play the role. There is no easier model to work with or instruct.

West Texas is such a giving place to ply my craft, not just because of its lonesome beauty, but because of the cowboys and ranchers living there. It is unlike anywhere in the world.