I did a shoot for a cowboy hat manufacturer last week with my former neighbor and 2008 World Champion PRCA tie-down roper Stran Smith (we both still live in Childress, Stran just moved across town).
Stran is great in front of the camera and the shoot went really smooth and the photos epitomize the Texas attitude, the spirit of the west, and the gritty lifestyle that cowboys like Stran live day in and day out.
This is the first year my boy Ryan played t-ball and he took it serious. It was fun to watch him play and see him develop skills for the game. He can't wait for next year.
For all my life, I've resided in the country and am a fan of all things rural. I went to school in the tiny community of Dodd City, Texas (pop. 286 when I was there) and lived on a patch of blackland prairie seven miles north of town where my family raised beef cattle, butchered hogs every winter, and grew wheat, milo, and a huge family garden.
For day after glorious day, I'd roam the woods and grasslands of my boyhood home hunting, fishing, and enjoying nature. When I graduated high school and went to college, I majored in a field that would keep me in a rural setting and close to the land - agriculture education.
For fifteen years, I was the agriculture science instructor at Childress High School in Childress, Texas where I was named Texas Agriscience Teacher of the year on three different occasions and received numerous awards and media accolades for my work there. During that time, I have continued to stay connected to agriculture and rural life through my professional career as well as through my photography.
While being a fan of rural life, I also embrace modern technology and all of the capabilities it brings. Capabilities like digital photography, high speed internet, and digital video all help me bring into focus, all the things I love the most.