It has been exactly a year since I moved to the Lone Star State. I have grown so much as a photographer and really found a home here in Austin. I’ve been thrilled to get a good amount of local freelance work through the Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News which has allowed me to connect with the communities I am now a part of through my work.
Looking through some of my favorite images from the last year, what has stood out has been the diversity of ideas and experiences that present themselves, sometimes on consecutive days, sometimes in the same image. While often in opposition, each of the individuals in these photos has the same commitment to bettering their world as they see it. Whether that’s a student demanding government action at a climate strike or a minor league pitcher hoping to make it to the big leagues, the Central Texans I have encountered are committed to actively creating a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
In the next year, I hope to reach a deeper level of connection with local communities in Central Texas and Texas more broadly and tell increasingly more compelling stories.
A “Texas Welcomes All” podium stands empty in the Old Texas Supreme Court at the State Capitol before a news conference on March 27, 2019. Representatives from the business and tourism sectors argued against lawmakers voting for a series of drafted bills that would allow businesses to refuse service to members of LGBTQ+ communities along religious grounds.
A crowd of predominantly school-aged protesters gathers at a climate strike at the Texas Capitol building in Austin. This climate strike was a part of a series of September 19, 2019 protests that took place in cities all over the globe.
Eisa Rafat, carried by his friend Msaed Almasri, uses a megaphone to engage with the growing crowd at a climate strike at the Texas State Capitol.
Pastor Stephen Broden of the Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas leads a prayer to end a news conference for “Save Chick-fil-A Day” and rally for religious freedom at the Texas State Capitol.
Patrick Von Dohlen, a candidate for San Antonio City Council District 9, speaks at an April 17, 2019 news conference at the Texas Capitol in Austin promoting religion freedom. The San Antonio City Council voted against Chick-fil-A opening at the San Antonio International Airport with council members citing the company’s financial contributions to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations as their reason for opposition.
Close-ups from a Gun Owners of America rally on August 22, 2019 at the Texas State Capitol. Gun rights activists spoke against restricting open carry in Texas following a deadly shooting at a Walmart in El Paso and consequent legislation drafted to combat gun violence in Texas.
Outfielder Yordan Alvarez (left), outfielder Kyle Tucker (center), and pitcher Forrest Whitley (right) pose during the 2019 media day for the Round Rock Express, the minor league, triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.
Kyle Tucker (left) and Yordan Alvarez (right) started their 2019 season with the Round Rock Express and ended it playing game seven in the World Series for the Houston Astros. Forrest Whitley (center) had a disappointing season in the minors, but is still considered a top prospect and hopes to make the major league Astros next season.
Shawneen Townsend and her husband Jeff Townsend pose with a finished tray of chile rellenos at their family’s annual chile fry in Buda, Texas. Jeff isn’t humble about his wife’s cooking describing the finished product as “one of the best meals you’ll ever have…They’re so good they breach your senses.”
Mark Townsend, who has taken the lead at his mother Shawneen’s chile relleno frys, takes a break from frying chiles to jump on the trampoline with his son Ellison.
El Paso-style chile relleno with all the fixings made by Shawneen Townsend and her family. Their annual chile relleno fry always takes place towards the end of August to mark the beginning of hatch chile season.