Panoramic view along FM 170 in Big Bend Ranch State Park showing a vehicle on the road in the middle ground, colorful mineral-rich mountain faces displaying yellows, greens, and rust-orange tones, the dramatic Flatiron peaks rising in the background, and sparse Chihuahuan Desert scrub in the foreground beneath a bright blue sky with wispy high-altitude clouds.

Nature’s Own Wall: The Case Against a Border Barrier in Big Bend

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The plans for a border wall across Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park continue to face strong opposition in Texas. The project has encountered significant resistance from residents, landowners, and both Democratic and Republican officials in … Read More

A shallow, rocky stretch of the Rio Grande flows through a wide channel bordered by golden dried grasses and reeds, with a rugged volcanic mesa rising against a clear blue sky in the background. A sandy island of sparse dry vegetation sits mid-river, splitting the current into riffles. Photographed along FM 170 (El Camino del Rio) in the Big Bend region of West Texas.

Wild Water, Ancient Land — The Rio Grande Along El Camino del Rio

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If you’ve ever driven FM 170 in West Texas — also known as El Camino del Rio, the River Road — you already know it’s one of the most breathtaking stretches of highway in the entire country. This shot was … Read More

A cool-toned monochrome landscape of the entrance to Closed Canyon, with a flat-topped mesa and a rounded hill flanking a dark rocky cleft, surrounded by sparse desert scrub under a dramatic, streaked sky.

Stone Cold Serenity: Finding Your Calm at Closed Canyon

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Lens-Artists Challenge #389: Time to Relax For this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge, Anne wants to know what relaxes us. She writes: “What gets you away from the stresses of daily life. What’s your passion?” The short answer for me is nature. … Read More

A Pyrrhuloxia perched on an Ocotillo branch, bathed in warm golden hour sunlight. The bird displays its distinctive gray-brown plumage with red accents on its wings and tail, prominent red face mask, and curved yellow bill, set against a soft blue sky background.

The Desert Cardinal: A Hidden Gem of the Chihuahuan Desert

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There’s something magical about the Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus)—often called the “Desert Cardinal”—that makes encountering one feel like discovering a well-kept secret of the American Southwest. For me, this was the first time seeing one. With the right camera settings, I … Read More

A wide-angle landscape photograph of a black Jeep Wrangler driving on a winding dirt road in a vast, arid desert plain. The road leads towards several imposing, multi-layered brown mountains under a blue sky with light, wispy clouds. The foreground is filled with dry, low-lying brush.

Where Canyons Touch the Sky

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Lens-Artists Challenge #388: Your Journey in 5-10 Images Anne-Christine asked us to consider these questions for this week’s challenge about a trip we took: “What were the highlights, what are the memories that will stay with me forever? Maybe the big … Read More

A wide-angle view of a large cluster of green Trans-Pecos Hedgehog cacti with dozens of bright red flower buds emerging from the tops, set against a rocky desert background.

The Desert’s Crimson Crown: Spring Awakenings at Big Bend Ranch State Park

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There is a specific kind of magic that happens in the high desert of Big Bend Ranch State Park when winter’s grip begins to loosen. It’s a landscape defined by its “hardness”—rugged volcanic rock, heat-shimmering horizons, and plants that have … Read More

A dramatic view of Cinco Tinajas canyon, showing a small pool of water at the bottom of steep, dark rock walls under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds.

Shadows and Silhouettes of Big Bend Ranch

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Lens-Artists Challenge #387: Shadowed Instead of diving into my archives for John’s creative Shadowed challenge, I am using photos I captured just last week while visiting Big Bend Ranch State Park (not to be confused with Big Bend National Park). … Read More

Creosote Flowers

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Springtime in Texas means one thing: wildflowers cover the state! In a recent Big Bend Ranch SP trip, we were lucky to see wildflowers everywhere. From tall Bluebonnets to Yuccas and Creosote, the Chihuahuan Desert was eye-popping. This view above … Read More

Spreading Gratitude, Harvesting Joy

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Lens-Artists Challenge #325 – Gratitude Today, let us swim wildly, joyously in gratitude.Rumi There is so much to be grateful for. When I saw Tina‘s Lens-Artists challenge, I was at a loss as to what I would share. I wanted … Read More

Time Capsules of the Countryside

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Lens-Artists Challenge #318 – Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places I am drawn to nature as the main subject in my photography. Vast landscapes, intimate scenes, wildlife, wildflowers, and even nature abstracts appeal to my eye. So, it was with great … Read More

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