A celebration of the photographer’s art—where else but West Texas? We provide the scenery, the wildlife, and the characters for books, magazines, postcards, and more. From our picturesque cowboys to our wide open spaces and our colorful ever-changing skies, we are home to the authentic and the beautiful. A host of well-known locals as well as photographers from Austin, New York, California, and Europe have regularly lugged their equipment through our mountains, from the Rio Grande to Guadalupe Peak, from the Pecos River to the Marfa flats. Our clear, dry atmosphere combines with our mile-high elevation to produce sparkling photographic light to die for. We are the old Texas, the historic, the culturally rich and the proud. Our night skies are some of the darkest in the world. When you hear someone sing “the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas”—they are singing about us. And in September our red rock mountains are graced with the golden glow of Indian summer. Bring your camera!

We have assembled a packed program with over 14 professional photographers ranging from Earl Nottingham, chief photographer for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and their award winning magazine to Jason Hennington, a Sul Ross State University photographer and news writer who has accumulated a reputation for his action sports photography. Among our featured speakers--on Friday, Canon brings us one of their “Explorers of Light,” David Stoecklein. Stoecklein’s brilliantly colorful photographs of windmills, cowboy gear, old barns, cowgirls, children, and dogs are familiar to all West Texans. On Saturday we feature 1981 Guggenheim Fellow in Photography, Jay Dusard. Dusard’s elegant large-format black and white landscapes, portraits, and Mexico border subjects hang in some of the nation’s finest galleries.

During their presentations our professionals will be sharing the secrets of equipment and technique for improving everything from timeless works of photographic art to grandma’s Little League snapshots. Perhaps the most valuable gift from the professionals will simply be your own renewed sense of wonder and appreciation for light, weather, old buildings, Mother Nature, and human faces. With the advent of film-free digital cameras and chemical-free computer darkrooms, photography has evolved into a growing hobby, small businesses, and wonderful outdoor recreation.

Bring us your best framed photo for our photo contest. Bring a portfolio of your best shots for expert evaluation by some of our featured photographers and sponsors. Field-based workshops will concentrate on landscape photography and ranching. Register early as seating is limited. Only paid audience members are eligible for the contest, workshops, and portfolio review.

If you are in the market for new Canon photo equipment, Bob Malish, Professional Market Advisor for Canon U.S.A., Inc. will be demonstrating new products throughout Friday and Saturday. In addition, our local Morrison’s True Value will be selling Canon equipment in a nearby booth.

Texas Book Company will be hosting an autograph party for several of our presenters whose books will be on sale at the event.

We will be modeling our event after the successful 21-year-old "Shooting the West" in Winnemucca, Nevada. www.shootingthewest.org

©2009 Shooting West Texas - Sitemap