MSU IN SAN ANTONIO, TX...part 2

From the last post you know that the conference was going great. We were experiencing some new sights, sounds and tastes. This was expanded as we explored.

I am proud to say the Wyatt was the only undergraduate that received a SPESC [Society for Photographic Education South Central] travel scholarship! That was so cool! MSU students ROCK!!

We had the great experience of seeing the prints from the Helmut and Alison Gernsheim Collection at the University of Texas in Austin. It was a very special experience. To see the 1st photograph, View from the Window at Le Gras a Heliograph by Niepce was so AWESOME!! Plus seeing Steerage by Alfred Stieglitz was amazing. This was private viewing for MSU students. It will be something everyone will remember for a long time.

The students agree that Austin is a place to return to in the future. Here Nate poses for me with the infamous UTA bell tower in the background.

Once the conference ended we took an extra day to explore the area. I have to say that it is very dry in Texas is an understatement. Pond and lakes water levels are extremely low. The grass looks like kindling. It is natural that fires are popping up everywhere. We drove up to Bastop, TX to view the destruction from the recent forest fire. I could not photograph the charred remains of the homes and the burnt shells of the cars. I am saddened when I think about the lives that have changed. We left once we were informed that we were not in the Lost Pines Bastop State Park but on private property. All signs and fences were totally gone.

Learned later that the fire regenerated and crossed a nearby freeway... one I am sure we were driving one just the day or so before. You could smell the smoke on the interstate.

Another interesting location we traveled to was a vacant suburb of townhouses. The Tundra Village is a depressing site as you view homes that range in level of completion. Again, we left once we were asked by a neighbor. Frankly I think more images should be shown of this location so there is a clear understanding of the waste of the land developers fraud.

We then traveled to Medina River Natural Area and walked by the river. But there we knew what was public and private.

From there it was lunch a Whataburger and on to the next adventure. We swung around the town and ended up at Guadalupe River State Park. It was a nice relaxing way to end the day of shooting.

This was a great trip. I need to develop my holga film and see what else I saw while in Texas. This was great group of students would travel with them anytime!