Remember the Alamo

Behind the Photographs

"Some destinations are worth waiting for."

Years ago, Nada and I planned a trip to Texas to visit family and friends.

Around our house, we jokingly called it the "You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas" Tour, borrowing one of the most famous lines ever attributed to Davy Crockett.

There was plenty to see on that trip.

Family.

Friends.

Texas hospitality.

But if I'm being honest...

There was one place I wanted to see more than any other.

The Alamo.

For days we kept planning to drive to San Antonio.

Every morning, we'd say, "Tomorrow."

Then something would come up.

Plans changed.

Time disappeared.

Tomorrow became another tomorrow.

I began wondering if I was ever going to get there.

Finally, one morning, we climbed out of bed before daylight and headed for San Antonio.

It turned out to be the best decision we could have made.

We arrived not long after sunrise.

"Sometimes the best photographs aren't made because of luck. They're made because you got your ass out of bed."

The city was still waking up.

The sidewalks were quiet.

And standing before me was a place I'd read about since I was a kid.

Even better...

There were almost no people around.

For a photographer, that's a gift.

No crowds.

No waiting for someone to move.

No strangers wandering into the frame just as you press the shutter.

Just me...

The Alamo...

And the quiet that history deserves.

I took my time.

I walked.

I looked.

I waited.

I photographed.

This image has remained one of my favorites ever since.

Not because it's technically my best photograph.

But because every time I see it, I remember finally getting there.

After touring the Alamo, we wandered into one of the courtyards.

That's where I found the cactus.

Most people probably walked right past it.

I couldn't.

Those long spines caught the morning light, and I immediately knew I wasn't looking at a color photograph.

I was looking at black and white.

Sometimes color tells the story.

Sometimes removing the color lets the photograph speak for itself.

For me...

The cactus became the perfect companion to the Alamo.

One tells the story of people.

The other tells the story of the land.

Both have endured.

Both remind us that strength often comes quietly.

Looking back, I suppose the title isn't just Remember the Alamo.

Maybe it's...

Remember How Long It Took to Get There.

Some places teach us history.

Others teach us patience.

Every once in a while...

They teach us both.

Photographer's Notes

San Antonio, Texas
Early morning · Sony A-100
Sunrise; quiet city before the crowds
With Nada

← Lisa's Pier Along the Trail Rocking Chair →