In late 2020, I (Javi) began a documentary project to better understand the upper Gulf Coast. During my research, I connected with Coastal Prairie Conservancy, a local nonprofit working to protect the Texas coastal prairie. Through that partnership I’ve met passionate, creative people and gained a newfound appreciation for this landscape.

The concept was ‘Nuestra Tierra, Nuestro Lente’ or ‘Our Lens, Our Land’ — two photographers exploring their creative approach in relation to the landscape. Our photographers, Felipe and Jimena, would be flying in from out of town. After speaking with them about their respective photography practice, I cooked up a game plan for the shoot. Part of Felipe’s practice is focused on birds and wildlife. The upper Texas Coast is a part of a migratory flyway path, making it one of the best birding spots in the country. My first thought was shooting at Brazoria Wildlife Refuge, which has a fairly generous filming policy. I went and scouted the location but with a looming government shutdown, I knew I needed to pivot to a location that would give us peace of mind.

After a five year working relationship with the team at CPC, they’ve become part of the Topspin extended family. They own and manage 55 acres outside of Houston with a welcome center; because of our existing relationship, they allowed us to use the space for free. Our plan for the day was to shoot the features we needed for the truck by a large, beautiful Oak tree and then follow Felipe around the property to rip a couple of frames. By picking a location that checked all our boxes, we were able to move through our shotlist very efficiently. We ambitiously managed a company move to capture blue hour at a separate viewing platform nearby.