I have officially fallen in love with West Texas, and this trip was the one that sealed it. It was our second time out here, and the desert just keeps calling me back. There is a calmness that the Texas desert brings, mixed with the artistic energy of Marfa and that tight-knit small-town feel. This time we decided to explore more and found ourselves driving through Big Bend National Park in the early morning hours.

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We hit the road at 5 a.m. to catch the sunrise, and it turned out to be the perfect time to go. As the sun began to rise, the canyons slowly came alive in the soft morning light. We are not big hikers and we certainly do not have all the hiking gear, so we opted for one of the most scenic drives in the park — the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.

Our first stop was still shrouded in darkness, but I knew my Fuji X-T30 could pick up more than I could see with my own eyes. I am so glad I brought my tripod because without it there is no way I could have captured this moment. I set up for a 20-second shutter speed to let in enough light while keeping that early morning blue tone. The moon was the only light illuminating the scene.

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As the sun climbed higher, the sky started to glow with pinks and oranges. Our second stop was to photograph the iconic Mule Ears. The mountains naturally formed a shape that looks exactly like a pair of mule ears. I was happy to have my Fuji XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 with me, although I found myself wishing for a longer lens to really capture the detail of these beautiful mountains.

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Continuing along the drive, we reached Santa Elena Canyon. The golden morning light reflected off the canyon walls and made everything look magical. We got out to explore and discovered the riverbed was completely dry. It felt surreal to stand in a place where, under different conditions, water would have been flowing.

We spent hours wandering through the canyon, taking in the incredible views. Standing at the bottom of a 1500-foot canyon looking straight up is humbling. It’s the same sense of awe I get when standing at the base of a skyscraper in New York, except here I was surrounded by peace and quiet, with nothing but the sound of nature. Moments like this remind me to pause, put the camera down, and simply take it all in.

If you have never experienced Big Bend for yourself, I cannot recommend it enough. I know it is only a small piece of the beauty this world has to offer, but it has given me a new appreciation for Texas.

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Gear I Used

For this trip, I photographed exclusively on my Fuji X-T30. I brought two lenses: the Fuji XF 18mm f/2 and the Fuji XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4. While I took a few shots with the 18mm, I found myself using the more versatile 18-55mm for most of the trip. It gave me the flexibility to capture sweeping landscapes and tighter compositions without constantly changing lenses. Both lenses paired beautifully with Fuji’s film simulations, and the colors straight out of camera made post-processing almost unnecessary.