I was standing on the edge of Hobby Airport’s arrivals terminal on St. Patrick’s Day — my laptop propped up against a barrier enforcing traffic — waiting for my partner to pick me up when the photos came in.

Annie Mulligan, a photographer and frequent Houston Landing contributor, turned in a collection of vibrant pictures documenting a troupe of Irish dancers performing at the Houston Children’s Museum. I smiled to myself, pleased, and thought, “Annie understood the assignment.”

Two of the figures in Annie’s photos were sparkling. The colorful radiance of their traditional dress shows just enough blur of motion that adds another layer of dimension to the frame.

As a director of photography, one of my responsibilities at the Landing is editing photos. I essentially select which image to use out of the often hundreds our contributors submit to the photo desk. Option A can be moody and complex, while Option B may be lighthearted but not articulate enough to visually tell the story. The editing process is a balancing act.

After the dancers, I followed with a portrait of Kadence Carter, a trans teen who dropped out of Katy ISD after the district passed a controversial policy that requires staff to disclose students’ gender identity to parents, among other protocols (read education reporter Miranda Dunlap’s story here). His portrait reflects some of the dynamism and creativity he often exudes, even though he’s going through a challenging moment in his life. 

The color palette in Carter’s portrait transitions well to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo carnival photos by Landing staff photojournalist Antranik Tavitian. During the month of March, the rodeo is king in this town, so naturally, there have to be photos documenting the experience.

One of the most important photographs for the Landing this month is by Meridith Kohut who captured an immigrant family getting pulled over by a Chambers County Highway Interdiction detective. The photo was made during a ride-along for a story by immigration reporter Anna-Catherine Brigida about how Chambers County plans to implement SB 4. The photo shows the tension generated during a traffic stop but is juxtaposed by the tone and palette of the image’s surroundings, which depicts the kind of blue sky and green grass you might envision accompanying a family picnic. The contrast is unexpected, something I look for in photography. 

Near the end, I added a set of three square photos of a structure known as Conroe’s Bonnie and Clyde Bridge. I made these photos using a Hasselblad 503cx medium-format camera and medium-format film. The type of film and photographic process creates an authentic aesthetic in the photo that people connect with the past, which is fitting for a bridge over 100 years old.

The collection of photos ends with a picture of Art Car Museum director Alicia Duplan locking the entrance to the “Garage Mahal” for the day. I made the photo for a short blurb announcing the museum’s upcoming closure after more than two decades on April 28. This kicker image speaks to the end of an era.

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