All My Ex's Live in Texas
West Texas, Texas - 2024
Our West Texas team found this location
on private ranch land about two hours
from El Paso. I knew it offered potential
because the dusty amphitheatre was
framed by sizeable mountains to the
south and west. Also, there was one
solitary tree standing out from the
scrubland, which could be used as a prop.
It immediately looked like a place where
people would camp in the fabled days of
the American West. With that in mind, we
arranged for an antique wagon to come
from the other side of the State. The
last mile was not easy for the wagon or
those responsible for its delivery but we
know that it is that extra mile that always
matters.
It is a little intense shooting in the last
minutes of daylight as there is a need
for many composition decisions to be
taken in full knowledge that there is no
second chance. This is no time to iterate,
only time to be instinctive, especially
with a herd of cattle roaming freely
around the wagon. Most of the time in
these situations, I find something that is
not quite right and the moment is lost.
However, it is much better to roll the
dice and play with the benefits offered by
twilight; appropriate lighting is integral
to our creative processing.
On this occasion the tableau worked as
well as I could possibly have hoped and
there is nothing I would change. I am a
greedy storyteller and my preference
is for every inch of frame to contribute
in some way, but this approach risks
unintentional visual tension points. It is
the part of the job that I take the most
satisfaction from when I deliver, as it is
not easy.
Brooks Nader’s styling was influenced
by Sienna Miller’s character in Kevin
Costner’s Horizon. I wanted to couple
a simple white lace dress with dirt;
this, after all, was the Wild West not a
Victorian drama in England. Brooks is not
precious and was more than happy to get
dirty to play the role. There is no easier
model to work with or instruct.
West Texas is such a giving place to ply
my craft, not just because of its lonesome
beauty, but because of the cowboys
and ranchers living there. It is unlike
anywhere in the world.