Dripping Springs, Texas-based photographer Eric Pohl wrapped up another stills project for his longstanding editorial client Texas Highways, a monthly print and digital Texas travel and tourism magazine based in Austin. For Eric’s latest assignment, he photographed a food cultural story about alligator gar of Texas for the magazine’s June 2024 issue.
Eric has had a strong working relationship with Texas Highways magazine for over a decade. With over 150 assignments under his belt, including numerous covers and features, he has become a trusted photographer for the publication.
For this project, an art director that I had worked with on previous projects reached out about a food/culture story on garfish cuisine in South Texas. Originally, it was a web-only food article. But after I shot it, the magazine decided to expand the story into a print feature and sent me back out for additional visuals.
I really love the story and journey of food and drink, where it comes from, how it’s enjoyed, and everything in between. So of course, I cover restaurants, chefs, and dining, but I really find that my favorite assignments are out in the field — farms, ranches, vineyards, or in this case, on a boat.
Whether he’s working on an editorial or commercial project, Eric’s photographic style is all about telling the story and its spontaneous moments.
I always lean toward an authentic vibe and a storytelling approach. I love thoughtfully combining the main subjects, supplemental elements, and details to create a well-rounded visual story, a sense of place, and an emotional connection to the subject. I also love employing light and shadow play to create visual interest and to help focus a viewer’s attention.
When it came to planning the shoot, the art director and photo editor gave Eric shooting instructions. He then took the lead in coordinating directly with the writer.
The art director and the photo editor gave me direction on shot ideas and the overall feel of what they wanted to see. Then I took it from there. I met with writer Jason Buch down in far South Texas and collaborated directly with him on logistics.
The assignment took Eric to various border town locations in South Texas, specifically in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley. Over three days, he dealt with the twists and turns of the shoot, especially while on the fishing trip.
Early one morning, Jason and I set out with fishing guide J.R. Garcia. Just after daylight, J.R. took us several miles upstream on a narrow waterway called the Arroyo Colorado. He anchored at one of his favorite spots, set a few hooks, and we settled in to wait — but not for long. I had come prepared with snacks, drinks, and enough sunblock to last half the day, but within minutes, one of J.R.’s lines started vibrating. He gave the fish plenty of slack, patiently waiting for the right moment. As the sun crested the treeline, J.R. set the hook and landed a thrashing 75-pound, nearly 6-foot-long alligator gar.
The biggest constraint was the unknown elements of the fishing trip. The magazine wanted the fishing guide to catch a gar, but like with any kind of fishing, you might get the gold or come up empty-handed. So it was pure luck that J.R., right on cue, landed that 75-pound monster in no time flat.
One of the most memorable moments Eric faced was an unexpected encounter with local wildlife.
I had my wetsuit with me. I envisioned getting down into the water to capture interesting low-angle action shots of a fish being pulled out of the water. There was one large hiccup with that idea. A sizable alligator was patrolling about 50 feet from our boat. So I nixed the idea.
Looking back on this project, Eric said,
This shoot reinforced the idea that I always need to be flexible and have backup ideas for shots in case things don’t go as planned.
See more of Eric’s work on his website.
Credits
Art Director: Ashley Burch
Further Reading
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