The Texas Hill Country

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Like many Texans, Michael H. Marvins has been making regular pilgrimages to the Hill Country for much of his life. Traveling the back roads of the Texas Hill Country, cameras always poised for action, Marvins has captured the excitement of small-town rodeos, savored the mesquite-smoked atmosphere of local eateries, observed the daily lives of people on the land, and admired the scenic beauty of the landscape and its natural denizens. Most important, he has captured his impressions with the skilled eye of a master photographer.

Popular Houston Chronicle columnist Joe Holley opens The Texas Hill Country by highlighting the many qualities that draw Marvins—and so many of the rest of us—to the Hill Country. Next, Roy Flukinger, senior curator of photography at the University of Texas’ Harry Ransom Center, discusses Marvins’s unique photographic vision and the fresh ways in which he helps us see this popular region.

But the principal focus in The Texas Hill Country: A Photographic Adventure centers on Marvins’s artful images, inviting readers to share his unique perspectives on this enchanting and popular region. He takes us with him on leisurely backcountry drives and into the laughter and swirl of dance halls. His lens embraces the people, the land, and the culture that keep so many Texans—and would-be Texans—coming back to the Hill Country again and again.

The author's proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

Charles and Elizabeth Prothro Texas Photography Series

About the Author

MICHAEL H. MARVINS is a Houston-based photographer whose work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), the Amon Carter Museum, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, the Grace Museum (Abilene), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the International Photography Hall of Fame, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and other locations. He is also the author of Texas’ Big Bend: A Photographic Adventure from the Pecos to the Rio Grande.

Reviews

“Our landscape is fast changing, disappearing. My German-Texas family came here in 1856 and developed a young Texas with their ranching industry. Some of us are still here today. So we want to remember this distinctive land- the cypress, rivers, flora and fauna, old stone fences and houses -which have now been preserved in wondrous perpetuity in photographs that are so real we can almost touch, smell, feel the vivid reality and yearn to know more about their stories. With this book the essence of this favored place works its way into our hearts to forever cherish.” – Becky Crouch Patterson, author of Hondo, My Father and The Ranch That Was Us

“Beautiful photographs that would woo the most jaded traveler into throwing his bucket list of temptations to the winds and beating an immediate path to the Texas Hill Country.” —Bill Wright, author of The Texas Outback: Ranching on the Last Frontier

“Many years ago, I was introduced to the elegant portrait photography of master photographer Mike Marvins. Each image he created was a visual symphony of lighting, composition, and delicate nuances that brought his subjects to life and gave an almost three-dimensional presence to a two-dimensional medium. Is it any wonder that Mike has become a master portraitist of the Texas Landscape by using that same artistry to share the beauty of the Texas Hill Country? Every photograph is a portrait in its own right and his unique palette evokes an almost ethereal feel to each location, making the viewer ponder, ‘Is this a dream, or is it Texas?’”—Earl Nottingham, chief photographer, Texas Parks & Wildlife

“Anything about this refreshing and beautiful country can be learned from this book. When planning a trip to the area, it is invaluable. Other times, it is a treasure for the coffee table. Your family may wear it out, but your visitors will get a real treat.”—Mexia Daily News