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Earl Nottingham is one of Texas’ foremost landscape photographers.

Through Earl’s Eyes

Photographer spends career capturing Texas parks, wildlife

By FRED AFFLERBACH | Photos courtesy of EARL NOTTINGHAM and CHASE FOUNTAIN

Growing up in Temple in the 1960s, Earl Nottingham spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Not that he was suffering from an extraordinary medical condition, rather, Nottingham had converted the family bathroom into a temporary darkroom. Decades before digital technology revolutionized photography, Nottingham was developing photographs the oldfashioned way — with film and chemicals and an enlarger.

From this humble beginning, Nottingham has forged a career as one of Texas’ foremost landscape photographers. From the salt and sand of the Gulf Coast, to the shadowy Piney Woods, to the Panhandle’s endless skies, to the dramatic Continued

cliffs and vistas and barren mountains of Big Bend National Park, Nottingham has spent a quarter century photographing an ever-changing landscape for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. His notable work in the department’s magazine has come to symbolize Texas’ diverse landscape. But, after 25 years as chief photographer at TPWD, Nottingham will retire March 31.

Louie Bond, editor at Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine since 2008, says you can recognize a Nottingham photo by the mood. “And I think that mood is reverence. He has such a love and respect for nature. When he takes a photo, it’s sacred. And you can feel it — the light, the mist in the air, the framing of the shot. When you see it through Earl’s eyes, I just feel like it’s filled with love and reverence. And there’s a peacefulness that’s communicated in his photography,” Bond said. “A lot of photographers create dramatic landscapes, and Earl’s are certainly dramatic, but there’s a peacefulness to them as well. You would think that if I was in that place, I would feel really good right now.”

Capturing that mood, that reverence for nature, isn’t always a glamorous job. Nottingham has spent countless long nights sleeping in the front seat, and sometimes the bed, of his pickup, tripod, lenses, camera at the ready, waiting for the sun to appear from behind a mountain, or over breaking waves, or above a towering tree line. Nottingham says that more than anything else, light can transform an everyday photo into something special.

“Somebody said a good picture is nothing more than an ordinary subject and extraordinary lighting,” Nottingham recalled. “Here’s a mountain at Big Bend. I’ll schedule it at this time of day because I know the sun’s right. I’ll have that beautiful, warm lighting. Also it’s going to show the texture of the mountain. Now the moon’s coming up. I’m going to put it off to the side so it plays against the mountain. At the last second, a deer shows up on the ridge top, something you didn’t expect, like that little ah-ha.” After working for the Temple High School yearbook and the Temple Daily Telegram, Nottingham earned a bachelor’s degree in photography at East Texas State University in 1978. Nottingham worked freelance in what he calls the lean years until 1996 when he landed the job at TPWD. Although he’s known mostly for his landscape photography, he also writes a regular column and shoots videos and environmental portrait photographs for the department. Besides TPWD Magazine, the accredited master photographer’s work has graced the pages of numerous state and national periodicals.

When hurricanes threatened the Gulf Coast, Nottingham deployed with Texas Game Wardens in their search and rescue missions. In 2005, he joined the wardens when they crossed a state line for the first time to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation in New Orleans — the terrified and thankful look on people’s faces as they were helped into the boats, a floating dead mule, and a shrimp boat grounded in trees — has left an indelible mark on his conscience.

“One of my favorite photos of his is rescuing a family,” Bond said. There’s this family and he’s got all of their expressions of despair and hope and everything that they’ve been through on their faces as these game wardens are rescuing them from the flood. The length that he went to get it shows how much he cares. Not only about getting a great photo but chronicling important things for Texas.”

In 2008, Nottingham and game wardens rode out Hurricane Ike in a sheriff department’s headquarters. After a long night with no sleep, Nottingham and the wardens patrolled in their air boats through the small community of Anahuac.

“This subdivision backed up to the bay,” Nottingham said. “And every snake within 100 miles had washed up on this shore. They had snakes in their backyard crawling up trees. One landowner, he’s out there with a shotgun just shooting snakes left and right. It was something out of a bad dream — water moccasins, rattlesnakes, but mostly moccasins.”

Always eager to embrace technology, Nottingham is now a licensed commercial drone pilot who employs drones to capture a view you can’t get at eye level. The drone he uses can take photos up to 400 feet above the ground.

“It gives you a whole new perspective on the scenery and the way people don’t normally see it. It’s a great tool,” Nottingham said. “We used to have to use a helicopter at Texas Parks and Wildlife, and it’s very expensive.”

Although Nottingham’s retiring from the TPWD, his work there is still accessible to the public. For those eager to learn from a master, he plans to lead workshops in the not-too-distant future. And Texas A&M University Press will be publishing an anthology of his work in fall 2021.

PLANT BUSINESS HELPS VETERAN FIND ‘New Ground’

By TONYA WARREN | Photos by JANNA ZEPP and courtesy

After nine years in the U.S. Army, Santiago Gonzales earned a computer engineering degree from DeVry University and traded his uniform for a business suit. He soon discovered the corporate world isn’t always a bed of roses. He has found his calling in an unlikely place — a small nursery on the edge of downtown Temple.

“I became so disillusioned with the stress after working in a very tense high-tech job,” says Santiago, a native Floridian. “I knew there must be something else out there for me.” He then moved to Austin where he operated multiple tire stores for 15 years. Santiago would drive to the Temple VA for his healthcare, often thinking about various job opportunities other than tires. Three Palms Nursery isn’t far from the VA health system, so when he was in the area, he’d find himself stopping by the nursery to talk shop with the business owners.

He grew to enjoy the peacefulness of being near the potted trees and shrubs that were awaiting new ground. Santiago knew he needed “new ground” too. He decided to purchase the nursery.

“I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors,” he says.” It just offers a calming environment.” He likes to get out and fiddle with the inventory, moving things around on his LS Compact tractor, which he says is the best investment he’s ever made.

He speaks with awe as he daily describes what it’s like taking care of living things. “Everyday I get to take care of the plants. I get to watch them grow and transform. They just make you feel good.”

Fortunately, they also make a lot of other folks Continued

Santiago Gonzales owns Three Palms Nursery.

IF YOU GO

Three Palms Nursery has two locations:

301 S. Franklin St. in Holland

254-249-0065 lahill62@yahoo.com

15 E. Avenue G in Temple

254-228-0289 sgonzales_1@yahoo.com

feel good during these long days of the pandemic. “At the beginning of COVID, people were home, it was spring, things were shut down, and they had all this extra time on their hands,” Santiago says. “Couples would stop by with their honey-do lists.”

Educating customers is an important part of the business, as Santiago wants to help them understand proper care of their gardening purchases. He remembers one gentleman who ordered a large number of trees for his country home but had no way of watering them. The customer was surprised to learn the young trees needed a lot of watering to help establish roots and remain healthy throughout our brutal Texas summers.

“First of all, I ask people what kind of water supply they have, as that will determine what plants will thrive in their environment. I then ask what look they are envisioning for their home or office. I ask them to drive around established neighborhoods and take pictures of what they like,” Santiago says. They then bring him the pictures and they discuss what would work well for their area.

Bell County is home to a large active duty and retired military community, so a lot of newcomers may not be familiar with what grows and flourishes here. He reminds customers to be careful not to get their heart set on a beautiful plant they saw on social media, since zone requirements can vary wildly. Also, it’s easy for beginner plant enthusiasts to remember plants aren’t attractive when they go dormant for the season. “Think about how beautiful a crepe myrtle tree is in August versus what it looks like in January,” Santiago says, laughing.

Although customers regularly ask Santiago to expand his business by offering fertilizers, mulch and even landscaping services, he prefers to keep things on a manageable scale.

Santiago’s wife, Laura, opened Three Palms Nursery Plants and Pottery last summer in the nearby community of Holland. While Santiago specializes in outdoor nursery offerings, Laura sells a variety of indoor plants. She has glazed Mexican and Vietnam pottery, chimineas, concrete statues and bird baths to enhance your garden environment.

“I retired from a very stressful job,” Laura says. “This job is for enjoyment, and I like helping customers pick out something they’d like in their home or office.”

She’s found her “new ground” too.

Paradise Grows

East of Temple at Lonesome Pine Nursery

By JANNA ZEPP | Photos by SKEEBO AND JANNA ZEPP

Just east of Temple on Adams Avenue is a little paradise full of plants, trees, flowers and assorted yard curios. The soft sounds of people chatting with one another drift through the air as they come and go, usually with a haul of greenery in their arms.

It’s a peaceful spot, unless you count Liberty and Hank, two furry greeters who come to see you as you drive into the parking lot, and even they are pretty chill as dogs go. They just want to tell you hello before they go on about their very important nursery dog business.

At Lonesome Pine Nursery, the people are friendly, and after the winter storm that hit Texas harder than most of us remember, it is a muchneeded salve for the gardener’s soul. Owner Jeanette Holtman even said that we were due for a hard freeze sometime around Feb. 15, but she certainly did not predict it would be as bad as it was.

“I know everybody was glad to see green again after that,” she says. “Like other growers, we were hit bad. It was awful. Just awful. There really aren’t words to describe it.”

But even the storm couldn’t keep her or the nursery down. The greenhouse kept plants warm and alive through the freeze, and more are arriving each day.

Jeanette personally goes to pick out and pick up from growers each plant that Lonesome Pine sells.

“I love being a part of the community here. I feel needed, loved and wanted,” she says, smiling. “It made my day when a regular customer of mine told me that my prices are fair and that she loves my plants.”

She also said that after 26 years in business, it’s finally getting really fun. When asked if she has ever thought of retiring, Jeanette says no and James Holtman, Jeanette’s son and employee, backs her up on that.

“Mom is really devoted to the business,” James says. “This is her happy place.”

Jeanette, and her late husband Henry, who passed away in October, began Lonesome Pine in 1995. They met in Westphalia at a dance when they were young.

Henry Holtman passed away in October, but Jeanette keeps a portrait of him among the plants in the greenhouse so she can see him every day. She says she still hears him speaking to her as she goes about her day, advising her along the way.

“I wouldn’t let go of his little finger that whole night,” Jeanette says. “He was just the one for me. We were married 52 years.”

Before starting their nursery business, Jeanette and Henry worked together in a cabinet shop, spending their weekends for five years working for Continued

the late Ray and Virgie Looney at Plants & Things in Belton.

Jeanette loved the store and said she would change up the entryway display often to keep it interesting for customers and Virgie alike.

She tells the story of the Looneys trying to sell succulents and they weren’t moving the way they wanted them to. Henry suggested they have a succulent garage sale and Plants & Things completely sold out of their inventory.

Henry also told her that they couldn’t keep making cabinets the rest of their lives, and that someday they needed to consider doing something else for a living.

“I remember thinking that it might be fun to own a nursery of my own, but I never dreamed this big,” she says of Lonesome Pine. “And my mother loved plants. She passed away earlier this year. When I am here, I feel close to my mother.”

She says Henry worked hard to make her dreams come true. As her husband’s health declined, she made sure he always had a little secret garden spot inside the greenhouse or somewhere on the property to rest while still being available to customers. The family knew Henry’s days were limited, but they never thought he’d pass as soon as he did.

A portrait of Henry stands among the plants in the greenhouse so Jeanette can see him every day at work and she says she still hears him speaking to her as she goes about her business, advising her along the way.

“He was my mentor. He helped me to the very end,” she says, quietly. “I miss him every day.”

IF YOU GO

Lonesome Pine Nursery

3120 E. Adams Ave. in Temple 254-791-0884 Web: lonesome-pine-nursery.edan.io

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Pure Design Countertops uses a unique method to give your spaces a new look

By TONYA WARREN | Photos by SKEEBO

When you look around your Armed with some YouTube home or business and knowledge and a desire to see if he decide strong elbow- could really pull this new idea off, grease and new tchotchkes won’t Gary set out for his garage to begin bring the fresh look you are searching experimenting. Other than enjoying for, perhaps it’s time to seek out drawing as a kid, he says, “I have no assistance to give your surface areas formal training in design or art.” He some new love. enjoys woodworking, so he decided

Troy area residents Gary and Eliana to combine the idea of making an Inocencio, owners of Pure Design entry table with an epoxy tabletop. Countertops since 1997, may be able The result? A lovely wooden painted to help. table with its beautiful tabletop

Pure Design was born out of design offering an exquisite black, necessity. Several years ago, the white, and blue marbled look. couple wanted to redo their kitchen After a couple of months of countertops, and Eliana, who puttering around in the garage with hails from Brazil, a country known for “They tell me epoxy, he finished some countertops for exquisite marble, was considering the look they his daughter’s house as well as some for using marble for the replacement. Laughing, are going his neighbor. “They loved the new look,” Gary admitted he for, and they Gary says. “I was quickly tabled that idea, and then set out to choose the also gaining some confidence that I could find a quality, attractive alternative that fit their colors and really do this for a living.” pocketbook. Perusing YouTube design.” Eventually, he wanted to up his videos turned out to be — Gary Inocencio game, and learn key in the Inocencio’s even more about this search for an updated countertop creative process, so he attended a look. The most informative video three-day conference in Las Vegas Gary found was by Mike Quist of where he met people in the business Stone Coat Countertops. Gary and from all over the country. He was Eliana were so impressed with the amazed at the creative and beautiful magnificent look that was produced look this form of artwork produced. by using epoxy, a resin material. “It’s all about the customer,” Gary The couple knew they had found says. “They tell me the look they are the look they were wanting for their going for, and they choose the colors own kitchen. However, they came and design.” up empty-handed after searching There are many, many shades of for someone local to renew their colors to choose from, along with countertops using this interesting mica pigment powders to create a method. Gary’s entrepreneurial spirit truly one-of-a-kind look. A careful kicked in, and planning was underway blending of the selected colors, a to offer a new service for home and slight tilt of the surface area as colors business owners to fill this void in are applied and applying a gentle upgrading surface areas. Continued

Gary Inocencio is hands-on when it comes to creating his custom countertops at Pure Design.

heat treatment are just a few of the many ways your new surface area dreams come true. He can cut new countertops and apply the epoxy or possibly sand the existing ones and start the application process.

He initially consults with customers about the surface areas they are looking to enhance. “We discuss what type of look they envision. Do they want a granite look or a marbled look? Do they want an exotic look? Also, what colors do they like?” In a nod to the currently popular minimalist look, Gary says many homeowners want simple white countertops with a gentle “veining” look. After meeting with a customer, he will create a sample board based on the customer’s preferences, and adjustments will be made accordingly, if needed, after customer viewing. Surface areas amenable to the epoxy process include countertops, tabletops, bar tops, and windowsills.

Epoxy coating offers an array of advantages in the home or business. Made to withstand a 475-degree temperature on its surface, the resin is difficult to scratch or stain, and Gary says many scratches can be buffed out versus having to replace the entire counter. Eliana, a nurse, enjoys the fact that these countertops are seamless, and therefore, they do not harbor food crumbs. She also says common, regular cleaning products can be used to sanitize the surface for a quick and safe cleanup.

Surface areas in public businesses take a lot of daily wear and tear and Pure Design Countertops can help design those surface areas to give that professional, clean look to wow customers and keep them coming back time after time. Need some unique gift ideas? Gary puts fun in a functional lazy Susan he creates using the same process he does for other surface areas. Fun and unique colors of your lazy Susan will net a lot of interesting kitchen table conversations for years to come. Another item not to be missed are customized coasters. If you have a sports fan in your life, score big with them with a corn hole game made with their favorite team colors using this fun and creative method. Now, that sounds like a winner.

Glitz & Glamour

Operation Deploy Your Dress brings sparkle to Fort Hood

Story and photos by BRANDY CRUZ

Being a member of the military community no longer means just putting on a uniform or wondering what to wear to formal unit events. Open since September, Operation Deploy Your Dress now makes glitz and glamour available to service members and their families.

“We open weekly and anyone with a valid military ID can get one dress free per year and one accessory,” said Christin James, shop manager of the Fort Hood boutique. “They don’t have any obligation to return it, so it’s theirs free and clear.” ODYD is a nonprofit founded at Fort Bliss in 2015 as a dress swap. The Fort Hood Spouses’ Club was contacted about opening its own shop, making it the organization’s eighth location. With more than 1,000 dresses donated from around the world, the mission of ODYD is to help offset the high costs of formal events, especially for junior soldiers, though gowns are available to all ranks.

“I think it helps build camaraderie on base and it helps going to these functions more affordable and fun,” James said.

She said the shop is available to loan for free if battalions, companies or small groups want to come in to dress shop before a ball. It also helps new spouses figure out what types of dresses they should be looking when shopping for a military ball.

“It’s good for younger spouses who have never been to a ball and don’t really know what to wear and are also really nervous,” said Dana Key, president of the Fort Hood Spouses’ Club. James said the boutique has dresses in a variety of sizes and styles for every body shape. She said some of the dresses are big and flowy, some are slinky, some are short and some even have trains.

Opening the shop was no simple task, as it took hundreds of volunteer hours, with James logging 280 hours alone. She received assistance from Fort Hood Spouses’ Club volunteers, as well as design and construction assistance from “Moving with the Military,” the Fort Hood-based home improvement show created, produced and hosted by local Army spouses Maria Reed and Chandee Ulch.

Reed heard about the project from Christina Hendrex, wife of Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hendrex, the former III Corps and Fort Hood senior enlisted advisor, and jumped at the chance to help.

Armed with nine construction volunteers, consisting of spouses and children from the Reed and Ulch families, the crew built the closets the gowns hang from, built four dressing rooms, painted and helped with the final touches. Reed said they worked more than 150 hours.

“We were thrilled with the results. Knowing that for years to come ladies from around the world will be able to walk into those doors and for a moment feel like a princess and be doted over is why we get involve with things like this,” Ulch said. “Everyone needs a moment when they can look into a mirror and love who they see. Yes, the place is beautiful, but the place only reflects how we, at ‘Moving with the Military,’ see every military spouse, child, and service member, as someone special.”

Reed said the “Moving with the Military” episode featuring the Fort Hood ODYD can be watched on YouTube, Facebook and Farm & Ranch TV. Check their Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ movingwiththemilitary, for updates and some behindthe-scenes photos of the ODYD build.

The Fort Hood ODYD is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made online. Visit the Fort Hood ODYD Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FortHoodODYD, for the link. Dress donations can be dropped off at the ODYD box outside Heart of the Hood Gift Shop or at the Fort Hood ODYD, located to the right of the Clear Creek Commissary (behind the trees).

Shari Jackowski pulls a couple of dresses to try on at the ODYD Boutique at Fort Hood.

FORGOTTEN FILM

PAST MEETS PRESENT WITH STYLE & HEART

By ELIZABETH FINKENBINDER | Photos by SKEEBO and JANNA ZEPP

The old First National Bank in downtown Belton on Central Avenue houses a bit of a virtual time machine capable of taking you as far back as the middle of the 19th century. Forgotten Film, a photography studio owned and operated by a delightfully friendly and fascinating couple, Jonathan and Laura Lee Cobb, restores old photos, shoots portraits using late 19th and early 20th century image reproduction technology, and allows customers to be creative far beyond the selfie with a modern smartphone.

The Cobbs originally hail from Rhode Island. Jonathan was in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Hood when they fell in love with Central Texas. They both agreed that the friendly attitudes of Texans and the warmer weather motivated them to make the move permanent a few years later. Although they have family in the Northeast and love to visit, they have put down roots in Belton.

Forgotten Film opened its doors in November. The couple loves vintage photography, which includes taking pictures with old cameras, developing film in a dark room and doing without the digital advantages of editing with computer software or apps. Their eyes lit up when discussing the film development process, which can be messy and difficult. Jonathan spoke of his deployments

Forgotten Films’ vault dark room is where vintage-style photos get developed.

overseas while in the military and the posttraumatic stress disorder that resulted from that time. It was suggested to him that a creative hobby might help his healing process. He was trying to quit smoking, and photography kept his hands busy. He had always been interested in photography, but it wasn’t until he got his first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera that he began to pursue it enthusiastically.

Laura Lee said they were privileged to be a part of a photography class given by the Warrior Connection in Vermont, which is an organization that helps soldiers and vets with their various needs, including psychological and physical ones. Jonathan particularly enjoyed film photography, and he actually started a dark room in a closet of his house, learning the process on his own, step by step. When the Cobbs first moved to Texas, they briefly had an online business selling stock photography, but they began extending their skills to photo restoration and camera repair, even vintage models. They began going to flea markets, Continued

pawn shops, and antique stores to find old cameras and were surprised to find canisters and containers of old film in cameras that people had forgotten to develop. Many rolls included pictures of very old ships, army scenes, and nature shots.

They were excited to help a woman retrieve tin-type film from a camera that had been stuck for years, and she was finally able to see a picture of a relative not seen in generations. That kind of moment makes their business so much sweeter because they get to see the joy on people’s faces when they discover lost treasures.

When given a tour of the shop, it is fun to see vintage cameras and film abound. An Agfa box camera, probably dating back to the 1890s, sits in the back of the store. It is the kind of camera from a century ago with a pull string, an 8x10 wet plate for development, and a black cloth to cover the photographer’s head. The puff of magnesium released when capturing an image made everything brighter and would distract the photographer’s eyes with bright lights and affect the process unless the photographer's head was covered. The tables are piled with film, disposable cameras, and other odds and ends.

At the back of this fascinating place is the dark room where Jonathan processes the film. A secured vault sits in the corner that has not been opened in decades. There is no running water in the room for

The Cobbs use a ”spy camera” to create tiny portraits.

film development, so he has to improvise with a jug and a tube to aid in the film developing process.

Both Jonathan and Laura Lee emphasized more than once how much they love what they do for a living. The old-fashioned, creative process of film development brings them tremendous joy as does interacting with the people they see in the shop. By fixing cameras and restoring old pictures to their former glory, they uncover hidden treasures for families and rekindle memories thought to be long buried.

And they love creating new “old photos” for customers. People are welcome to wear modern street clothes or bring costumes if they choose. Laura Lee hopes to someday have a supply of costumes available for patrons to the shop.

For those who would love to take part in this classic photography experience at Forgotten Film, sessions can be booked over the phone at 254-6614803 or online at https://forgottenfilm.us/. They can be found on Facebook at Forgotten Film or @forgottenfilmusa on Instagram.

By fixing cameras and restoring old pictures to their former glory, they uncover hidden treasures for families and rekindle memories thought to be long buried.