Photo courtesy of Joseph Richards Whether in a blind or out in the open trying to rattle up a buck, sitting still is essential. These two photography students hone their skills behind the camera at one of the Richards family photography schools on the Hindes Ranch.
INTO SHARP FOCUS
A Richards Outdoor Photography Workshop Hosted on the Hindes Ranch Near Charlotte Brings Generations of Hands-On Experience in Nature Photography, Land Stewardship and Wildlife Management Into Sharp Focus. Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD
"I
've bagged a lot of magazine covers and chased a lot of light in a lot of places, and while I still have a passion for those things, I also have to ask, 'What's next?'" said Dave Richards, a manufacturer's representative in the sporting goods industry and noted outdoor photographer based in Boerne. "Quite simply, I want to help people experience what I've experienced in the outdoors and hopefully light a fire in them that inspires them to help take care of it." An outdoor photography workshop seemed to be the logical next step. It was something that he, wife Beth, and their sons, Joe and James, themselves talented photographers, had discussed extensively. The Hindes Ranch, with its diverse, well-managed Brush Country habitat and reputation for outstanding native white-tailed deer, offered the ideal setting.
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Dave and the Hindes family have enjoyed a long and rewarding relationship. So Dave approached them with the idea. Collectively, they decided to "give it a try and see where it would go." "We agreed because we'd be able to share the fruits of 50 years of management with a new group of people," said Roy "Cuatro" Hindes IV, who co-manages the Hindes Ranch along with his father "Little" Roy Hindes III and his brother-in-law John Schulte. Recognizing the value of well-managed whitetails, the Hindes family under the leadership of "Big" Roy Hindes installed a high fence around their about 9,000-acre property in 1972. Knowing that information was key to managing the wildlife resource, they wanted to familiarize themselves with the deer on their property. In the days before trail cameras were widely available and affordable, a long-term photography project could provide
