Blanco River, Texas

Just south of his home in Austin, in the Hill Country near Kyle, Texas, the photographer Kenny Braun captured these four deer crossing the shallows of the winding Blanco River shortly after sunrise. Braun shares this image and more natural beauty in his newly released book of photography, As Far As You Can See: Picturing Texas (University of Texas Press), a retrospective of his work that spans twenty-three years and the mountains, rivers, prairies, lakes, beaches, plains, deserts, and swamps of the Lone Star State. “It was serendipity that led me to this spot,” Braun says. He had set out with a different location in mind, “but when I got there, the river had no access due to construction. I frantically drove around until I saw a park that had river access. As the sun came up, I could see fog rising from the water, and it was beautifully backlit. On cue, as I was setting up the shot, deer started swimming across. Luck plays a role in many of the best photographs, whether the photographer admits it or not.”