Originally from Southern California, I’ve always spent a lot of time outdoors. I moved to Kerrville, Texas in the fall of 2024 and through work with The Kerr County Lead, got my hands on some camera equipment.

A few walks along the Guadalupe River and the rest is history. South-Central Texas has incredibly diverse ecosystems that are home to a variety of wildlife species.

There are a lot of critters here.

Lined with ancient bald cypress trees, huge sycamores, elms and gothic Spanish oaks, the river weaves through desert landscapes, canyonlands and prairie lands, drawing a wide array of birds, aquatic species, and mammals.

Professionally, I was a newspaper journalist, then a high school and college English teacher and, most recently, a product marketing manager for an EdTech company. I also write and shoot photos for The Kerr County Lead.

I was here for the July 4 flood and covered it extensively for The Lead. For weeks, I walked the river, photographing the aftermath and documenting the stories. I continued to write and photography flood stories even after returning to work. It was a difficult, devastating experience. Months later, I started walking the river again, this time photographing the return of wildlife and recovery efforts. It helped.

Lucid came from that. Wandering this landscape full of ancient marine fossils, flood scars, death and decay, and new growth and life, I could see the long, lucid history carved into the soil and limestone. It’s endlessly interesting.

These days, I still document the recovery efforts around my full-time marketing work. Most of the time, though, I just want to wander with my camera and look for birds.

—Jennifer Dean