Ghost Town Outside of Austin Texas Is There 'Just Because'

I spent Saturday in the blistering heat at a photography workshop in Manor, Texa, just outside of Austin. The setting was a ghost town and the theme of the workshop was how to use outdoor light. Okay, I admit, unless you're in to creative photography, that's probably a boring subject. But, the day was fun...and hot. We're talkin' 98* F and I forgot sunscreen.

After nearly 400 pictures taken that day, one of my favorites is a simple pair of worn out cowboy boots sitting on a bench. The look is as if someone just took them off and left them there after a long day of riding. The picture screams out, "Old Western Town".

Most of my other pictures are of models posing for us and those will be coming in future blogs and posted to my website. There is something to be said for a pair of worn out boots. They just look so comfortable. You can come up with a thousand stories of where these boots have been and why they are sitting alone on a bench in a ghost town.

I wish I had more history on the town itself, but the truth is, it was built in 1999. It isn't a real ghost town. It's just made to look like one. Either way, it is a pretty cool place and not just for photographers. You can rent the town for parties, weddings or any other kind of gathering.

I don't know much about the J. Lorraine Ghost Town but I am guessing whoever built had a fascination for old western towns and this was their way of expressing that. That's good enough for me.

By : Doug_Graybeal