San Antonio Missions

San Antonio’s five 18th-century Spanish missions are very special to me for a variety of reasons. I have always had an interest in sacred architecture and the older it was, the more interesting I found it. Also, just over twenty years ago, I began changing my photographic style and equipment. I moved from the 35mm camera and color landscapes, to black and white photography with a large format (4x5 inch) camera. At the time, I thought the missions would make a good project to hone my skills in using the new camera. Since the missions were only a three-hour drive from my home, I could plan frequent trips. The fact that four of the five missions were still active churches piqued my interest even more. What began as a simple project to practice my camera craft and enhance my dormant darkroom skills quickly grew into a much larger endeavor. As I researched and read books about the missions, how they came to be and for whom, I realized there was another story that was not being told. That story became the basis for my doctoral program in history at Texas A&M University and resulting dissertation. Since I was still employed in higher education at the time, I began revising the dissertation into a book. That book, was published by Texas A&M University Press in January, 2026, as San Antonio and its Missions: Three Centuries of History, Memory, and Heritage. And I still have ambitions for yet another book on the missions, but this next one will be my photographic journey as I continue to explore these missions.