Oil and Gas Photography in Texas – A Week I’ll Never Forget

Some assignments stand out for the images I create. Others stay with me for the people, the places, and the memories made along the way. This oil and gas photography project was both.

The week before Father’s Day 2025, my son Gavin—19 years old and heading into his senior year at Texas State—joined me as my assistant for a three-day oil and gas photography assignment in northeast Texas. The client, TG Natural Resources needed high-quality imagery for a drilling site safety report, aiming to capture the scale of their operations, their commitment to safety, and their technical expertise.

We covered three locations in three days. We hauled gear across rugged terrain, set up in challenging conditions, and worked quickly to capture every detail while the rigs were active. Gavin stayed by my side the entire time, managing equipment, assisting with lighting, and getting a crash course in the reality of oil and gas photography in the field.

The image you see here wasn’t one of mine. Our security escort took it on my iPhone at sunset, the day after Father’s Day. Gavin and I are in our hard hats, the gear packed, with the rigs glowing in the fading light. That quiet moment after a long day’s work is one I’ll always remember. The hard hat still sits in my office as a memento of the trip.

When I delivered the final set of images, the client was thrilled. These were not just photographs—they became essential visual assets for a safety report viewed across the company. This is what oil and gas photography is all about: understanding the client’s goals, applying the right technical skills, and delivering visuals that are both visually striking and highly functional.

That week reminded me why I love this work. The technical side of oil and gas photography matters, but so do the moments in between. Sometimes, those moments become the most important part of the story.

If your company needs industrial imagery that combines technical precision with the storytelling power of photography, Solaris Studios can deliver. We provide oil and gas photography anywhere the work takes us.