There are pirates in them there waters… A Family Saga!

Most folks think of oil wells when the city of Houston is mentioned but there is so much more to Houston than the oil.   For starters, Houston is situated on Galveston Bay and just a short distance from Galveston Island.    Back in the day, pirates roamed these waters.   In fact, Jean Lafitte claimed Galveston as his base of operations for almost 5 years from 1817-1821.  It was not until the US Navy issued a direct order for Lafitte to leave the island, that he actually pulled up stakes and left.   In the five years spent raiding ships in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, Lafitte stockpiled a huge amount of booty but there are no documents or tales that give any indication that he left the island with his treasure.     So the legends purport that he and his men buried the treasure on the banks of Clear Lake (it flows into Galveston Bay).    It was in these pirate infested waters that I photographed the “P” family for their Christmas card session.

The water was warm, the breeze light and airy and not a cloud in the sky.   A perfect late afternoon for some fun in the sand.   We shot on location on the banks of Galveston Bay but in an area that is well-known for snakes and alligators.   That only makes the session that more exciting!   However, our only visitor, besides the occasional egret, was a blue legged crab who was not the least bit happy at being disturbed.

The “P” family was awesome  and this was actually the second time to shoot them, specifically the oldest child who is a high school senior this year.   They wanted something special for this year’s Christmas cards as this was her last year officially in the house.   The family dog was also in on the fun and was most cooperative.   We had a great time and yes, got a little wet when the tide came rolling in rather quickly, but alas no pirate treasure was to be found.   Maybe another day…