Prada Marfa
The sun was starting its descent over the West Texas desert when I arrived at the iconic art installation outside Marfa. I'd been waiting for this moment for months—finally seeing this surreal storefront in the middle of nowhere, standing against the vast expanse of dry earth, brush, and the wide-open Texas sky. It’s the type of scene that feels almost like a mirage.
Prada Marfa - Valentine, Texas
But getting the shot wasn’t easy. The spot was bustling with visitors, as if everyone had the same idea to catch the place under the evening light. Each time one person walked out of the frame, two more seemed to wander in, admiring the shelves of carefully arranged handbags and shoes as if they’d stumbled upon a boutique on 5th Avenue instead of the dusty plains near Marfa.
I set up my camera, adjusting the composition as the sun cast long shadows across the ground. The air was warm, carrying a faint scent of dry earth and sage. There was a gentle breeze, just enough to keep the desert heat from being overwhelming. People chatted, laughed, and snapped their own photos, their voices mingling with the occasional rumble of cars on the highway.
Prada Marfa - Wide Version
Minutes ticked by, and the crowd barely thinned. The soft glow of the setting sun was slipping away, and I was running out of time to capture the golden light I’d envisioned. I took a deep breath and waited, watching the storefront and the people who kept wandering in and out of my shot. Patience was key, I reminded myself. Eventually, my chance came. The crowd drifted off to the side, giving me a rare, brief window of stillness. I framed the scene quickly and hit the shutter, capturing the storefront in all its isolated beauty.
Prada Marfa - Portrait Version
Standing there in the quiet that followed, I felt the allure of this place. It was more than just an art installation; it was a blend of high fashion and desolation, a strange juxtaposition that seemed to make a statement about luxury and wilderness, about something transient in a place that felt timeless.
As I packed up my camera, I took one last look at the surreal structure glowing under the soft hues of the desert sunset. This moment, like the setting sun, was fleeting, but I was grateful to have captured a piece of it.