Houstonian Heat Heroes.

2023
Editorial portraits

In April of 2023, I had my first set of assignments for Houstonia Magazine— a magazine that I’d been admiring for about a decade and one that I’d more recently hoped to add to my client list. The assignment was photographing three “Heat Heroes” for the summer issue of the magazine. Because when the Houston heat hits (save that 5 times fast), we all need a little bit of rescuing…sometimes with a cold, sweet treat like a snow cone or popsicle, or maybe a trip out west (to Katy) for an adrenaline-rushing splash into the pool, or something as simple as a good book read under a blast of A/C.

Yesenia Garcia, owner of Unicorn Snow Cones, was first up. Since her business is mobile, she can easily wheel around the city for just the right location. We met up near the Sabine Street bridge which gave us a great skyline backdrop for a few wide shots that included the truck, as well as tighter shots to give the view a customer sees…a smiling face handing them a rainbow-colored, icy treat. By the way, Yesenia has just opened a new space (accessible at the link above) that you should check out for your next event.)

Next up was Sylvia Espinosa, from the Houston Public Library. Just like there are “warming centers” around town during hard-freezes for those who would otherwise be exposed to the elements, the library offers their first floor as a cooling center during the summer. People can relax in the A/C with the latest bestseller, play a board game, grab a glass of water and even seek medical attention for heat-related conditions. And Sylvia is on hand to step in and help as needed, along with a great staff of fellow librarians.

Finally, a trek out west to Typhoon Texas led me to Caitlin Hirst, who leads a team of 250 lifeguards at the waterpark. Not only can you seek reprieve from the heat with a dip in the pool, but you can relax a bit easier knowing the water’s edge is lined with CPR-trained professionals in case of an emergency.