BILL IS A FARMER. HE NAMES HIS COWS.

Bill is a farmer. He names all his cows. Marshmellow got his head stuck in a log the other day and Bill had to saw him out. Despite a sturdy electric fence, all but three of Bill's chickens got eaten by raccoons last week. Until he can figure out a better scenario, Bill gathers the three remaining up in his arms and carries them inside his house at night.

I took a tintype portrait of Bill amongst his corn crop last fall. I set up my view camera on the top of the van, resting the tripod on the solar panels. I need a ladder. I climbed up on the spare tire rack instead. One of the days I am going to break my neck.

SHOOTING FOR MARS - TINTYPES AT SPACEX BOCA CHICA TEXAS

The goal of the trip wasn't SpaceX, it was the Rio Grande, but as I drove past on my way to the river I couldn't help myself... the rockets were right there, just a stones-throw from the highway behind a chainlink fence. They were fine with me making pictures as long as I didn't touch the fence or the concrete barricade. It was a hot day, and sunny, and so the contrast kinda stinks, but as far as I know these are the only tintypes of SpaceX Rockets.

Mr Elon Musk, I would love to do an extended tintype based picture story on your rockets, mixing 19th century photography with 21st century rocketry... what do you say? May I?