We’re proud to welcome Cray McDaniel to the Red Dirt Photographers collective — a true craftsman of film, light, and patience.

Cray calls himself a resident film junkie—and he means the celluloid kind, not Hollywood reels. For him, photography isn’t about digital perfection or engineered color science; it’s about honesty. Film doesn’t flatter, it reveals. As Cray puts it, “You either nailed the exposure or you didn’t.” His process demands presence — both physical and mental — and his philosophy mirrors the quiet rigor of the Oklahoma landscapes he captures.

Based in Yukon, Oklahoma, Cray’s work explores vernacular Americana—those quiet, often-forgotten corners where small towns, backroads, and farmsteads still whisper the stories of an analog past. He believes the beauty of those places never disappears; it simply hides, waiting to be seen by someone who looks closely enough.

“I believe a real photographer is a thief of light, not its author. God has already done the creating; our job is to notice it, to bear witness, take a piece of it, and pass it on.”

When Cray isn’t chasing light on film, he’s a freelance filmmaker and YouTuber, producing his series Oklahoma on Film — a visual preservation project documenting the people, places, and fading beauty of our state, one frame at a time.

Check out his images and links on his profile page.

Welcome to the group, Cray — we’re excited to see Oklahoma through your lens.