
The love for the cowboy way has been instilled in me since I was a young girl.
I was raised in Wyoming among
some of the Lord’s greatest creations. His sunsets, sunrises, mountains, waterfalls, people and wildlife are just a
few small blessings I glimpse of his beautiful creation. I live on a sheep ranch in Wyoming with three horses. I
work daily with Columbia sheep. I have discovered the beautiful moments and the hardships of what a rancher
experiences daily. A cowboy’s way of life embraces hard work, trust and respect. A cowboy lends a hand to a
neighbor in their time of need, feeds the hungry, and cherishes the land. It is a life lived for a greater purpose.
This is what “Riding for the Brand” means. It is based off a poem my dad introduced me to called Ride for the
Brand, by Paul Harwitz. It is a reminder of the life that we should live, that we are here on this earth to serve
Christ, our savior. It goes hand with the cowboy’s way of life.
As I set out to start my photography journey I tried to capture everything I saw. I first discovered my love for
photography in the darkroom at Northwest College. While I was not a photography major, my Agriculture
Communications degree required the Intro to Photography course. I was fortunate enough to have to use a
darkroom to develop my own film. When I was in the darkroom for the first time watching my professor develop
prints, it was like magic to me. After a few days of my own developing, the darkroom became a magical place that
gave me peace and made moments come to life. During this time, I did not think of taking photography to the
next level. My professors encouraged me to stick to photography, because I have a unique eye to see what others
don’t.
After getting my bachelor’s degree, I decided to pursue my photography and discovered the Academy of Art
University. While in school, I wanted to showcase not only the glorious moments of a
cowboy, but also the daily struggles and triumphs of the American Cowboy; thus, this is what my unique style in
art has become. Instead of staging the scenes, I want to bring the viewer to a live view of what the Cowboy does
every day. I ride along with the cowboys to document their livelihood.
While photographing on the side, I run and operate the family sheep ranch. We raise Columbia sheep and Natural Colored sheep. I have my PRCA Photographers Card (Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association) and now besides traveling to ranches, I travel to PRCA rodeos to capture 8 seconds at a time.