W YO M I N G
By Se t h Lowe
sethlowephoto.com seth@sethlowephoto.com 312.972.7099 Represented by: Claxton Represents www.claxtonrepresents.com
The American West represents an idea as much as it does a geographical place. It brings a sense of grandeur to one’s mind, reminding us there are still unseen sights and new adventures waiting to be experienced. Her vast terrain covered in endless sky brings a sense of awe to your soul, and after a few mountain peaks roll past your car window you begin to realize you are in a place far greater than something any human has created. You quickly realize that a way of life often regarded as history and Hollywood drama is still very much alive, and in many ways, the backbone of modern American. When my wife and I headed to Northern Wyoming this spring, we wanted to ind the people who make up this landscape. I have traveled across the Western U.S. several times, but wanted to ind out what life was truly like beyond the rest stops and ski resorts. Aside from the purchase of plane tickets and a rental car, no schedules were made, there were no speciic locations to be at, and no calendar to keep up with. We wanted each day to be determined by the people we met and the roads we traveled. The only goal was to connect with the local working ranchers and cowboys, and photograph their daily lives.
Th e Sheep
WYOMING
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“C’mon baby! That’s my girls, you’re almost home now,” Stuart
yells as the sheep inally enter their summer feeding grounds. It’s nearly 3pm, and the sheep have been on the move since sunrise. They are driven a few times a year to different pastures based on the weather and water supplies. Though it’s a tiring day for the animals, driving them as a herd allows the lambs to stay with their mother ewes for feeding, as loading them on trailers often divides them up. Ranch work in general is very much a family affair, and Stuart’s mom, brother-in-law, and other ranch hands are all working to keep the animals together and safe along the way.
WYOMING
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WYOMING
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WYOMING
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www.sethlow ephoto.com
The Rodeo In a state where most schools aren’t big enough to support football or basketball teams, high school rodeos are the primary sporting events. From calf wrestling and bull riding, to different roping contests, there is a wide variety of competitions to experience. Nearly all of the sports are based on real activities that a cowboy or cowgirl would need to know for life on the ranch. One of most intense was calf wrestling, or “bulldogging” as it’s often called. The competitor rides alongside a young bull, and jumping from his horse, tries to pin the bull to the ground. Crazier yet is the job of the pusher, whose responsibility is to climb in the pen behind the bull, literally pushing it out of the chute while hoping not to get kicked.
WYOMING
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WYOMING
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www.sethlow ephoto.com
“Turn left on the dirt road after the gas station, take the fork to the right, and follow it till the road ends. You should ind a branding happening when you get there... ask for Wayne.� In a town where cell service and wii are as common as snow in Florida, landmark based directions are the standard for local travel. Though a bit unnerving at irst, it quickly became nice to not have a digital person telling me turn left in a hasty voice. We hit the road at 7am, and after an hour or so of driving into the unknown, we found what we were looking for... the Graves Family Branding.
he Branding
WYOMING
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If anything were to strip the West of her Hollywood romanticization, it would be the experience of a branding and castration. Pungent smells of burnt hair and blood mixed with the sound of bleating calves under the hot sun overwhelm your senses in a powerful way. The line between boy and man becomes quickly blurred as everyone is required to pull their weight to handle the three hundred calves in the corral that day. Wayne oversees the branding, while his son, Nathan, does the castrations. Dirty work, but when driving down nearly any road in Wyoming means you’re in the middle of someone’s property, the cattle must be marked to prevent any theft or cross breeding. The highlight of the day comes when the last calf is inished, and everyone heads back to Wayne’s cabin. Dinner is pot roast and strawberry pie prepared by his wife. Everyone’s boots come off as cold Budweisers are cracked open and the guys lean back into the cool shade of the porch to inally relax. WYOMING
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WYOMING
www.sethlow ephoto.com
WYOMING
sethlowephoto.com seth@sethlowephoto.com 312.972.7099 Represented by: Claxton Represents www.claxtonrepresents.com
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