Cowboy Culture Photography

Cattle Branding - Cowboy Photography - American West

There’s nothing staged about the kind of cowboy photographs I make. No hired models in brand-new hats. No one pretending to ride for the brand. Just real people doing real work day in and day out, in weather that doesn’t care if you’ve got a camera slung over your shoulder.

For the past 5 years I’ve been photographing working cowboys on ranches across the American West. Not for the sake of nostalgia or myth-making, but because this way of life still exists, and it’s worth documenting. It’s early mornings, long days, sore horses, busted hands, and wind that doesn’t quit. It’s also pride, precision, and an unspoken connection between the people, the animals, and the land.

Most of the time, I’m just trying to stay out of the way. The goal isn’t to direct or interrupt—it’s to be quiet, to watch, and to make images that feel true. The kind that a cowboy can look at and say, “Yeah, that’s how it really is.”

These photographs aren’t just about cowboy hats and boots (though those are in there too). They’re about culture. About people whose lives are shaped by purpose, place, and tradition. And if you spend enough time around it, you realize it’s not just a job. It’s a commitment. A way of seeing the world.

If you're interested in cowboy culture—not the romanticized version, but the actual, hard-earned life behind it, this collection of photographs is for you. No frills, no filters. Just the truth of the West, one frame at a time.

Click HERE to see more of my cowboy photography.

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Photograph of a cowgirl sitting in her horse in beautiful morning light on a Nevada cattle ranch

Cowboys sorting cattle in early morning light in Smith Valley, Nevada

A young girl looks at horses tied to a trailer in early morning light on a cattle ranch

Photograph of buckaroos working cattle on a Nevada ranch

Black and white photograph of cowboys roping cattle on a ranch in Nevada

A cowgirl riding her horse through sage brush on a ranch in Smith Valley, Nevada.

A home made roping dummy on a bail of hay on a ranch in Nevada

Photograph of a calf running after being roped around the head

Photograph of a cowboy covered in smoke while branding cattle

Photograph of a cowboy covered in smoke while branding cattle

Cow testicles in a bucket after a cattle branding on a ranch in Nevada.

Black and white photograph of a cowboy laughing will sitting on his horse tied off during branding on a cattle ranch

Close-up photograph of a cowboys rope going aroud the heel of a running calf

Color photograph of cowboys branding cattle in a pen made with trucks and horse trailers

Blood covered cowboy chaps

Black and white photo of a Nevada cowboy in dramatic light