I’m not a cowboy and I don’t ride horses, but I’ve been around them my whole life. My dad had a furniture store near the stockyards in south Omaha, and I would watch the cattle being moved between pens ready to go to auction. I sensed a freedom in the cowboys that I related to. I’ve always been an explorer, it’s my nature. I’m more comfortable and I feel most alive in situations I’m not familiar with. I am always drawn to this same type – I’ve photographed test pilots and astronauts – the strong, quiet, self-directed types who seem to be in control of their destiny.
This shot of Mark, a friend of mine, was taken in 2014. All my images are productions, I don’t just happen to be there. I build a narrative and visit locations – it’s more like making a movie, it’s very intentional. I scout locations that connect to what I want to represent. This was a rugged area of northern Colorado. The shoot was really about speed and energy, and I wanted open spaces that could allow the cowboys to do what they wanted. I wanted harder surfaces and dramatic skies – although you never really know what you’re going to get. I take references from historical paintings and drawings of the American west, and ideas I carry on pieces of paper, so I go with a visual feel of what I want to do. I wanted to separate the colours of the landscape: the colour of the hat, the horse, its saddle blanket, were all selected deliberately. The image is all about power and grace – the gesture of the animal is so forceful, and the cowboy is so in control.
