Rainy Day in the Corral at Turpin Ranch
Lady Wrangler, Lea on medium format film
I recently had the honor of documenting the lady wranglers at Turpin Ranch for two days, tucked between national park lands along the Buffalo Fork River in Wyoming. There is so much more to come on this story, but for now I wanted to share a little snippet of the portraits I took before and after filming their daily de-wrangle.
I interviewed Lea about her experience as a wrangler and the dynamic relationship between the horses and the wilderness land they get to roam on. Her perspective on what the horses and land have to teach us about being human was beautiful and points to how much we all can learn from the land when we take the time to slow down and listen. Again, more to come!
Everyone I photographed and interviewed asked to grab “their” horse, just like an emotional support; it only seemed fitting.
Cowboy, Klint, leads Turpin’s summer multi-day pack trips into the Teton Wilderness
After the de-wrangle, I asked the ranch manager if he could take me up with the horses on the national forest land to watch them graze and roam free. Truly, one of the most magical experiences of my life. From the staff at the ranch to the horses and the land they share, there is kindness and mutual respect for the wilderness.
This project is largely inspired by my previous interviews and experiences with the Forest Service and state / national park lands. Our lands are so incredibly valuable, not just to be seen for their monetary worth, but for how we have preserved public lands for the wild to remain. A window to the natural beauty in the world and this country we like to call our own. I could go on and on about this issue, but for now I wanted to share a little light on a wildly beautiful day.
A bit of wild lives in all of us, and I hope we find better ways to preserve it.
