One of the great periods of my life was the 20 years I spent with horses.  Just like I photograph everything in nature, I embraced every aspect of the horse world.  I had an American Saddlebred, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Arabians and grade horses.  I rode western, English and with a flat saddle which is sort of like English.  Through all of the fancy stables and horse shows, I was always a cowboy at heart.  I have trailered my own horses for both day rides and week-long camping trips.   When I did not have a trailer I rented horses in Colorado for five hours at a time.  Just my wife and I with no guides.  I went on a week-long wilderness horseback trip in the Canadian Rockies.  These were some of the truly great times of my life.

One of the things that makes those things we that love to do more special than other things is the feeling it gives us when we do it.  There was an atmosphere around trail riding and horses in general that I lived for.  A cowboy mentality.  In a freedom loving,  gritty, and old,  but a good way.  Many wildlife/nature photographers wear camouflage while they are in the field.  That can be a very effective technique for being somewhat invisible to your subjects.  The truth is most photographers wear it when they are shooting pictures from the car.  They also wear it while they are simply walking in the wide open spaces.  They wear it for a day of landscape photography.  I used to make fun of those facts.  Then I realized there were times when I worked with horses that I wore cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  I did not have to dress in that garb.  Being a cowboy is a state of mind, same as being a nature photographer.  It is not only about riding a horse just like nature photography is not just about making pictures.  We do the things we do and dress the way we do, to make our experiences full and rich.  That is a good thing not a bad one.

I began my horse days while I lived in Colorado and most definitely knew my share of real working cowboys.  Cowboy philosophy and humor is an American treasure.

It is easier to get an actor to be a cowboy than to get a cowboy to be an actor.

Don’t squat with your spurs on.

Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

It’s the bulls and blood, dust and mud, and the roar of a Sunday crowd.

Nature gave us all something to fall back on, and sooner or later we all land flat on it. From my cowboy friends and the cowboy that still lives inside of me, we all thank you.

Today’s photos have nothing to do with cowboy life, but everything to do with nature photography.

Bumble Bee & Chicory

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

There’s power in simplicity.  In this case more flowers would make for a weaker image.

Teamwork.  Canada Geese.

Red-tailed Hawk hunting from a sign.

Smoky Mt. waterfall, Tennessee

Phlox & dew.