Horses & Icons of the Wild West

Set at the scenic base of north-central Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, the historic Flitner Ranch has been in operation since 1906. Stretching from colorful high desert lands to rugged alpine terrain and encompassing over 300,000 acres, it is the perfect location for combining two engrossing avocations: photography and horseback riding. The ranch has 200 head of registered quarter horses and runs its own breeding program—ranch-trained geldings, mares and studs that are in high demand throughout the West. These are some of the best-quality riding horses to be found anywhere in the country—exceptionally well-bred, ridden and trained on the ranch, and renowned for their gentle dispositions. At The Hideout, they take pride in matching the horse to the rider.

Our daily shoots record the heart and soul of ranch life in Wyoming. Often leaving with our horses before dawn and returning after dark, we explore all facets of a real operating ranch where cattle work is one of the defining activities. In late summer, the cattle are still in the high country awaiting the autumn roundup and the return to lowland pastures, but movement to fresh meadows, sorting or other activities happen daily. Photographing the wranglers as they go about the necessary routines of a real working ranch is our main emphasis, but throughout the week we also work on iconic Western details, portraits of cowboys and their horses, and landscapes.

The diversity of landscapes amazes. From painted hills of red sandstones to rocky canyons and alpine forests, each day a new location beckons. From the golds of late-summer fields, to the shining blue lakes and creeks of the high meadows, this is country best explored by horseback. Under nearly 365 days of blue Wyoming skies—where magnificent colors spread across the sky at dawn and sunset—our days are filled with endless possibilities. And each night we return to the comforts of The Hideout—where delicious meals and comfortable cabins await.

Immerse in the daily life of the American West. Breathe the scent of sagebrush, traverse painted-desert lands where the morning sun catches the textures of sculpted hillsides, ride to high-country cattle pastures where we capture images of cowboys at work, and taste the breeze from the Bighorns while crossing high open meadows. From the back of a horse the world can refocus and the changing terrain and sky becomes sharply etched in memory. Pack your boots and Wranglers and ride with us. The lure of the open trail lies ahead, with the promise of a new photogenic image just around the next bend. Cameras at the ready, we are in a prime location to create images of classic Western life and landscapes—and get closer to the mythic heart of the cowboy’s world.