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Walter Workman — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 21:35:51 +0000

My friend Wyatt Myr is a farrier extraordinaire – he shoes horses that have hoof problems that need correction in order to heal properly, and also so that maximum performance can be achieved out of horse. He works on jumpers, cutting horses and polo ponies as a rule, often consulting with the vet or watching the horse perform to determine the best course of action. Wyatt is also a polo player and instructor, and I had the opportunity to photograph his bride vs. groom polo match to celebrate his upcoming nuptials in August. ( His future bride, Mel, led the opposing team, and I believe she won! ) The match and catered party afterward were at the Margaritaville Polo field in Burleson, Texas. While taking photographs during the match, I met Rebecca Sherman, a Senior Editor at Modern Luxury Dallas, and she posted this lovely piece that includes some information about my work. I invite you to visit the post on her blog at http://www.housesgardenspeople.com/2014/06/from-horses-mouth.html.

Walter

Praying for Rain

Walter Workman — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 21:12:57 +0000

Sitting on my front porch in Dallas as a rain shower falls all around me.
The television news just interviewed the guy with a $50,000 boat as he complains how the lake levels are affecting his weekend fun.
Friends, until I started documenting cowboys and ranchers, I never realized how much rain means to the livelihood of so many Americans ( not to mention our food supply ).
I know a rancher that called people in town, to give away the beautiful flowers around their house, because the well was going dry, and they didn’t want the plants to die.
Just outside Fort Worth, it now takes 35 acres for each cow, because the grass is so thin.
The drought conditions are all over the west.
If your biggest water concern is keeping your lawn green, say a prayer tonight for the cattlemen and farmers in the American west, who need rain more than our lawns ever will.
There is rain tonight in west Texas – May it happen much more often.

Documentary vs. Staged Photography

Walter Workman — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 18:12:46 +0000

Over the course of my career, I have worked on many photo shoots for clients where we worked as a team, with great collaboration; with each member of the team bringing their unique skill sets and expertise to the set, resulting in photographs that look exactly how we want them to look. This type of work is usually done for advertising clients, with pre-production meetings where every detail is discussed days or weeks before the shoot begins. The budgets are big, RVs are rented and used as changing rooms and staging areas, caterers set up tents and have food tables set out for the talent and crew. On these shoots, the creative directors and the stylists and the models and hair and make-up people and everyone else are as important to getting great images as the photographer.
The cowboy photographs found on this website were NOT created using that method. Props were NOT brought out for these people to wear or use. This is how cowboys today dress and work. These photographs were made by me, working alone, after being allowed to follow along these men and women as they worked. Without their kindness, generosity, and trust, these photographs would not be possible. They take great pride in who they are, the history of their chosen profession, and the ethics of their culture. They grow food for America.
The majority of this cowboy photography can be found published in various magazines, including Western Horseman, America’s Horse, and American Cowboy. If you need a cowboy photographer that can work in the dust and mud and snow to get images of the real deal, give me a call. Thanks, Walter Workman.

Walter Workman – Cowboy Photographer

Owen Zacharias — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:54:07 +0000

My name is Walter Workman and I photograph cowboys. Welcome to my new website, folks. This site reflects my emphasis the past few years of documenting cowboys of the American west. I will try to keep you posted on this, and other projects, as well as some of the people I meet and places I go. This summer, beside the usual photography, reporting, and writing that I am doing for magazines, I’ll start recording interviews with some old-time cowboys that I’ve gotten to know over the years. Hope to see you down the road. Walter.