Peter Byrne studied at The Newport School of Documentary Photography in Wales. After graduating he worked with numerous national and international clients asan editorial photographer based in the North of England. More recently Peter has dedicated his time to travelling whilst exploring the art of medium format photography. He has also exhibited various works in galleries across the UK. Today we take a look at selected works from his series, Riding the line.
Riding The Line
Cowboys and the landscape of the American West
The landscape of the American West is some of the most spectacular there is, to see this land and witness its magnificence and diversity can be a humbling experience. Ever since settlers migrated to the west, cowboys have raised cattle and worked the land. Over the years the cowboys’ lifestyle has led to the creation of a mythical character, often stereotyped as a romantic hero or a hard drinking & brash troublemaker. I wanted to look at the role of the contemporary cowboy and his relationship with the land, to examine how the land provides a perfect backdrop for individuals at one with nature, and how the peace & tranquillity of the landscape mirrors the temperament of the cowboy.
During the yearlong project I visited 45 different ranches in 12 states. The images enclosed are a selection taken from a final edit of 95 and were taken with a 6×6 film camera.
To view more of Peters work please checkout his website.