25 Nov Round Up: Ranchland

Photo book celebrates rhythms of the American cowboy

Traveling solo with just her camera, New York City photographer Anouk Masson Krantz spent two years aiming her lens at Wagonhound Land & Livestock Co., a working ranch embedded in Wyoming’s rugged Rocky Mountains. The result: a stunning photographic collection that celebrates the reality of ranch life.

In the newly released Ranchland: Wagonhound (Images Publishing Group, $80), Krantz’s black-and-white photographs tell a visual story of the rancher’s relationship with the land. “Ranchland is the deep dive to capture an authentic window into the rhythms of this working ranch and the land,” Krantz says. “To stand in front of this incredible expanse is to realize what ranchers such as Art and Catherine do to preserve our American landscape.”

Wagonhound owners Catherine and Art Nicholas took the operation’s reins in 1999. As stewards of a vast landscape, they take a holistic approach, utilizing conservation methods that balance the needs of the land, livestock, farming, and wildlife. “Our view is you don’t own the land,” Art says. “You have an exclusive period of stewardship, and with that comes the responsibility to care for the land and, if executed properly, it will be there to take care of future generations.”

Krantz approaches her subjects from a place of listening and learning in order to better understand the diversity of people she photographs. For Krantz, this approach is an important step toward breaking down divides and building community. “Our differences make this world more interesting, but with that comes listening and trying to understand each other,” she says. “Our country needs it now more than ever.”