Capturing the Shot
Drifter.
I lived a past life as a professional fly fisherman, traveling the world with a fly rod in one hand and a camera in the other. For years those two pursuits ran parallel. This photograph is where they finally cross.
I plan many of my images carefully. This was not one of them. We were working through another set beneath the Tetons when the moment presented itself. The horse was calm, steady, and so well broke that the idea felt honest. Ride him into the water. Cast from horseback. Don’t force it. Let the scene decide if it wants to exist.
Casting from horseback isn’t new, and it won’t disappear with this image. What stayed with me was the horse himself. As the line moved across the water, he became focused, tracking the fly with quiet anticipation, fully engaged in the moment. It felt less like directing a photograph and more like being allowed into one.
Drifter, the horse in this image, has since passed. Horses like him come along rarely, if at all. I was honored to work with him and to create what we did together. Without his temperament, trust, and patience, this photograph would not exist.
The title of this image is Drifter. I wanted to show respect to a horse that gave more than most ever would. Not many would have allowed this to happen.
Drifter, thanks for everything, bud.