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In the afterglow of summer, I photographed cowboys on a sprawling cattle ranch bisected by the spine of the Rockies. As one cowhand put it, "We do cowboying the old fashioned way, on horseback without ATV's or helicopters." Another added, "Ya know, this is a romantic vocation, idealized in books and movies for years... but all the romance goes when you're out here with the herd and the temperature drops below 40 and it starts to rain."

Chaps and Spurs captures the rugged individualism of the legendary cowboy as he lives today. It's a portrait of the American West—a region rich in rugged beauty, colorful history and weathered cowhands living a tradition largely unchanged by the passage of time. From sagebrush and snow capped mountains, ghost towns and tombstones, to bunkhouse griddle cakes and a roundup—this is Chaps and Spurs.

PREMIERE: New Orleans Philharmonic

Contact Westwater Arts for the orchestral repertoire for this photochoreography.