Field Journal: Sheep Mountain at Day’s End
The Photography Assignment
She wanted a senior session that felt like Wyoming.
After spending a portion of every summer in Cody, shows cattle, is active in FFA, and wanted to incorporate the Western Wyoming landscape and buck n' rail fencing that have become part of those memories.
The Evening
We started on the bluffs above Buffalo Bill Reservoir before making our way toward Sheep Mountain. The plan was simple: chase the evening light, stop for a few walking photographs along the dirt road, and see what the landscape offered.
As we rounded one bend, a stretch of weathered buck n' rail fence climbed through the sagebrush with golden light pouring across it. I barely had time to stop before she was already opening her door. We hadn't planned on photographing there, but sometimes those are the places worth lingering.
We eventually continued toward the trailhead, where a small herd of elk appeared on the hillside. We stood quietly and watched them disappear over a rise before crossing the trail in front of us. Only then did we get the cameras and continue up trail for the final photographs of the evening.
The best sessions usually leave room for moments like that.
If you're planning a senior session in Wyoming, don't schedule every minute. Leave a little space for the unexpected. Sometimes the photographs you remember most are the ones you never planned to make.
Planning your own Wyoming senior session?
Whether you're local or spend summers here, I love creating sessions that feel less like a photoshoot and more like an evening exploring the places that make Wyoming memorable.
