Where do I even start, this session came together because two people connected on Instagram. It’s been a dream of mine to shoot in Montana for so long and Sam and I were able to make it a reality. Not only that, but I feel like I’ve made a friend for life & I can’t wait to visit this lady & her sweet family real soon!

I sometimes feel that I was born a few decades too late, anyone else feel that way? Like they should have been born in the late 1800s or early 1900s when the west was wild & things were simpler? The western way of life is one that I’ve always been attracted to, I’m a mid-western born & raised farm girl I absolutely love that part of my life. Sometimes I feel that in another life I was raised on a ranch out west. The western way of life isn’t glamorous like some people think, ranchin’ ain’t easy wasn’t put on t-shirts to be funny, it’s the truth – ranching is hard work, sweat, determination, courage & so much more. Of course this way of life has been romanticized because The American cowboy ..

Do you know what ranchers go through year to year? They worry about drought, cattle prices, winter, predators and more. They work in 30 below temperatures with a negative windchill, they work on holidays, they have to break the ice on the water when it freezes so their cattle can get a drink, they defend their stock from bears, wolves & more. So just know it’s not an easy way to make a living, but they still do & they take pride in what they do.

Sam is no exception -I have so much admiration for this lady! She is a 5th generation Montanan hard working rancher, cattlewoman, horsewoman, sister, daughter, hunter.. she is a lady after my own heart. I’m so glad I was able to catch some photos of her on the ranch with her horses. She’s been blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places in Montana.. let’s be honest probably the world. I could go on & on about my love for the Beef industry, the west, Montana, & so much more, but I think you get the picture!

 

I was also blessed to snap some photos of her sister RJ & let me tell ya – if you can tell from her photos she is wild, feisty & free. She has a free spirit & lives life on her own terms- she is most definitely a cowgirl! She was a hoot & I loved watching her ride!

 

I hope y’all are able to see the passion & heart of this young lady! I’m forever thankful that I got to spend some time with her & her family!

 

 

“Lots of people can be cowboys. Few can be Cattlemen. But no one can match the HEART & SOUL of a cattlewoman”

 

“And she will be free, like the leaves floating in the wind and the stream” -Josh Abbott Band

 

 

” A Strong Woman looks a challenge dead in the eye and gives it a wink” – Cassidy magazine -Gina Carey

 

 

 

 

 

“To live is to experience things, not sit around pondering the meaning of life” -Paulo Coelho

 

 

Cruddy Phone pics for the win 🙂