the ranch

The Ranch, 2020

I made my reportage documentary’s subject about a ranch-hand on their ranch. My brother Seth has worked on this specific ranch during his summer’s home from college; it’s where he met his (almost) fiancé so it holds a special place in his heart. He has been full time at this ranch since May 2020. This ranch is closing its stables in 2021, and the property owner plans to find a new single-family owner for the 100 acres. 

I wanted to focus on the sharp, gritty angles of the barns, as well as the balanced encounter of the expansive ranch. The horses housed here are dressage horses. Dressage horses is an equestrian sport defined by the International Equestrian Federation as “the highest expression of horse training” where “horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.” These are huge Clydesdale and Friesian breeds which are about 17 hands and 2200 pounds, this means that the highest point of their back is about 6 feet. They’re muscular, beautiful horses that are shipped from Sweden, The Netherlands, France and more, and they cost upwards of $100,000.

Everything fell into place right where it needed to for this series. These were taken the day before all of the snow melted in Northeast Ohio, and I believe that the cold, hard snow adds a big portion of the melancholic feel. Cloudly 6am skies broke to beautiful hues of blues, purples, and pinks as the sun rose for the day. 

I chose to focus on this ranch in order to capture a moment in time. I have been feeling nostalgic and subject to my own mortality lately, and these are some photos that represent a time in my life that I don’t want to forget. “The Ranch”, to me, is the hazy feeling of life passing by, knowing it will end, and not having the control to change anything about it.