Artist Journal Entry:
This artwork was one of the most challenging photographs I have had to produce. While creating a new collection of work in the Mojave desert, I had this concept in mind to capture a few cowboys posted up in an old motel lobby that had a 1970s feel to it. Vintage denim, dirty cowboy boots, and a room full of time-period-appropriate props, it was coming to life perfectly. While composing the photo there was something missing. When I looked outside as I gathered my thoughts, I began to smile while everyone else probably thought I was crazy. I wanted to stage a real horse with its head peeking through the open window as if he were greeting the cowboys. Horses always have quirky moments and are oftentimes amusing to watch. This was one of those times I really wanted to show off that personality. Carefully moving the horse into position, I had to wait for him to naturally peek his head in the window while his ears were forward. Luckily for me, the horse was as calm as can be but it was very difficult to capture a photo where everything was almost frozen. I was working with very limited lighting while shooting on a tripod so everything in the photo had to be still for the image to be sharp enough to print. After many failed attempts we finally nailed it. This was the last photo I captured on this roll of film.