Western Kansas photographer Rachael Sebastian shares how dusty light, rodeo grit, and wide-open landscapes shape her images of the modern American West.
Rachael Sebastian has lived in Kansas all her life. She was born in Marshall County and now lives near the Colorado border in Horace. She credits her mother, a journalist, for fostering her love of photography and teaching her how to shoot on film cameras when she was growing up. Sebastian, who studied journalism and Spanish at the University of Kansas, is now self-employed with Mira 3 Photography and manages social media and photography for Tongue River Ranch near Dumont, Texas.
KANSAS! (KS!): What was your first camera?
Rachael Sebastian (RS): My first camera was a Kodak 110. When I got more serious about photography in middle school, I shot on a Pentax K1000. I used it so much I had to hold it shut with a rubber band. I still have it; it sits on my shelf.
KS!: What is one of the hardest subjects to photograph badly? To photograph well?
RS: It’s hard to take a bad photo of a cowboy. They’re so photogenic when they do their jobs—they’re usually stoic and rugged, even when they’re not busy. Their tack provides a lot of texture, from shiny spurs to stitched reins. Horses, however, are difficult to photograph well. You have to have the right lens and angle or they come out looking like donkeys. You also want to represent them well; you don’t want their legs crossed over wrong or their mouths gaping at the bit.
KS!: How would you describe your photography in terms of a color wheel?
RS: Is “dust” on the color wheel? Working in western Kansas and West Texas, I tend to photograph lots of dusty, back-lit photos. … Taupe, gold, sage and rust are the main colors in my photos.
KS!: Tell us about the shot that got away.
RS: I have a friend and model who rides ranch broncs (bucking horses ridden by cowboys in rodeos). He always does well … unless I’m there with my camera. I think my camera might be bad luck for him. I have countless photos of him working as a cowboy and at ranch rodeos, but none on a ranch bronc!
KS!: What is your favorite chance photo taken in Kansas?
RS: My favorite chance photograph, which is in this collection of photos, is of Jaytyn Hash, a college rodeo athlete and pickup man. I was shooting photos for a shirt company where rodeo athletes were modeling the shirts, when Jaytyn flew by me picking up a bronc. That’s when I happened to catch the perfect shot. He’s on his pickup horse, reaching down for the bronc rein, and the other pickup man’s horse is also in the shot. You can’t see the horses’ legs, but they’re perfectly in sync, and their heads are lined up. I love the smooth, forward movement of the photo and Jaytyn’s cool expression. He’s in control.
KS!: Tell us about the moments leading up to one of the photographs in this collection of your work.
RS: Some of my favorite moments are behind the bucking chutes at rodeos. It’s fun to see the athletes get ready. In a shot included here, you can see Cade Bell, a bronc rider, preparing his mind and tack. He’s ready to battle the broncs, who are already fighting each other in the background. In the photo, you can see the dust they’re kicking up.
KS!: What is your most common advice to beginning photographers?
RS: SHOOT. Whatever camera you have is the best one. I also encourage young photographers to learn composition. Leading lines, framing, symmetry, foreground and background can all make stronger photographs. I recommend viewing and enjoying fine art to strengthen the knowledge of composition.
KS!: What’s a Kansas location that you return to again and again to photograph?
RS: Monument Rocks. Particularly, Pyramid Ranch at Monument Rocks. My best friends manage it, and I keep a horse there. I love the tones of the rock formations and the canyonlands in the pasture. It’s pretty cool that it’s a huge working ranch, but the rock portion is open to the public to explore. I hold a western photography workshop called West of East there each year with Justine Johns of Open Triangle Photography.
KS!: What’s a Kansas location you have never photographed, but would like to?
RS: I’ve never photographed the Gyp Hills but have always wanted to. Kansas has this reputation for being flat, but areas like the Gyp Hills, Monument Rocks, Arikaree Breaks, Little Jerusalem and the Flint Hills
