Feral Horses, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
The horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park represent Roosevelt’s experiences during the open ranching era. Ranchers during the late 19th century turned horses out onto the open range to live and breed. They would round up horses and their offspring when needed. For many generations, ranchers used the land that would later become the park for open grazing.
After the park was established and fenced, most of these horses were rounded up, but a few eluded capture and continued to live within the park. In 1970, a new park policy recognized the horses as part of the historical setting and since then they have been allowed to remain in the park in controlled numbers. Although commonly referred to as wild, they are actually feral horses, descended from domesticated animals.
Places That I Love
For the vast majority of my career, my own photography was an afterthought. Very soon after I started working professionally as a photojournalist, I became a full-time academic and for more than 40 years, my students came first. We traveled the world together, but my role was that of an editor and mentor, not a photographer. Rarely would I have time for my own work. Of course, that was of my choosing and it was a gift, not a burden.
Toward the end of my career, my teaching and advising focus shifted from undergraduate to graduate students, who were allowed to travel without a faculty escort. This allowed me time for some personal projects and assignments, and time to travel with family and friends, something I still do today.
This gallery has no thematic or geographic parameters, it’s just a grouping of photographs from places that I love, places that evoke special memories or moments that I enjoyed experiencing.
