This wasn’t a "standard" cowboy session. Although, while back, I was once flown down to San Antonio to photograph real working cowboys (or at least folks carrying sidearms under oversized hats)—but this photo shoot last week was entirely different.

A client hired me to create a portrait of her father, an older gentleman who had carried a lifelong affection for classic Western lore and rugged, traditional culture. The goal was to recreate that cinematic atmosphere, capturing him in the quiet, reflective role of an aged cowboy. We aimed to match the mood with the final days of autumn, surrounded by falling yellow leaves. When I arrived at his home around 5:00 PM, the sun had dropped completely below the trees. A lack of natural light might throw off some photographers, but it gave us the exact control we needed.

To craft the warm sunset glow from scratch, I set up a main light with a warm CTO gel just outside the frame to mimic low-angled golden-hour sunlight, balanced with a subtle fill light upfront to keep the details sharp and natural. 

Here are a few highlights from the session.