Don was the finest cowboy I ever met. One of the last. Bar fights, droughts, floods he's seen it all in his 30 years as a musterer.
I rarely saw him on two legs, he preferred four.
Kiana cattle station. The Northern Territory, Australia 2015.
Photo Stories #5: The Call of the Desert
I heard howling in the desert one night, just one voice, metres from where I slept. It came softy at first, a whimper rising to a moan. A howl that pricked the hairs on my neck and made my heart jump. There was sadness and loss in that midnight song.
The morning revealed this old girl, warming herself in the early morning sun. Just looking for a spot of company.
The Devils Marbles, Northern Territory. Australia 2015.
Photo Stories #1: Feed the Population
Barbarity, or just humanity?
Blood runs freely from the nubs of cattle's freshly cut horns as they are loaded for market. Why? So they do not injure themselves or bruise the meat of others.
For the musterers, this is their livelihood hood and they were hesitant of photos being taken. They know the repercussions and attitudes of people unused to this industry.
As I worked with them, during the processing of cattle, they acted with the utmost professionalism for the animals. Only performing what was "necessary", and not once goading or provoking the cattle. It was rumoured on another ranch, scientists were trying to breed hornless cattle, thus to eliminate this stressful act.
For now, as long as we expect fresh meat in the supermarket for a growing population and continue to lead a predominately meat based diet, intensive farming will continue.
The Northern Territory, Australia 2015.