This book presents an intimate look at life on the ORO Ranch in the early 1980s, photographed by Kurt Markus at a time when the American West was still a lived experience.
 
Shot primarily in a photojournalistic style, these images capture working cowboys in their everyday rhythms. Branding, riding, waiting, and resting are shown without performance or nostalgia. Markus approached the ranch as a quiet observer, guided by respect for the people and traditions he photographed, with a strong instinct for unguarded moments.
 
The color photographs were originally shot on Kodachrome film and have been newly scanned from the original transparencies. The black and white images vary in film type and camera format, from small to large format, reflecting the direct and practical approach with which the work was made.
 
ORO Ranch is a record of real lives, real labor, and a disappearing way of life. The book stands as a testament to Kurt Markus’s enduring eye, his compassion for his subjects, and his commitment to photographing the West as it truly was.