Photographer Nick Beymer has been shooting in Los Angeles over the past month, focusing primarily on two striking locations: a rodeo organized by IRON USA and the iconic Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, just outside the city. IRON is doing important work—celebrating Western craft while actively working to preserve and reframe the culture of the American West. What sets his vision apart is a commitment to elevating voices, identities, and histories that have traditionally been excluded from the mainstream Western narrative.
From what one can see Beyer has witnessed—and spectacularly captured—is a thriving, contemporary expression of Horse and Western Culture in LA. It’s dynamic, it’s vibrant, and it’s very much alive. From the glint of hand-crafted jewelry to the lived-in authenticity of Western fashion and the weathered faces that wear it proudly, the visual language of this culture is both rich and deeply human. It’s not about nostalgia—it’s about presence, pride, and reinvention.
This is a rare two-parter for a reason: the depth and breadth of Nick Beymer’s imagery defy compression. His photographs are more than documentation—they’re portals. They reveal nuance, intimacy, and identity with a level of honesty and elegance that deserves space to breathe. These aren’t just pictures of a scene—they’re a singular, vital record of a story being retold, on its own terms. The work of Nick Beymer and Guy Cambell will be on display at the an.a.log photo studio on 886 Capp Street, in the Mission District in San Francisco until May 24th. If you’re on that side of the world, its well worth a look.
