On High Ground: Portrait Photography for Cowgirls.
My work is inspired by the spirit of the high ground, from the magical dust of the desert floor to the legends of the sky – and all the saddles in between.
Selected Works
I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.
– Calamity Jane
“This brought tears to my eyes…Olivia has been through so much health-wise the last few years…There was a point when…we did not know if she was going to make it. Olivia is a true legend. Thank you for the amazing shot.”
— Robin, Mom
Domi Burk, 17, Dairy Farmer, Redmond, Oregon, 2025
COWGIRLS ACROSS AMERICA
What does it mean to be a Cowgirl? Who gets to be called a Cowgirl? What does the future hold for the Cowgirl? How will the Cowgirl shape the future?
Cowgirls Across America (working title) is a photographic project in search of answers to these questions through the voices of Gen Z Cowgirls across the 50 states of America.
My vision is to photograph subcultures of Gen Z Cowgirl in all fifty states as a way to present a range of interpretation and perspective on the traits and definition of Cowgirl, especially as visibility of the cowgirl aesthetic and culture widens through mainstream, entertainment, and fashion media.
Why Gen Z?
I have chosen to focus on Gen Z because this is the first cowgirl community that I came to know as a photographer. These girls and their families welcomed me into their homes and pens, and it was a natural choice to continue working with them.
Furthermore, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are rising among young people, and especially amongst young girls. I feel connected to this age group because of my personal experiences as a teen navigating the challenges of depression and anxiety. As an adult, I wonder how the culture of the Cowgirl can foster strong and healthy girls as they enter a future being shaped by artificial intelligence, climate change, corporate land development, and political turbulence.
The ideas and input of these girls into this project is just as important as my questions and curiosities, and I hope my images and the conversations this work prompts gives them a platform to express their hopes, values, interests, and points of view on what it means to be a Cowgirl today.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in contributing a voice and/or participating in this photographic project, please email me at onhighgroundequine@gmail.com.
In search of cowgirls doing exceptional things: farming, ranching, advocacy work, taking political office, circus performance, drill, competing in male-centered spaces, taxidermy, hunting/fishing guiding, artistry, writing, volunteer work, anything that empowers the cowgirl and her community including and beyond the horse.
High Desert Renegades
Drill Team of Central Oregon / Scenes from team photos and rodeos.
Central District OHSET:
Sport as Art.
In July of 2021, it was suggested to me by a local parent of young equestrians that I look into photographing the Central District OHSET (Oregon High School Equestrian Teams) meets. It took me a full year (July 2022) to gather the courage to make my inquiry.
I had never photographed an event like the OHSET meets. I had never photographed an event, period.
I’m also not an equestrian.
Upon entering the arena for the first time in March 2023, my knowledge base for the exact how and what to capture in each event was whatever information I could gather on the internet. And that was very, very little. I think…I found some articles on how to photograph jumping?
Quickly, I would learn the basics of what I needed to capture down on the ground in the arena, as well as in the culling and post processing of 25,000 images.
See the events here.
About
If there is one thing I’ve learned on this wild journey of life, it’s this: don’t let the world break you. May your spirit run forever free!
The OHG Origin Story:
In 2016, On High Ground (OHG) was started as an experimental Instagram account where I posted visual snippets of my life, the landscape, and gardening at 8700’ in the Colorado Rockies. I lived there part, and eventually full, time from 2010-2021. In 2021, I moved to Central Oregon and began photographing high school cowgirls. OHG became a branch of my portrait work capturing the spirit of these young women.
Mission:
The values upholding the work at OHG are courage, self-respect, personal growth, leadership, and the commitment to delivering experiences that foster strong self-esteem. The intention for all work under the OHG umbrella is to create spaces, experiences, and products that reflect the beauty, grit, and resilience of the cowgirl spirit.
Giving Back:
According to the CDC, 57% of U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, up from the 36% a decade before. That’s over half of the population of young women surveyed, and this number doesn’t even account for those that weren’t. At OHG, it is a priority to both build and share a foundation of tools and resources that support strong and stable mental health. Therefore, OHG/Jacquelyn Tierney pledges to contribute 2% of all profit from horse and rider photographic session fees and sales to organizations that support mental health through the use of equine therapy.
Did you know, OHG also stands for “Oregon Horse Girl”?
In 2021, I moved to Oregon and started photographing horse girls in the high desert. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I already had a mini brand developed with the same initials.
Since the OHG brand aesthetic leans into the vibes of 1970’s rock album covers, I decided to start showcasing horse + rider session photo albums in the style of similar vintage layouts and create a curated playlist for the cowgirls of On High Ground to listen to while browsing the session galleries and preparing for their own photo shoots.
Listen to the 2023 Summer playlist.
See some of the photo albums below.
Small lookbooks with high school cowgirls.
To book a private horse and rider portrait session for yourself, your family, or your team, please email: onhighgroundequine@gmail.com
Individual Fine Art Portraits and Family Sessions with digital and print collections included begin at 1500. For teams, please inquire for a custom quote.
