By BECKY TALLEY
Sheep Industry News Associate Editor

(February 1, 2010) There are few sights that rival a golden sunset reflecting off the crisp white wool of a band of sheep or the sun, streaming through trees, illuminating peacefully a grazing flock of ewes and lambs.

These are images that many producers can easily conjure in their minds, as they see something this picturesque almost everyday of their lives. But one talented woman from Nevada has been able to capture these glimpses into the sheep industry to share with all.

Renowned Western photographer Linda Dufurrena has been capturing and sharing images of the western, rural way of life for many years. Her photography has graced magazines, such as Range, presentations, a book and has even been used for interior decoration across her home state of Nevada and beyond.

But its not only her skill with the equipment that has earned her photography acclaim – Dufurrena lives the western life that she so eloquently captures through her lens. She is a rancher at heart and has an intimate knowledge of her subjects.

Dufurrena and husband, Buster, run a range operation with Rambouillet/Merino sheep outside of Winnemucca, Nev. Buster’s father and uncles, who came from the Basque country in the early 1900s, began the sheep ranching tradition.
“There is a lot of history here,” Dufurrena explains.

That history has, today, given Dufurenna a never-ending supply of scenes, livestock and events to photograph. While she does take photos across the state, many come from the day-to-day life on her own ranch.

“I can find everything I want, right here. We have herders, we are out on the range, I really don’t have to go anywhere else,” she says, though she didn’t always look at life on her ranch through the lens.

She actually first fell into photography when her sons were competing in high school rodeo. Her oldest had won a buckle, and she went to the arena to take a quick photo of him receiving the trophy from the governor of Nevada, at the time. Other parents wanted photos of their children receiving the same honor.

Before she knew it, she replaced the retiring rodeo photographer and became the official Nevada high school rodeo photographer permanently for several years, going all across the state covering the events.

“I just really learned and jumped feet first right into it. I was about 40 when I started, and I had never done anything like that at all. I’ve always liked art, but I didn’t think about doing something like photography,” she recalls, adding that she expanded her skills into photo development as well during this time.

When her sons got out of high school, she began to take her photos to craft shows, and really saw her business begin to boom.

A big break came when one of her sheep photos was purchased for a birthday present for John Ascuaga by an architect and interior designer who designed his hotel and casino, John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel and Casino, in Reno. It was so well received that Dufurrena’s photography was used to decorate the rooms in both towers of the casino, around 2,000 framed photos, as well as the property’s Orozko Restaurante.

She was approached after that to decorate another hotel and casino, the Carson Valley Inn, with her photography, and it just kept booming from there.

Today, Dufurrena’s photos have been used to decorate many offices, hospitals and businesses. In addition, she and her daughter-in-law also published a book, “50 Miles From Home,” featuring her work.

She says that her sheep photography has been very popular among viewers.

“People just love the sheep photography, and what I think they like about it is that it reminds them of their grandfather or uncle that used to be in the sheep business. People tell me that a lot,” she says.

She adds that many who have viewed her sheep photos have expressed how peaceful they make them feel.

“Its amazing how many people, especially those in hospitals that I have decorated, get such a comfort looking at the sheep pictures, particularly. I am always touched by that,” she says.

While these people get to see the final result of Dufurrena’s efforts, she mentions that sheep can be a pretty hard subject to capture.

“I have taken tons of pictures of bunches of sheep. I only have one photo where they are all looking at me,” she relates, adding that light is key when photographing the wooly subjects. “You really have to depend on good lighting. There is nothing prettier than some white sheep in a barn with a shaft of light coming through. Anything with good lighting brings out the outlines.”

She also says close-up shots give some great images.

“They all have different expressions of face, so I try to get those close ups.”
Several of her photographs, many likely sheep related, will be featured in an upcoming exhibit on Ellis Island, “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Basques,” which will focus on the Basque immigrants who came to the United States.

As the photography business is always changing, Dufurrena says that while she still has her dark room, which she has right on the ranch, it now contains all digital equipment, which she says she is still learning to work with.

She also recently developed a Web site for Linda Dufurrena Photography, www.lindadufurrena.com, to reach a wider audience with her photos.

But while she is evolving with the digital age, it is a safe bet that Dufurrena’s photography will continue to focus on the good, old-fashioned ways of rural life that many agriculture producers live every day.

“Normally, I just have my camera with me all the time, and I can take advantage of that. We can just stay close to home everyday and see a different image.”