I’m honored to have a hometown hero from Jackson, Wyoming, on this episode of the About Your Mother podcast. Lindsay Linton Buk is a photographer and storyteller originally from Powell, Wyoming. Her dream took her to New York and back, where she learned photography from the best in the industry before being called back home.
Lindsay and I sat down in person for this conversation about art, her roots, and how she forged a space for her creative career in The Cowboy State.
Lindsay’s book, Women Shaping the West, tells the story of 25 diverse women who make up the heartbeat of Wyoming. Listen in to learn about the process of bringing this project to life and what Lindsay learned from her subjects along the way.
How Lindsay’s Mom Encouraged Her Art
From the beginning, Lindsay had a supportive family who nourished her love of art, beauty, and travel. Lindsay grew up in Wyoming, but her mom always encouraged her and her siblings to look beyond their small town by instilling in her a curiosity about the world.
Her mom always had art displayed in their home. Lindsay fondly remembers growing up around Donna Howell-Sickles’ paintings, which featured cowgirls of the southwest.
Lindsay’s mom supported her creativity and even passed down her love of photography. Lindsay still has one of her mom’s old cameras from the 1970s, when she spent time photographing landscapes in Alaska.
Another source of inspiration for Lindsay’s photography career was her parents’ collection of National Geographic magazines, which she still has today and has passed down to her kids.
Showcasing the Femininity of The Cowboy State
Wyoming, also known as The Cowboy State, is viewed as a hypermasculine part of the US. However, Lindsay is passionate about displaying the role women have played in its culture and history.
In 1869, Wyoming was the first state to recognize women’s right to vote and hold office. The first female governor in the US, Nellie Tayloe Ross, was from Wyoming, and she went on to become the first female director of the US Mint.
Esther Hobart Morris, the first female justice of the peace in the US and a major advocate for women’s suffrage, was also from Wyoming. Across the state, women held positions of power that were uncharted in other parts of the country. Wyoming was also one of the first states to pass an equal pay law, so that women made the same amount as men in the same positions.
As Lindsay travels across the state to photograph it, she’s noticed that women are the driving forces of their communities. It isn’t easy for them to participate in the legislature, which requires leaving their families for weeks at a time, but they are extremely involved in community action.
Spreading Her Wings Beyond Wyoming
Lindsay left Wyoming twice to pursue her dreams. The first time was when she moved to LA to pursue professional dance, but she quickly realized that LA was not the place for her. She came home and went to school for photography, where she discovered her new passion.
Upon graduating. Lindsay accepted an internship with the film photographer Rodney Smith in New York City, and she once again packed her bags. This time, it was the right move. Lindsay loved living in Manhattan and learning about the world of photography firsthand.
After her internship ended, she began working for photographer Peter Hurley, who ran an extremely fast-paced studio. Lindsay learned a ton about running a photography business from Peter, and as his assistant, she also got shooting experience with his clients.
Lindsay knew that she wouldn’t stay in New York forever, so she embraced the experience fully while she was there. Eventually, Wyoming called her home.
Forging a Place for Herself as a Creative in Wyoming
After living in New York City, Lindsay struggled with the idea that there was nothing for her creatively in Wyoming. Her book, Women Shaping the West, was her exploration into the creative heartbeat of her home state.
Through each story, Lindsay discovered the deep wealth of creativity that exists in Wyoming. She used her experience of gathering stories and photographing subjects to carve a place for her own creative career in the Cowboy State.
One thing that was important to Lindsay was to tell the story of indigenous women in her book. She approached the tribes and their stories with immense intention, hoping to give to them as much as she took.
Through several of the stories that Lindsay collected, including the story of Jessie Allen Gottwald, Lindsay learned that leadership doesn’t have to be loud and all-consuming. She interviewed women who are both gentle and tough, who rise to the challenge when they’re underestimated.
For herself, the project has connected Lindsay even deeper to her roots, brought out a new side of her creativity, and helped her embrace the wildness of life–and Wyoming.
Resources Mentioned
- Donna Howell-Sickles
- Paul Nicklen
- Gov. Nellie Tayloe Ross
- Esther Hobart Morris
- Peter Hurley
- Rodney Smith
- Jessie Allen Gottwald
