Tradition in the Old West: How Past and Present Co-Exist in Fort Worth | National Geographic

I'm just intensely curious about people and social behavior. Everything that I'm doing is just my way of satisfying that curiosity. My work as a photographer is deeply rooted in culture. I'm really excited to travel to Fort Worth to explore all the old Western traditions that make the city what it is.

Okay, this is where the magic starts. Can I take some pictures as you’re doing it? Sure. Absolutely. When I start shooting a project, I just like to arrive in a place and really just follow my intuition. I don't really have a plan. That's very exciting, actually. I'm most excited to photograph the longhorn cattle drive, which I've only heard about, and it's one of the most unique traditions in Fort Worth.

Good morning. I'm Kristin. Welcome to Fort Worth. Have you been around Texas longhorn cattle before? Never. Everything that I've seen, it's been almost a little surreal. I've never seen this in real life. I’ve seen it only in Western movies. But what's unique about their breed is they're all different colors, different sizes. He's a miniature steer. He's actually our 2022 world champion miniature. It's very distinguished.

Some of their horns are going up. Some are straight out. Some are twisting. And they grow throughout their entire life. So they're just magnificent steers. I didn't realize the horns are going to be so huge and so beautiful. They're bigger than life huge. And we'll go out the gray gate.

The reason why we do this is we're commemorating a time in history when Longhorns were driven through Fort Worth along what's called the Chisholm Trail. So we're preserving Western heritage, the American cowboy, and, of course, the Texas Longhorn. Joining the herd today is really just an incredible experience to witness.

Thank you. My pleasure. Yes, ma'am. I mean, one of my favorite things about travel is that it opens my eyes to new experiences and new cultures. That was amazing to watch. It was like a dance. I really can't wait to get back to Texas and have more adventures here.