When I think of fall in Wyoming, I can’t help thinking about three giants in Wyoming photography who loved shooting pictures this time of year in the Cowboy State.
Randy Wagner of Cheyenne, Ted Carlson of Lander, and Daryl Hunter of Jackson Hole were all good friends of mine. All three have passed away in recent years.
Randy was a native of Lander. Ted spent most of his adult life in Lander. And they both, literally, were “giants.”
Both stood 6-foot-9 and towered over everything and everyone around them.
The best photo ever taken of the famed Aspen Alley on Battle Mountain south of Rawlins was taken by Randy. Framed in all its golden glory, that photograph was reprinted thousands of times.
Hanging on my wall in Lander is another wonderful fall hunting photograph by Ted Carlson. It shows his son, armed with a hunting rifle and dressed in red. Towering over him are dozens of aspen trees in full fall color.
Daryl Hunter was ubiquitous as a photographer of the Greater Yellowstone Area, which included his working home of Jackson Hole and his real home in Teton County, Idaho. I wrote about him in my last column.
His photographs are featured in all three of my Wyoming-themed coffee table books about the state.
Randy Knew Wyoming
As a chief photographer for all things Wyoming, Randy Wagner probably took more famous photographs of Wyoming scenery than anyone in our history.
He worked for several different state agencies before ultimately becoming director of the Wyoming Division of Tourism.
He passed away May 15, 2023, at the ripe old age of 89. I am not sure where all of his photographs ended up, but they represented a true treasure trove of Wyoming beauty.
Randy had a true photographer’s eye, and he especially loved the fall.
Anyone who knows Wyoming can appreciate Battle Mountain in Carbon County. It literally is a mountain covered with aspen trees. What a blaze of glory it must be right now.
Randy was also an expert on the Oregon Trail and won national recognition for a documentary he produced about that historic route.
Tourism Director Gene Bryan made sure Randy was the main photographer documenting the famous 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park.
Randy was also inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame for his 60 years of working at and documenting the Daddy of ’em All.
Right now, if he were alive, I am sure he would be looming above some Wyoming aspen grove, looking for that perfect photograph.
Ted Carlson Loved Lander
When I think of my friend Ted, I think about his ability to frame a photograph. He could look through a camera and see things the rest of us missed.
He was always good for a story. A former college basketball star, he loved talking about the sport.
But photography and cameras were his favorite topics.
He shot with large-format Hasselblad cameras, which were among the most expensive and sophisticated cameras in the world.
Compared to my 35mm Nikons, well, his equipment was in another league.
Besides that famous fall hunting picture, Ted gained notoriety with a photograph called “Rush Hour in Wyoming,” showing a cattle drive down Lander’s Main Street.
He also had a mischievous side. He once talked some pretty cowgirls into posing provocatively with bare bottoms in chaps for a photograph that mimicked a famous work of art displayed at the bar in QT’s at the Cody Holiday Inn.
That was Ted.
In later life, he found a niche framing photographs and artwork. He died at age 82.
Daryl Hunter Loved Yellowstone And Jackson
Daryl was such a good guy.
He was one of those people who seemed to be everywhere in the Greater Yellowstone Area, camera in hand, looking for the next great photograph. He loved Yellowstone. He loved Jackson Hole. He loved the Tetons.
And he loved fall.
Daryl died of cancer in August. This would have been a wonderful time for him had he lived to enjoy another Wyoming autumn.
I can picture him now, looking for the perfect light on a stand of aspens, waiting patiently for the wind to move the leaves just enough to make them shimmer.
That is what good photographers do.
They wait.
It Is Time
Of course, Wyoming fall also reminds us that the clock is ticking.
Those golden leaves don't last long.
One strong wind can turn a beautiful mountainside into a carpet of leaves. One early snowstorm can change everything. That is part of the magic.
It is temporary. Maybe that is why we appreciate it so much.
At my age, I find myself thinking more about time than I used to. When I was younger, fall seemed like something that happened every year and would always be there.
Now I understand that nothing is guaranteed. The seasons will continue. The aspens will turn gold. The elk will bugle. The snow will come. But we don't know how many more times we will be around to see it.
That makes each fall a little more precious.
I have spent much of my life writing about Wyoming, and I sometimes wonder how many more Wyoming stories are left to tell. The answer, of course, is an easy one. There are always more.
Every season brings something new. Every road has another story. Every mountain has another view.
And every fall, those aspens put on another spectacular show. So, if you are lucky enough to be in Wyoming right now, do yourself a favor.
Take a drive.
Don't worry about the destination. Roll down the window. Breathe in that wonderful Wyoming air. Find a grove of aspens. Watch the leaves shimmer in the breeze. It is called “quaking.”
Look up at the mountains. And give thanks.
Fall in Wyoming doesn't last very long. Neither does life.
That may be the best reason of all to stop and enjoy the view.
Bill can be reached at Bill@CowboyStateDaily.com
