Stephen Collector — The Law of the Range

Stephen Collector's project The Law of the Range: Portraits of Old-Time Brand Inspectors is a labor of love that bridges photography, oral history, and the vanishing culture of the American West. Brand inspectors — the men and women who verify livestock ownership and prevent theft across the open range — represent one of the last living connections to the cattle-driving traditions of the 19th century.

In this 2022 interview, Stephen talks about how the project began, the challenges of finding and gaining the trust of his subjects, and the technical and aesthetic choices he made in creating the portraits. He discusses the book publishing process, from editing and sequencing to working with a designer and finding a publisher willing to take on a niche but deeply resonant subject.

Stephen also reflects on what drew him to documentary portraiture and why he believes the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary work deserve to be preserved in photographic form.