Beau Simmons

Who is Beau Simmons?

Beau Simmons is an American fine art and documentary photographer known for his long-term documentation of the contemporary American West. His subjects are working cowboys and the ranches they run. He shoots on analog film and has spent years on some of the largest and most historic ranches in the United States, often riding alongside the people he photographs.

From Fashion Photography to the American West

Simmons began his professional career in 2009 as a fashion photographer. His clients included Marc Jacobs, Guess Jeans, and Converse, and he worked with agencies such as Elite Model Management, IMG Models, and Ford Models.

He eventually left fashion for a more personal body of work. Growing up near Joshua Tree National Park gave him an early connection to the desert, the ranches, and cowboy culture that now define his photography.

Western Photography With a Documentary Eye

Simmons looks to Richard Avedon, Slim Aarons, and Stephen Shore, and he works as both documentarian and artist. His photographs pair careful observation with a sense of nostalgia. They record real moments in a culture that keeps changing.

His access is what sets the work apart. Simmons spends long stretches on working ranches, including the King Ranch and the Four Sixes Ranch, and earns the trust of the people he photographs. The images feel intimate and honest because they come from time spent in the saddle and on the land.

Beau Simmons’ Process

Simmons shoots on medium and large-format film. Each roll holds only ten exposures, so every frame takes planning and patience. The film is developed in a traditional darkroom, scanned, and printed with archival, museum-quality methods. The grain, scratches, and light leaks stay in the final print, and each piece keeps its own character.

Every image is released in an edition of ten. Collectors receive a signed and numbered Certificate of Authenticity with each Beau Simmons print.

Books, Exhibitions, and Giving Back

Simmons’ first book, The Twenty-Year War, was released in 2021. He made it with American combat veterans, and it grew into a traveling museum exhibition about the experiences of post-9/11 veterans.

He has also used his photography to support the American Cancer Society and the Careity Foundation. His collaboration with Taylor Sheridan, creator of Yellowstone, documented the historic Four Sixes Ranch and raised funds for cancer care services.

Since entering the fine art world, Simmons’ work has been shown in galleries, museums, and international art fairs, including Art Miami. He is based in South Carolina and travels the country for his projects.

Ways of the West

His central project is Ways of the West, an ongoing photography, publishing, and feature film series about working cowboy culture across the United States. It draws on years of access to ranches and communities, and it keeps growing into a visual archive of a way of life that rarely gets documented from within.