Star Spangled Stampede

2026-07-15

Download 321

"I take photographs in my neighborhood. I think that mysterious things happen in familiar places. We don’t always need to run to the other end of the world."-- Saul Leiter "There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment."-- Robert Frank In this midsummer episode, Antonio talks about returning to Seward, Nebraska, for the Fourth of July and giving himself one simple assignment: photograph people wearing the stars and stripes. By narrowing his attention, he actually becomes more present and comes home with a stronger, mo...

"I take photographs in my neighborhood. I think that mysterious things happen in familiar places. We don’t always need to run to the other end of the world."
-- Saul Leiter

"There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment."
-- Robert Frank

In this midsummer episode, Antonio talks about returning to Seward, Nebraska, for the Fourth of July and giving himself one simple assignment: photograph people wearing the stars and stripes. By narrowing his attention, he actually becomes more present and comes home with a stronger, more connected group of pictures—a good reminder that creative limits can open things up instead of closing them down. As he prepares to teach his first six-week photography class, he also wrestles with how to give beginners enough technical knowledge without losing the bigger picture.

Ward has just finished nine evenings at the Calgary Stampede, an event he has attended for more than forty years and photographed seriously for the last decade. This time, he finds himself looking beyond the strong, formal compositions he knows how to make and toward quieter pictures that say something about who people are. That shift brings more color, more interaction, and a little more humanity into the work. It also raises questions about responsibility: having the right to take and share a photograph does not always mean keeping it online is the most decent choice. Together, Ward and Antonio come around to the value of returning to the same places year after year. Familiar events can become long-term projects, giving photographers a chance to notice what interests them now, see how they are changing, and gradually find something deeper than the pictures they made the year before.

Antonio's Seward July 4th Pix: https://adobe.ly/4hdxxVA

Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter

Help out the show by buying us a coffee!

Support the show by purchasing Antonio’s Zines or buying a print.

Support the show by purchasing Ward's Zine, Book and Prints

Send us a voice message, comment or question.

Show Links:

Antonio M. Rosario's Website, Vero, Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook page

Ward Rosin’s Website, Vero, Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook page.

Subscribe to us on:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify