About Tim Layton
I am a wild horse conservation photographer based in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, where herds of wild horses roam the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Tim Layton is the only artist in the world dedicated to making handmade large format black and white silver gelatin wild horse fine art photo books. Tim is known for his unique analog chemistry-based process that visually communicates the essence and spirit of wild horses in an emotionally evocative and intimate way.
Following time-tested museum archival standards, Tim creates wild horse prints for his limited edition collectible books one at a time in his darkroom in the Ozark Mountains. The wild horses of Shannon County near Tim’s darkroom captured his heart and soul and started him on a beautiful journey that changed the trajectory of his life.
“Wild horses allow me to share important messages that are increasingly rare and forgotten in the new digital technology-driven society. Wild horses live simple and purposeful lives that are incredible to watch and serve as important reminders of what family, love, and honesty look like. They treat the land and environment respectfully and take intentional steps to ensure it will be healthy in the future.”
What you vividly imagine, ardently believe, and enthusiastically act upon, will inevitably come true.
-Tim Layton
Wild Horses
Wild horses are depicted in cave paintings dating back to the Paleolithic era indicating that humans have been interacting with them for a very long time.
The Paleolithic era is a prehistoric period that spanned from about 2.6 million years ago to 10,000 BCE. It is characterized by the development of stone tools and the use of hunting and gathering as the primary means of subsistence. During this era, humans lived in small, nomadic groups and relied on their environment for survival.
Ironically, wild horses continue to try and live like this in the 21st century, but human beings and their agendas are disrupting nature and everything in it, including wild horses.
My vision is eternal freedom, protection, and preserving America’s wild horses for current and future generations.
Wild horses have peacefully and successfully co-existed with nature for millions of years. Somehow, humans have found a way to disrupt and damage the planet in unimaginable ways in the last 200 years, and wild horses are no exception.
The current path of the world is not sustainable.
Through the wild horses of Shannon County, Missouri, I found peace and stillness despite the chaos in the 21st century that surrounds me.
I have been following and photographing Missouri’s wild horses since 2015. While the world continues to change and evolve in ways I couldn’t have imagined, wild horses remain the same as their ancestors for millions of years. Wild horses are modeling what a sustainable future can look like if we are willing to pay attention. Wild horses live honest, purposeful, and family-focused lives.
I intentionally use a creative process invented in the 19th century when the world was a simpler place because it mirrors the simplicity and purity of how wild horses have lived since their existence.
“Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions.” Eckhart Tolle