Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassett Smith.
Hi Cassett, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a rancher and photographer in Central Oregon, but my story with photography started long before Flying AJ ever became a business.
I started taking photographs as a freshman in high school with a camera small enough to fit in my back pocket. I spent four years in Mrs. K’s photography classroom, learning and experimenting, never really realizing how much of an impact she would have on my life.
During that time, she gave me an award she called “Tried and True.” No matter how many times she tried to push me outside my comfort zone, I always seemed to find my way back to photographing one thing: the Western way of life.
When I graduated, she shared a message with me that has stayed with me over the years. She talked about remaining true to myself and photographing what was important to me. While she would have liked to see me create work that pushed me outside my comfort zone, she admired that I knew myself well enough to stay true to who I was. She reminded me that that kind of confidence and love for yourself is rare, and that it could take me anywhere I wanted to go.
Looking back, those words mean more to me now than they probably did at the time. I didn’t know where photography would take me, but even then, I kept coming back to the same subject. I was drawn to the people and places. I just didn’t know yet what that would eventually become.
Five years ago, I started Flying AJ Photography under our family’s livestock brand. What began as photographing spring brandings and documenting our own way of life grew into something much bigger.
I wanted to create photographs that captured the Western way of life as my family and the people around us live it. Not a staged version of it, but the real thing. The long days, the hard work, the family, and the everyday moments that make up a life rooted in the land.
After having our child, I began thinking even more about what it means to preserve these moments for future generations. I wanted to create photographs that people would hang on their walls, photographs that tell a story of a place and time. The kind of images that make you walk into someone’s home, stop, and immediately want to know the story behind them.
A livestock brand is one of the strongest symbols of a family’s legacy. It’s something that can be traced back to its owner, but when you look beyond the brand itself, there’s a much bigger story. One of history, responsibility, and pride. That same idea is at the heart of my photography.
I’m not just photographing this way of life. I live it every day. I understand the responsibility that comes with ranching, the long days that keep an operation moving forward, and the little moments that can be easy to overlook when you’re busy living them. The way your kids sit on a horse, the dust settling after a branding, or the quiet moments at the end of a long day.
For me, it’s about more than taking photographs. It’s about preserving a legacy and giving families something tangible to pass down to their children and grandchildren. I want them to be able to look back at these images and see where they came from, who they were, and the life their families worked so hard to build.
In a way, I think I’ve come full circle. The same things I was drawn to as a teenager are still what I’m most passionate about photographing today. I’ve learned that staying true to yourself doesn’t mean you never grow or step outside your comfort zone. It means knowing what matters to you and not losing sight of it along the way.
That’s what Flying AJ means to me. It’s life under the brand.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think being a creative comes with its fair share of bumps in the road. Sometimes you have to build your own bridge to get across the river, and I’ve certainly had to do that along the way.
One of my biggest struggles has been imposter syndrome and learning to trust myself and my work. It’s easy to get caught up in a world where we’re constantly looking for validation from people we may not even know. You start questioning whether what you’re creating is good enough or if you’re even headed in the right direction. I’m still learning to trust my own vision without needing someone else to tell me it’s good enough. I think part of that process is just continuing to show up, learn, and create work that means something to you, even when you’re unsure of yourself.
Another challenge is finding the time to be creative while also being a mom to a young child. Between ranch work, family, and running a photography business, there’s always something that needs my attention. Sometimes it’s easier to just go do the work than to juggle photographing and being a parent at the same time. Finding the time and headspace to create isn’t always easy, and I’m still figuring out that balance.
At the same time, my family and the life we’re living are what inspire my work in the first place. Flying AJ was built around documenting that life, and I don’t want to lose sight of that while growing my business. I’m learning to give myself grace along the way and remember that I don’t have to have it all figured out. I just have to keep showing up and doing the work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in photographing the Western way of life, with a focus on preserving the authentic, hardworking, and honest people and moments that make up our rural communities, especially here in Central Oregon.
What sets my work apart is that this isn’t a lifestyle I have to step into for a photoshoot. It’s the life I live every day. I’m a rancher, a farmer, a wife, and a mom. I understand the work behind the moments I’m photographing because it’s the same work my family does.
I want my photographs to reflect that reality. I want to capture this way of life as it’s lived, without trying to make it into something it’s not. There’s beauty in the everyday work, in the people who keep these operations going, and in the traditions that are passed down without much thought because they’ve always been part of life.
What I’m most proud of is the opportunity to create something that will outlast the moment itself. Photographs that become part of a family’s history, that tell a story long after the people in them have grown older, and that help future generations understand where they came from.
Ultimately, I want to be known for honest storytelling and for preserving the Western way of life in a way that feels true to the people who live it. Every family has a story worth preserving, and I want my work to help make sure those stories aren’t lost.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
As a creative, I don’t really believe in luck, good or bad. I believe in hard work, perseverance, and continuing to learn and improve. I think you have to keep showing up, even when things don’t go the way you planned, and keep working toward something you’re proud of. I also believe that things happen for a reason, and sometimes you don’t realize how much one moment can change the direction of your life until you look back on it.
For me, that moment was a snowy Christmas Eve in Steamboat. I ran into my aunt, and she invited me to come live with her family in Oregon for the summer. I said yes, not knowing that one decision would lead me to meeting my husband, building a life here in Central Oregon, and eventually starting Flying AJ Photography while working alongside him on the ranch.
It’s funny to look back at how things unfold. At the time, I had no idea that a summer in Oregon would turn into the life I have today. I couldn’t have planned it that way if I tried.
I don’t know if I’d call it luck, but I’m grateful for how things worked out and for the decisions that brought me here. I think sometimes you just have to be willing to take a chance, work hard with what you’re given, and trust that things will fall into place the way they’re supposed to.
In conclusion
Flying AJ is personal to me because it’s built around the life I already live. I’m not an outsider coming in to photograph the Western way of life. I’m a part of it. I’m a rancher, a wife, and a mom, and I know firsthand the work that goes into this life, the good days, the hard days, and all the little moments in between that make it worth it.
Flying AJ started under my family’s livestock brand, and that brand means a lot more to me than a mark on an animal. It represents the generations who came before us and the life we’re working to keep going. Photography has given me a way to document that life, not just for the people living it now, but for the generations who will come after us.
I want my photos to feel real because that’s what matters to me. The brandings, the kids growing up horseback, the everyday work, and the moments you don’t always think to take a picture of. Those are the things that become important when you look back. I want to create photographs that tell a story and give people something they can hold on to long after the day has passed.
At the end of the day, Flying AJ is about more than photography. It’s about where we come from, the life we’re living, and what we hope to leave behind. I’m fortunate that I get to do that through a camera, while living the very life I’m trying to preserve. That’s what Life Under the Brand means to me.
In conclusion
Flying AJ is personal to me because it’s built around the life I already live. I’m not an outsider coming in to photograph the Western way of life. I’m a part of it. I’m a rancher, a wife, and a mom, and I know firsthand the work that goes into this life, the good days, the hard days, and all the little moments in between that make it worth it.
Flying AJ started under my family’s livestock brand, and that brand means a lot more to me than a mark on an animal. It represents the generations who came before us and the life we’re working to keep going. Photography has given me a way to document that life, not just for the people living it now, but for the generations who will come after us.
I want my photos to feel real because that’s what matters to me. The brandings, the kids growing up horseback, the everyday work, and the moments you don’t always think to take a picture of. Those are the things that become important when you look back. I want to create photographs that tell a story and give people something they can hold on to long after the day has passed.
At the end of the day, Flying AJ is about more than photography. It’s about where we come from, the life we’re living, and what we hope to leave behind. I’m fortunate that I get to do that through a camera, while living the very life I’m trying to preserve. That’s what Life Under the Brand means to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flyingaj.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cass.y.smith?mdxt=MTRyY2s0bWsxbjd5eQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Flying-AJ-Photography/100086459230507/?mibextid=wwXIfr
