From the Lens: Crystal Amen

Crystal Amen is a wife, mother, business owner, rancher and photographer based in Cottonwood, California. When she is not in the office at her family’s feed store, Shasta Farm & Equipment, she is either chasing her three daughters at cattle shows or working behind the camera at a rodeo or photo shoot. She and her husband of 19 years, Chad, run about 80 head of mother cows, while also helping their daughters manage 17 registered Hereford cattle. The family has been developing a breeding program that uses embryo transfer and artificial insemination to produce show-quality cattle for their daughters — Scarlett, Ruby and Roslynn — to exhibit and sell.

Amen grew up on a ranch and rode horses often, developing a passion for rodeo at a young age. She carried sponsor flags at her local Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo in Redding, California, and trick rode in high school with her aunt, cousin and sister as the Daredevil Sweethearts. She also competed in the California High School Rodeo Association during her senior year and was crowned Miss Redding Rodeo in 2002 before vying for the Miss Rodeo California title.

Her interest in photography began when her first child was born 14 years ago. Wanting better images than a cellphone could provide, she bought a camera and taught herself through trial, error and YouTube tutorials. Word spread quickly, and soon she was shooting family portraits, senior photos, newborns, maternity sessions and weddings. Around 2018, Amen decided to focus more on rodeo photography.

In 2019, past PRCA Photographer of the Year Larry Smith offered her his PhotoFast trailer, a purchase that helped launch her rodeo photography career. With encouragement from Smith, she earned her PRCA card in 2021. Since then, she has covered major events such as the Nevada State High School Rodeo Finals, the California High School Rodeo Association High School and Junior High State Finals, Mike and Sherrylynn Johnson’s Vegas Tuffest Jr. World Championship, the PRCA California Circuit Finals Rodeo and the PRCA National Finals Steer Roping.

Her work has taken her from Oregon to California, Nevada and Kansas. A career highlight came in 2023 when she was selected to shoot the National Finals Steer Roping in Mulvane, Kansas. Her goal is to one day be chosen as an official Wrangler National Finals Rodeo photographer.

Amen credits her success to the support of her family and the connections she has built in the rodeo community. “The rodeo family is always there for me, wherever and whenever,” she says. “If it wasn’t for my family supporting me along this journey, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”