As an equine photographer I meet a lot of horse owners and their beloved equines and they all have a story. Some longer, some shorter, some more dramatic than others, but all include love for the horse, passion for the sport and true horsemanship, wanting to excel in the field and to provide the best care for our four legged friend!
Broker and I are no different. We had a rough start, to say the least!
Stacey told me some interesting facts about her two horses Poet and Zeus over the phone and then in person when I met her. But I must admit, I didn't know half of her story days after the photo shoot. It is an inspirational story about overcoming severe challenges and obstacles...to say the least.
I still remember these words from Cassie when she told me about Jasper's condition with tears in her eyes. She was looking for her dream horse, a horse she can grow old with, a horse to lean on when you need it, a horse that would be in her backyard when she looks out her kitchen window. She simply was looking for a horse to care for and to give a good home to. As she said: "He was suppose to be my forever horse".
That's exactly what I said to my trainer Liz today with a bizarre look on my face. Liz is the owner and trainer at Pair of Aces Stables, Inc. located in Reno, NV and has been my trainer for many years. As I was in need of a few conformation shots of horses for my new project, Liz was so nice to assist me and offered her grooming skills :) and horse handling expertise.
If you like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings or the new show Emerald City, you will LOVE Ashley's portfolio. She is a model, horse trainer and breeds beautiful Friesian horses, raises Andalusians and of course LOVES fantasy photo shoots! I met Ashley last year at Bartley Ranch at a horse expo. She and Leah Earle performed some Mounted Archery which grabbed my attention immediately.
I have been really busy during the holiday season and the remaining time was spent with my family decorating the house, Christmas parties, making cookies among other things you do during Christmas. And I just now realized I have not written a blog for two months! I started doing Holiday Photo Sessions with kids/ families and their horses two years ago and everyone just loved the idea. My slogan is..."
In an effort to make the entire photo shoot memorable, I am always looking for new and creative ways to enhance the experience, from beginning to end. I added a new feature for my clients that I would love to share with you, because I think it puts the icing on the cake and makes the entire photo shoot experience complete. It always amazes me with how many photos I come home with. For an 1.5-2 hour shoot I have anywhere between 300- 450 photos
I took a long ride out to the dusty Palomino Valley last week to visit Michelle Winans-Gomez with "Trinityglen Highland Ponies". A friend (thanks Michael Artemis) told me that she was breeding a special type of pony that is quite rare to find. So I was all ears and wanted to find out more! When I arrived at her 40 acre ranch
As I am writing this blog, LeAnn who will turn 19 yrs on Sept 5th, just joined the U.S. Airforce and is now going through the rigorous 8 week BMT- basic military training, located in Texas. I truly love taking pictures at the beautiful Bartley Ranch
I am looking at all my little notes on my page (photo above) filled with quotes and inspirational words today:
Stay true to your values. Follow YOUR dreams, not someone else's. Don't shoot for perfect, shoot for your best. Perfectionist...Illusion...Genuine, Alive. Always seek to do the best.