As I journey along this path of equine portraiture, I am often struck by certain colour tones, cloud formations, or even lighting nuances that I am not completely conscious of in the moments of snapping the shutter. I am admittedly sometimes more concerned with trying to get myself positioned at a good angle, or gaining the horse's attention so her ears are up, or even trying to avoid falling into a large puddle. (In this case, it was making sure I didn't get stuck in knee-deep snow... ;)
When I begin the process of editing, I become immersed in other moments the camera captures. Some poses we have attempted on purpose, as I encourage a rider to 'lean forward! Chin up!' Many times this results in laughter on all sides, as I move myself around the subjects, calling out 'Looks amazing! Hold it there!" as though the horse's body were not in constant motion and the light were not continually shifting. However, many are moments you cannot plan, which happen simply because of the energy between horse and human. Subtle glances, touches from a nose to an outstretched hand, fleeting instances of deep love, joy and connection. And always, a deep sense of beauty.
Each pair of beings come with their own set of experience and emotion. My favourite part is seeing how this translates into a photographic story. Those who are still immersed in getting to know one another, excited and bubbly and somewhat nervous. Or those who are confident and comfortable, full of trust and ease, having shared a lifetime of adventures; arenas, hillsides, relationships, heartbreaks, accomplishments. I am always honoured to be a part of creating snapshots of these memories.
