When horses come to mind, most people think of the peaceful four-legged creatures grazing in a pasture. But we horse lovers know that our animals can be quite large goofballs and incredible athletes, sometimes in the same moment. Every photo I take I try to capture the personality and athleticism of the horses, whether I’m in the arena or taking a portrait in the barn.
As a photographer specializing in equestrian events, I find it incredible what the camera captures. My primary focus is on rodeo events, with most of my time at barrel racing competitions in central Arizona. The simplicity of barrel racing is probably what draws me to it the most. The pattern never really changes, except for a few small measurements, giving me a predictable target for taking a good photo. What will never cease to amaze me, however, is the unique athleticism each horse has. In a pattern that never changes, every horse has its own style of how they complete three turns faster than their competitors. The camera gives us the opportunity to pause the action and appreciate just how athletic these horses are, and how hard they work for us, with each stride they run.
You can feel a good run as it's happening. The photos take themselves when the horse and rider are in perfect synch. These horses use one fewer stride around the barrel, and their photos are the most impressive because the horse is pushing its body to its full physical limit as it stretches and wraps its body around the barrel and through the deep ground. You see every muscle, every piece of dirt flying and each joint contorting in a way even horse people didn’t realize was possible. Sometimes it's all four feet off the ground, or the horse so low in the turn, the rider's foot looks like it's dragging the dirt. It can feel like the horses are running in slow motion because they are just so smooth and floating across the arena, or we see the time slipping past us as a horse might not get the grip it needed to push off to get all the way around.
After every five runners I have a brief moment where I can go back and give a quick look to make sure everything is looking smooth tech wise, and in that moment, I often get lost in the photo looking over the beauty these animals have. They really give us their best just because we ask; the relationship we build with our horses is captured in each frame. Having the opportunity to let the rider see my perspective of their run and capturing that incredible moment is hugely rewarding, knowing they get to keep that memory forever.
Equestrian Photography
