Icelandics

One of the things I enjoy so much about my job is the fact that I get to experience so many different facets of the horse world. It is amazing to me the range of breeds and disciplines within the horse kingdom, from the smallest minis to the biggest, most powerful draft horses, from cowboys to dressage riders: I love seeing and photographing them all. The variety and occasional new discovery makes my job always interesting!

Just recently I got to meet my first Icelandic horses up close, and what a treat these sturdy little horses are to be around. The owners just love them and although I have not ridden for a while I may just have to climb on board and experience the ride for myself. This cutie is an Icelandic living at Blasted Rock Farm in Bristol, New York. See the images from my visit here, you will also see a very unique Icelandic mule! I also had the chance to meet some Icelandics that live close by, see those images here. Some day I will make it to Iceland to see it for myself but in the mean time this is a great virtual riding tour to see just how smooth these guys are!

I have created a photo needs list and am looking for horse owners to collaborate with me, drop me an email at carien@imagequine.com and I will send you a list of what I am looking for.

Begin Again Horse Rescue

Last weekend I connected with an old client in Lima, New York that has been working at rescuing horses in need with Begin Again Horse Rescue. This photo is of a Thoroughbred gelding that was in a "killer" lot at an area horse sale. This horse was born in California in 1998, had 85 starts and career earnings of $141,884. The sticker on his forehead means he had no Coggins test and was headed for slaughter. Unfortunately too many horses that are no longer considered useful wind up this way, and thanks to rescues like Begin Again he has been given a second chance. See more photos from this session and other horses available for adotpion here.

While I would much prefer to photograph happy, healthy horses I think it's important to use my camera as a tool to document all facets of the horse industry. Photos have great impact and I hope that images such as this will raise awareness. Please do what you can, whatever it may be, to help animals in need, as they have no power or voice of their own.

"Saving the life of one animal may not change the world, but the world will surely change for that one animal"

July ~ barns, hay and a new dog..

This has turned out to be a beautiful July and with the latest stretch of warm and sunny weather with low humidity we have been taking advantage of the great conditions to get our hay done. It is my job to rake the hay and I must admit I enjoy this work. It can be hot and dusty and noisy, but it gives me time to reflect on things as I go around in circles as well as enjoy the company of the swallows that chase me diving for bugs and the sweet smell of the hay I know the horses will be enjoying when we are buried under snow.

I am sharing a photo of the newest member of our animal family,a sweet pit bull girl that we are fostering for the Heart of the Catskills Shelter. Come meet her and see if she is the girl for you! Go to their site and check out that cute Beagle in the header, that's our boy Patch!

Our barn project has come along swiftly and on schedule over the last few months, it's been exciting to see all of the changes! We set up a camera to capture the progress day by day, it's quite something to see things take shape. Now the fences are going up, and once the interior is finished the animals will be moved into the barn. See the new barn grow here!

Horse Progress Days is always fascinating to me and this year was no exception. See the latest in horse powered equipment at my this photo gallery of images taken at this event as well as the surrounding Amish country of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

June

Early in June I once again photographed the NC PAHA Arabian show in Hughesville, Pennsylvania. This photo is of the lovely Arabian stallion Czersk owned by Jean and Michael Popp and shown by Kriss Phelps of Crescendo Training Center in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. A gallery of images from the show may be seen here.
While in Pennsylvania I also saw many Amish working their fields putting up hay and straw. It is inspiring to me that in this technologically fast paced world there are still people holding on to their old ways and customs.
I spent a fun photo session with Kris Bowman and her world champion Percheron mare Lynda. It is a real treat for me to connect with people and horses I meet online!
Meanwhile back home we had a crew of Amish builders in to build a new barn for us and we are really excited by this new structure. The barn is up but now we need to get the interior and fencing done before we can move the animals back in. Speaking of which we have had lots of rain making for lush grazing, and dramatic skies. This is the best time of year to spend quality time with my horses. I will be traveling throughout New England, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia this summer, drop me an email at carien@imagequine.com to set up a session!

Colorado Galleries

Not being much of a writer I find that I tend to procrastinate when it comes to updating my blog. I find it so much easier to write some quick entries while I am on the road while they are fresh and new in my mind, than when I am home and catching up on the everyday things. Time seems to go by so quickly and when one event is over the next photo ops are just around the corner!
I have finally gotten through all my Colorado photos and for those of you die hards that look at every single image (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing so) here you go! The Workshop gallery and the Horse Drive gallery. Also make sure you check out the awesomely wonderful video made by Mark Kettenhofen from Nikon. I could watch this over and over and I hope you enjoy it too. Can't wait for next year!
Now it will be on to choosing the top images to compile the calendar, if you see an image that you think should be in the calendar feel free to drop me an email!

Spring Green and a New Book!

Things always get so busy this time of year and some days I don't know if I am coming or going, it seems like there is always so much to do. With all the rain we have been getting it is unbelievably green here, and I try to take a walk with my camera every day to capture some of its beauty. My new Andalusian girl Novelera is enjoying herd life and all the abundant grazing.

The book project I shot for in 2009 "40 Fundamentals of English Riding" has been published and is now available. It is exciting to hold it in my hands and see what a great job they did with the final layout and image choices. In addition it is so well written and comes with a 90 minute Companion DVD it is an excellent read for any rider!
Soon I will be on the road to my first horse show of the year, starting with the PAHA Arabian show in Hughesville, Pennsylvania next weekend. I will be on the road as always this summer so drop me an email at carien@imagequine.com to arrange a visit for when I am in your area! I plan to be in Pennsylvania, Virgina, West Virginia, Maryland and the rest of the northeast and New England.

Sombrero Ranch Photo Workshop 2011

For the past two weeks I have put on my cowgirl hat and had the time of my life chasing horses, cowboys and cowgirls in the high desert of northwest Colorado. This was my 6th year here and each year seems to be more fun than the last. Although it is a challenge to create new and exciting images photographing at the same event and location there is always so much happening that I still can feel overwhelmed at all the photo ops presented to me.
This year I worked once again with Scott Trees and Nikon rep Mark Kettenhoffen to set up the shoots along with a great crew of cowboys and cowgirls, headed up by the extraordinary cowboy Ed Pinkard. What makes this event so special is the skill with which Ed directs his crew and horses and also his innate understanding of light and the needs of photographers, and he never says something can't be done or complain about having to do something again (and again!).. Ed and the Sombrero horses have worked on movies such as Lonesome Dove, Dances with Wolves, the upcoming Cowboys and Aliens and Marlboro commercials so we are truly lucky to be able to work with someone of his skill and caliber...and in addition to that he is a true cowboy: good looking, funny, gracious and good to his horses.

We started out our workshop with a day of video shooting. Many DSLR's now have the capability to provide HD files, and as still photographers this is a skill we should pursue. I spent some time shooting the D7000 with the 28-300 lens and was really thrilled with the quality of the video. This day brought us snow squalls and cold wind but we perservered and were blessed with some great images!
For our main two days of shooting we had a large group of photographers hailing from as far away as the UK and Germany and many new friends were made. The weather settled down and we photographed from sunup to sundown. Some of the more spectacular shoots included a herd of about 100 horses moving through water the first morning, and the cool morning air, steam and back light combining for some memorable photo ops. We also had an epic shoot the next morning of another large herd moving like thunder by us in a formation that could not have been coreographed or planned any better. I always know when a shoot goes well when all the chatting dies down and there is nothing but silence and the clicking of shutters punctuated by the occasional "wow!!!"
In between we shot portarits, details, the stagecoach pulled by a team of six up, roping, silhoettes, longhorn cattle and more. On our last night together we invited everyone down to view the photos, always well attended and a chance to share the fun we had with our photos. I already can't wait to do it all again next year!
To view some of my favorite photos from the workshop (so far) go to this link I will add more once I get home, as well as a report from this year's Great American Horse Drive

Photo Session at West Point

This past week I had the unique opportunity to photograph five cadets at the West Point Military Academy.
These young ladies are all members of the West Point Equestrian Team and they wanted photos of themselves with their favorite horse, a handsome Dutch Warmblood gelding named Slinky.

Slinky had never been to this location before and he posed like a statue for us! When we were done with him we had some fun shooting at various locations. Although the weather wasn't optimal it was still a great experience to be able to photograph at this location and the five ladies really got into the spirit of it with their own ideas and suggestions.

Enjoy the photos from the shoot here.

New Orleans to Kentucky

On my last day in Florida I stopped at the Museum of Natural Science in Gainesville and spent some very enjoyable time in the Butterfly Rainforest there. I then spent a day in New Orleans visiting my oldest daughter Shelby. We had a perfect evening to stroll around the French Quarter and enjoy the sights, followed by a delicious dinner. I don't know when I will visit this wonderful city again as Shelby plans to move to Boone, NC for three years to achieve her Master's Degree, and I will miss it!

The following day I travelled to Tennessee to experience Mule Days in Columbia. Mules of all shapes and sizes were there and I stayed for part of the day to photograph the parade and wagon train. On the final leg of my trip I stopped in Kentucky for a really special photo session with the great horse Rhett and his partner Jim Koford. It was a real honor for me to spend some time photographing this pair and capture their special bond. It is sessions like this that make my job really special, and I think there will be some really great achievements in their future, so keep an eye on this pair!

Horsey Florida Fun!

In search of sunshine and warmth I was not disappointed during my week in Florida. From world class driving events to the top dressage horses in the country and a roster of equine activities and attractions to choose from it is easy to understand why this part of the country is a mecca for horse lovers when the rest of the country is just trying to get through another winter!

In Ocala I visited with friends at Beauty's Equine Rescue, Cottage Farm and Shangri La Lusitanos. From there I travelled south to Wellington to help fellow photographer Sharon Packer shoot dressage. On my way I stopped and visited the farm where my new Andalusian mare Novelera came from and as luck would have it was able to capture some special images of a foal just seconds old. What a treat!