It was a toasty Texas afternoon in a town nearby Austin, Texas, where I had the opportunity to photograph two horses- Rolex and Ezra with their owner, Elise. I have a tremendous respect and admiration for horses. They have an exquisite beauty and elegance different from any other animal and are of course, incredibly powerful. These horses were no exception. While I am not a rider or horse owner myself, I enjoy spending time with horses and absolutely appreciate their beauty and strength. I have a strong admiration for the connection between horse and rider and I love to create images that show this bond. As with dogs, cats and other pets, I am most interested in creating imagery of animals as pets, companions and friends, rather than focusing on the proper alignment and body positioning as is necessary when photographing show animals. I appreciate eventing imagery and show quality animals, but my interest is photographing animals as pets and family members...Show animals or otherwise.
The location for this session was gorgeous. I hauled my camera bag to an open field nearby the stables where the horses were boarding. The simplicity of the tall grasses, the story that the live oak trees seem to whisper, and the pastel blue sky above make for a perfect backdrop for these portraits.
I photographed Elise with both of her horses separately. I noticed the playful connection between Ezra and Elise and true bond between the two. Rolex seemed more regal and proud and I think this shows in the images. Both relationships were tender and genuine and I was glad to capture the uniqueness of both partnerships.
I photographed Elise and Rolex as silhouettes as the sun faded and marked the end of a very special afternoon.
