Catching up

So it's December already!  I have had some requests for gift certificates, so I have come up with one which can be ordered directly through me.  Contact me directly for options and details!

Facebook tends to command more of my communication time to the neglect of my blog.  As usual, I have been really busy and that lends itself to short soundbites ala Facebook style versus any thoughtful writing with paragraphs and cohesive thoughts.  That said, I still feel some compulsion to make a blog entry before 2011 exits and morphs into 2012.
Where to start.
Elder Horse Project Presentation
  In November I gave a presentation of my Elder Horse project at the Oregon Dressage Society Fall Festival.  I gave a brief talk and presented a slide show.  As many came up to tell me later, there was not a dry eye in the house.  That is the nature of the project.  Much emotion for our oldsters.  While I was traveling and photographing well over 30 horses at the age of 25 or over, I was swept up in schedules and directions to various farms and stables, meeting the horses, listening to the ones that would talk to me, playing with angles and light and getting a feel for who they might be, all very much in the production mode and for the most part, an emotional detachment from the big picture.  Then....when it was time to start to put a slideshow together, it started to hit me.  I found it very difficult to stay focused, as the images of each horse started to make their emotional impact upon me. It was very hard to put the right music to the slideshow.  It wasn't until I was right up against the deadline that I was able to push through it and assemble the chosen images for the 15 minute slideshow. Due to the nature of the project, several elders have passed on since I photographed them. 

Most recently we lost one of the horses in the Elder Horse Project, Rawly, Shawnea Hardesty's beautiful elder Morgan horse who gave me a dream photo shoot last year.  Whatever he did, it was picture worthy, as if he was a professional model.  Posing here, posing there, giving a beautiful trot and canter across the field as well as some artistic poses against the setting sun. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting him and his person. 

Good journeys to you Rawly. I feel sad and sad for Shawnea's loss, but so glad to have met you.


 NWSHBA Program Cover Contest
I don't usually allow my images to be entered in photo contests by others.  The contest rules and conditions are not usually compatible with my copyrights and it is an odd concept for someone else to win a prize off of someone else's work, but when Gayle Atkins asked to submit one of my images of her weanling colt Born on the Bayou in contention for the cover of the NW Sporthorse Breeders Association Breeders Classic program, I reviewed the contest conditions and gave my approval.  The photo was taken indoors at the 2011 Oregon Dressage Society's Breeders Showcase.  There was no pretty background or lovely light to make this image special, I was sure that there would be many others in contention photographed in far better conditions,  so I did a little enhancement by applying a texture for the background and gave it a whirl and...we won!


Exhibit in Portugal
I have a photograph that is part of a traveling show in Portugal. The exhibit just finished up at the famous Golega Horse Fair and will next be seen at the world famous Casa Estudio Relvas.
It is part of a collection of images photographed by our group from Lusitanos On Focus when we attended a workshop in Portugal in the spring of 2011.  Many many thanks go to Rita Fernandes and Jorge Magalhaes for all of their work in getting this exhibit to be seen by the public.

My image is titled Luso Landscape.  We had generously been invited for lunch by a group of Lusitano breeders. The location was a very old church in a rural setting.  On one side of the property outside of the church was a group of 2 mares with foals   grazing on the hillside.  As I finished my lunch, I walked around the corner and there they were, all arranged just for me!  So I took a few shots and very quickly the composition dissolved as the horses wandered off.  The image was printed by Canonfoto in Portugal in black and white.  I have also printed this image in color on metallic paper for a brilliant effect with a rich depth and dimension.  This image is offered for sale, as are most of my images.  I can offer the image in color as shown above, or in black and white.                                                                                                     I also had a photo spread of a collection of images from Portugal in the August issue of the  COTH Chronicle Connection   an online branch of the print magazine.  The article is titled through the Lens:  The Land of the Lusitano.   

I've more to write, but this is enough for now.   Stay warm!