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!

Lipizzans and Lusitanos How Much Fun Can a Girl Take

 

White Horses, Dramatic Lighting. I am so there. Wearing my editorial photographer's hat, I attended the "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallion show that came to Portland on Saturday June 11th.  The show was held at the Rose Garden in the midst of Portland's annual Rose Festival festivities.
These three images are just a sneak peek, the rest of the photos are under wraps until the August issue of Flying Changes magazine which will feature an article and more photos.

Portugal Travels  I was so busy that I neglected to post anything about my trip to Portugal and it's not that it wasn't fabulous, it was, perhaps too fabulous which took a long time to digest what all had happened to me and how I felt about it, not to mention the thousands of images to go through will be an ongoing process.  In a nutshell, I really enjoyed Portugal and would love to go back. It is just that kind of country.   As a small point, I didn't so much care for driving as the otherwise peaceful and kind people get very impatient once behind the wheel of their cars.  The motorways and roads and frequent roundabouts with a variety of choices always seemed to come so fast and our GPS was very slow on the pace. In fact, the GPS was fired.  Don't let that deter you from driving on your own visit, we had a full schedule and were relying on GPS co-ordinates instead of old fashioned American directions.   The architecture is fabulous, from a lowly little garden house to a grand castle each had its own charm.  Staircases, walls, trees, gardens, typical homes all so full of antiquity and beautiful design.  The exterior siding of some homes was all tile with the vast majority being red roof with white stucco siding, very beautiful to see a whole town that way.  So many castelos and palacios that I now know where Disney land got their inspiration for their famous fairytale castle look.  Not built on fantasy, but someplace very real.  Adding to the scenery were orange, lemon, olive, cork and eucalyptus trees growing amidst the rolling green hills of springtime. 

Imagine being able to photograph a horse and rider performing levade, piaffe and passage in the gardens of a historic palace with, of course, the palace in the background.   Some may not believe that my images are not photoshopped.  There is no need, it was all there in front of my lens.
Photographing Lusitano Stallions, Mares and foals in typical Portuguese landscapes.  Bull fighting horses at liberty (migosh they are athletic in that uphill proud, expressive kinda way) and under saddle. Being ridden by (and in) a lagoon, and by the sea. The list goes on and on.

  I traveled over the course of 10 days to Portugal, in April/May, traveling with a group of horse photographers,amateurs and professionals from 11 different countries,  all of us attending a workshop called Lusitanos on Focus with international equine photographer Paula da Silva.   I stayed in historic castles, toured and photographed several breeding farms and classical training facilities, arrived by boat to an island where young Lusitano, Arabian and very rare Sorraia colts all run free to mature in a herd situation. Everywhere we went, we were treated to a long table set with wine, olives and good eats for our daily lunches. The best food by far was that offered by the farms vs the hotels.  I came home with several gifts, tokens of kindness and generosity of the people we met.  One evening was spent at the historic farm of Nuno Oliviera. We watched a couple of horses being ridden and then were treated to a fine dinner, some rather potent wine and a special treat of live Fado music.  It all made for a memorable evening.  I just wish I wasn't so tired at the time.  Jet lag and a blistering schedule were catching up with me or I would have enjoyed doing some night photography at the farm and begging for just one more song.
Some of our access to incredible photographic opportunities were by government permit only, which took several months for the workshop givers to process.  So they were a rare opportunity for some wonderful experiences and imagery.

One such visit was to a Portuguese army base at Mafra where we were able to photograph them working their Lusitano horses under saddle and in long reins. The horses are used in exhibitions. With the current economic crisis in Portugal, the future of the Lusitanos in the Army is in question.  it would be a shame to lose them, they are a living historical treasure.
 

 
I continue to work with several of my images and will be offering them as fine art prints once I get my collection together.  Inquiries are welcome.

I have made a couple of slideshows of 3 of the places I visited while in Portugal. 
Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, The National Palace, Queluz  
 A morning at Quinta da Lagoalva Farm in Portugal

Some of the images from the workshop participants will appear in a Canon Colorfoto Exhibition in Portugal.  Exhibiting elsewhere in Europe, South America and the USA is also in the works.