New Gallery Site and more!

This past weekend I was the official photographer for the Heart of the Valley Dressage Show held at DevonWood Eq Ctr.  I have uploaded the photographs to a new proof gallery site.  I am still getting set up and moved in to this site but HOV photos are all there for viewing and purchasing prints, digital files and a variety of items such as aprons, tote bags, day planners, calendar greeting cards mugs and photos printed on aluminum as well as canvas. 

 The site will also serve to host photo proofs from my private sessions as well as some of my fine artworks offerings.  So while it is far from finished, it is a functional start ready to start serving my clients and customers in 2013.  
Photo proofs from 2012 are currently still available at my other sales site.   I chose the new site because it is alive with improvements being made that keep my business moving forward for clients.  It has so much more flexibility for design, product offerings, updated social media integration,  links to information and forms for my business as well as workshop info and my blog. 

I will be listing more products that will be available directly through me as well. 

Workshop Update
My first workshop for amateur photographers at Wild Turkey Farm filled quickly. We are looking forward to an exciting day on June 1.  Thank you all!

My second workshop, to be held 2 months later on July 27th at Narnia Farm just south of Wilsonville has a few spots open.  I will be putting out an update soon.  The deadline for early bird registration at a discount is June 30.     Link to registration form  

My next competition to photograph will be in high desert sagebrush country at the Central Oregon Dressage Classic to be held at Brasada Ranch.   Photographic services are by sign up.

ODS Championship Show

I provided the image for this striking poster design for the ODS Championship show this year. I will once again be the official photographer for this event. If you would like to sign up for photographic services, you can do so at my online galleries, or sign up in the show office the weekend of the show. You may be asked for your email to add functionality to your gallery browsing. You will receive an email back that requires you to click a link verifying your email. Once you do that, you should have no problem getting into the galleries.

Hoping for another championship show with great weather, good rides and a fun time for all.
And good photo ops!

You can view the 2008 ODS Championship show galleries by clicking on this link.

August has been an incredibly busy month with private farm photo session, being the official photographer for the AIM/AHA region 4 sport horse championships, the ODS Breeders Showcases I & II and the ISR/Oldenburg inspection. 17 foals and 7 mares were inspected on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the inspection being held at the Ultimate Piaffe.

Photo galleries are up for these events. If you had horses in either of these events and didn't get a chance to sign up, its not too late, I photographed every horse that came into the ring and should have photos of everyone. Just contact me to sign up and your proof gallery will be created.

Life swirls and the images are all around us

This time of year time just goes too fast. As a photographer I must make hay while the sun shines. Photographing dressage shows, sport horse events, breed inspections and showcases and farm calls. All of that running around time, gathering images is doubly matched at the computer downloading, backing up, editing, processing, uploading, delivering etc etc etc. Its a busy time and I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

So far for the month of August, I have played host to photographer friend Amy Riley from Massachusetts. She flew in and helped me photograph the Arabians in Motion Sport Horse Classic and AHA Region 4 Sport Horse Championships. After the show, off we went up the Columbia River Gorge to visit June Boardman and her wonderful White Horse Vale, home of one of the largest Lipizzan breeding operations in the country. Its a beautiful farm with irrigated green pastures in the front and a 100 acres in the back of wide open skies and prairie-like grass lands. Aside from the mature horses in various degrees of under saddle and dressage, the mares and foals and 4 or 5 stallions, she runs a small herd of young Lipizzans growing and maturing in the best way possible out on that 100 acres. Amy was surprised to find that Lipizzans come in bay as well as gray. The curious bay in the photo above was going to figure out the whole camera thing before we could leave.
We arrived in late afternoon and after some scouting and visiting with the herds, we waited for that golden hour as the sun sank in the sky, out came the cameras and we had a wonderful time with beautiful horses and wondrous light over the landscape.

New Footing at Devonwood

I was at Devonwood this past weekend photographing the Heart of the Valley dressage show. 3 rings of competition which could have easily been 4 rings with the number of entries on the waiting list, but alas, the scheduled revamping of the footing in the Terrace arena was delayed by a series of events having to do with the current state of our global economy. It would seem that when you purchase big things from Europe, there is a longer wait due to all of the layoffs at the shipyards over there and when it finally arrives over here, People that would normally be loading and unloading ships have been laid off as well. Compounding the delay, once finally off the ship, before it could get through customs, they insisted on having it unpacked to X-ray it all, repacked and finally put on a train to Portland.

So the delay of the under structure of the new footing that was to arrive in March, commenced. But it will be worth the wait as the footing looks to be state of the art. Take a look at this image I shot of the arena. The base is rubber mats, made especially for good drainage. The top layer is sand.
On a side note, the footing in some of the other arenas and warm up areas has been reworked and replaced as needed. The Sylvan ring looked like it was riding pretty well.
Each year as I witness the various maintenance and improvements that go into keeping Devonwood shipshape for the shows, I just have to feel grateful that there are people like the Rattners willing to do it. We certainly are spoiled.

Heart of the Valley Dressage Show

Heart of the Valley Dressage show at Devonwood is coming up May 9-10.
I will once again be the Official Photographer for this show. This year I have online sign up for photographic services available from my proof site. For those signing up online, I am offering a small digital file of your favorite image from your proof gallery. This image measures 2"x2" @72 dpi and is perfect for Facebook, My Space, Twitter and message forums profile pics.

Click here for Online Sign Up

Central Oregon Dressage Classic

I have just added the Central Oregon Dressage Classic to my 2009 schedule of shows that I will be photographing. The dates are June 13-14. Photographic services will be by sign up. An online sign up form, as well as a mail in sign up form can be found on my website.