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Shelley Paulson

Equestrian Advertising, Editorial, and Portrait Photography

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Welcome, Horse Lover

I’m so glad you stopped by. What can I help you with today?

Advertising & Editorial Equine Photography

Strengthen your equestrian brand or publication with eye-catching, inspiring images created just for you.

Equine Stock
Photography Library

Find just the right image in a library of beautifully lit, thoughtfully composed, fully edited equine images.

Equestrian Portrait
Photography

Always remember the special relationship you have with your horse through beautiful, heartfelt photographs.

Recent Blog Posts

Pegasus Mentorship Closes Tomorrow!

Equestrian Senior Portraits with Annika, Beau & Arrow

Announcing Pegasus, An Equestrian Photography Mentorship

#techtiptuesday – How to Not Blow Your Highlights

Equestrian Portraits with Kyla, Henry, Stitch & Mimi

Horse Illustrated Onaqui Mustang Feature

Equine Senior Portraits with Stephanie, Max & Nash

#TechTipTuesday – Blue Skies

See More

shelleypaulsonphotography

Aside from cold fingers and toes, winter is one of

Aside from cold fingers and toes, winter is one of my favorite times of year to do photography. The snow naturally bounces light back up onto the horse and rider to give them a clean look against a gentle landscape. ⁠
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Canon 1Dx Mk II⁠
Lens (mm): 70-200 at 168⁠
ISO: 400⁠
Aperture: 3.2⁠
Shutter: 1/1600⁠
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⁣#shelleypaulsonphotography #equestrian #equestrianportrait #horsesofinstagram #horselover #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #sunset #apha #painthorse #twohearts #horsesofinstagram #horselover

Friday Funny! 😆⁠ “Is there something in my

Friday Funny! 😆⁠ “Is there something in my teeth?” Caption by @cjw_photo_!
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Canon 1Dx Mk II⁠
Lens (mm): 70-200 at 200⁠
ISO: 800⁠
Aperture: 3.2⁠
Shutter: 1/4000⁠
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#shelleypaulsonphotography #equinephotograher #horsesofinstagram #mnhorses #winterhorse #equinephotography #equine #horse #horses #instahorse #horsestagram #horselover #arabianhorse #minnesota #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #winter #snow #raw_horses #morganhorses #morgansofinstagram #morganhorse #fridayfunny

Quiet moments are the best moments...⁠ ⁠ Canon

Quiet moments are the best moments...⁠
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Canon 1Dx Mk II⁠
Lens (mm): 70-200 at 125⁠
ISO: 2500⁠
Aperture: 3.2⁠
Shutter: 1/125⁠
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⁣#shelleypaulsonphotography #equestrian #equestrianportrait #horsesofinstagram #horselover #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #sunset #apha #painthorse #twohearts #horsesofinstagram #horselover #hairofthedogblog

Kind heart.⁠ Brave mind.⁠ Bold spirit.⁠ ⁠

Kind heart.⁠
Brave mind.⁠
Bold spirit.⁠
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This describes Stephanie Hebeisen. I spent the afternoon yesterday creating branding photos for marketing her horse training business @righttouchhorsetraining. I fell in love with Stephanie's spirit, with Jim, the sweetest horse model, with the amazing light at @ bellwetherfarmusa, and I fell in love all over again with the joy of creating. ⁠
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Canon 1Dx Mk II⁠
Lens (mm): 125⁠
ISO: 2000⁠
Aperture: 4⁠
Shutter: 1/800

I got caught driving home in a freak snowstorm tod

I got caught driving home in a freak snowstorm today! I am certain it's going to be gorgeous tomorrow morning, as it was that kind of sticky snow that clings to the trees. I may just watch it from my window. 😆⁠
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Here are a few more favorites from last week's photos of the Morgan horses. "Anna" has one blue eye and a long, unruly mane and forelock. I could have photographed her all day. 😊⁠
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If you look closely, her eye has another eye shape in it. Do you see it? You can also see me taking the photo and another horse who was assisting me at the moment. Amazing what you can see in a horse's eye! 👁⁠
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Canon 1Dx Mk II⁠
Lens (mm): 70-200 at 125⁠
ISO: 200⁠
Aperture: 3.2⁠
Shutter: 1/1000⁠
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#shelleypaulsonphotography #equinephotograher #horsesofinstagram #mnhorses #winterhorse #equinephotography #equine #horse #horses #instahorse #horsestagram #horselover #arabianhorse #minnesota #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #winter #snow #raw_horses #phototips #photographytutorial #photography #photographyhowto #morganhorses #morgansofinstagram #morganhorse #morganmonday

This photo of me with my horse Fritzie is the lock

This photo of me with my horse Fritzie is the lock screen on my phone. I look at it multiple times a day, every day. And whenever I look at it, I'm warmed by the love I have for this horse and the tenderness she's showing me in this moment. ⁠
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If you know our story, you know she's not always been an easy horse for me. Headstrong, smart, opinionated (hmm, sounds like someone else I know. 🤔😜). But when I look at this image, I don't think about our past challenges. I think about how much I love her and how excited I am for the future.⁠
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I believe that's the true purpose of portraiture. To create images for people that remind them of the power of love and the meaning of giving ourselves to one another, even when it's not always easy.⁠
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My portrait sessions will be taking a new turn this year. I've been learning a new approach to portrait photography and will be exploring the deeper meaning in the relationships we have with these remarkable animals. I can't wait to get started. 😊⁠
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Also, Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️⁠
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Photo by my dear friend, @jessicaannaleephotography

When there's frost on the trees like this, I know

When there's frost on the trees like this, I know that the fog is usually followed by a brilliant blue sky! I picked out some of my favorites from Carol's herd and had her move them to this pasture overlooking a wetland area. The white backdrop and the warm color of the horse's coats against the contrast of the blue really made them stand out!⁠⠀
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It was -17F with a -37F wind chill this morning when I was out doing chores this morning. Just remember that when you are wishing you lived in this beautiful winter wonderland! 😆⁠⠀
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#shelleypaulsonphotography #equinephotograher #horsesofinstagram #mnhorses #winterhorse #equinephotography #equine #horse #horses #instahorse #horsestagram #horselover #minnesota #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #winter #snow #raw_horses #phototips #photographytutorial #photography #photographyhowto #morganhorses #morgansofinstagram #morganhorse

It's #techtiptuesday and I'm going to combine my t

It's #techtiptuesday and I'm going to combine my tip with more photos of the Morgans in the frost! Today's tip is about focusing when shooting herds. ⁠⠀
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Large herds are one of my biggest equine photography challenges. To get all the horses running together in a nice group on the right stride with good separation is virtually impossible! But when a photo hits most of these marks, I'm happy. :D⁠⠀
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When photographing a herd, I am using an expanded focus area. When I look through my camera, it looks like a box with four smaller boxes all around it. In essence, I'm telling the camera, "focus here, but keep an eye on the areas around the spot where I'm focusing." I use this for most action photography.⁠⠀
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I also have my camera set to AI Focus, also known as continuous focus. I hold down the focus button the whole time I'm shooting and the camera is constantly working to predict where the subject is going so it can maintain focus.⁠⠀
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I try to keep my focus on the horse in the front of the herd, especially if they are coming towards me. If they are going in parallel, I just find a horse in the middle and keep it there. ⁠⠀
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No matter what I do, I miss focus on some images. So if you do too, don't beat yourself up! ⁠⠀
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#shelleypaulsonphotography #equinephotograher #horsesofinstagram #mnhorses #winterhorse #equinephotography #equine #horse #horses #instahorse #horsestagram #horselover #arabianhorse #minnesota #minnesotahorse #mnhorses #winter #snow #raw_horses #phototips #photographytutorial #photography #photographyhowto #morganhorses #morgansofinstagram #morganhorse #morganmonday

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About

Shelley Paulson is an equestrian photographer based in Minnesota. Her work is known for its emotional impact, captivating use of light, thoughtful compositions and rich color.

Copyright

NOTICE: All photographs appearing on this site are the property of Shelley Paulson. They are protected by U.S. Copyright Laws which provide substantial penalties for infringement. Images are not to be downloaded or reproduced in any way without the written permission of Shelley Paulson. These images are not royalty free and a fee is required for each specific usage.

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