The Chincoteague herds are owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. They have a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit to keep around 150 adult ponies on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. This means that most of the foals born each year are sold to private homes through
I still get emotional when I think back to the day of the swim. 🥹 We were up at 3 a.m. to catch a boat to the swim location (another part of the incredible prize package from the Island Community House.) Everyone was quiet as we navigated the dark ocean
I still can’t believe it happened – I spent a week in Chincoteague, VA, photographing and experiencing the 2023 Pony Penning Week! I have so many images to share from the experience, so I’m going to do 3 posts so check back if you miss one! A little backstory –
There’s something about horses and water I feel very drawn to, so the hope I held as the day approached to photograph the Salt River Wild Horses was that I would be able to capture them in the Salt River. After spending time in the forest next to the river,
When preparing to photograph wild horses, keeping your hopes high and your expectations low is important. Wild horses go where they want, when they want, and as photographers, we can only hope to find them in beautiful or interesting places. Last year, when I went to Iceland, I made a
I never set out to create “Award-Winning Images” but rather to always work hard at my craft and do my best whenever I have a camera in my hands. But when an organization like American Horse Publications recognizes that hard work and effort, it feels pretty darn good! At this
In a culture that seems addicted to video, I believe there are few things more captivating than a split-second capture that freezes time. Photographs allow us to study that moment in all its delicious detail. Honestly, I don’t photograph events like the Waconia Rodeo for money. I do it for
One of the things I love most about traveling with my camera is sharing the experience with others through my photos. Iceland was like no other travel or photography experience I’ve ever had, and I’m so excited to be able to share with such a large audience through the magic
I’m beyond excited to share with you that my new mobile app for Equestrian Photographers, EquiCapture, is now available for download from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store! 🎉🎉🎉 This labor of love is finally ready to live on your phone as a resource you can
Almost every week, I am contacted by a photographer who has been asked to bid on a commercial job and feels completely out of their depth. I know the feeling. In 2009, I did my first commercial photoshoot for a major feed brand, and afterward, I decided commercial photography wasn’t for me.
I was just 25 years old when this beautiful quarter-horse mare came into my life. She was only two years old with 60 days of training on her. I had no idea we were starting a journey that would last for over half my life. Maggie Sue is the first
I originally put together a promotional video for Eye Candy Jumpers in 2021. Since then, they’ve gotten involved in some exciting new events, such as Major League Show Jumping. I’ve filmed for them at several events recently, along with their breeding operation, so I thought this would be a
I’ll admit, this endless winter has been a bit exhausting. 😞 But it was also a lot of fun for photography! Playing with these majestic black Percherons from the Ames Percheron Farm at liberty will stand as one of my favorite memories from this season! The goal of this and
Each winter, I end my time in Wellington, Florida, photographing the World Champion Equestrian Triathlon, which raises money for the Neil S. Hirsch Boys & Girls Club of Wellington. This was my 3rd year as the official photographer of the event. The Triathlon is held at Eye Candy Land (home
I met Erica Hatfield of Eye Candy Jumpers in the summer of 2018 at a local jumping clinic. I almost didn’t approach her because I’d never seen her before, but something said, “Go say ‘hi’ and give her your card!” so I did. We followed each other on social media
In June, I spent ten days in Iceland photographing the Icelandic horses in some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever encountered! The trip, organized by fellow photographer Phyllis Burchett, was ten days long. We had six different equine photo shoot setups, along with visiting some beautiful sights such as
I’m still pinching myself that I got to photograph one of the hottest rising stars in Country Music right now, Lainey Wilson! Rewind to how this came about…Tribute Equine Nutrition reached out to me, asking if I would be available for this photo shoot. The primary purpose was to film
I just returned home from the American Horse Publications annual conference, which was held this year in Lexington, Kentucky. It was a memorable week that started with a private photoshoot with this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (I’ll blog about that later this week). The conference culminates with the
It was a pleasure to work with Haygain last month to photograph sponsored rider and Olympic showjumper McLain Ward, his groom Lee McKeever and young rider Baylee McKeever at Castle Hill Farm in Wellington, FL. Haygain was looking for high-quality images for their website and social media. We worked closely
The thrill of seeing my images published never fades! 🤩 My winter images were recently featured in four spreads of the December 2021 issue of the American Quarter Horse Association Journal. I guess it’s worth the frozen fingers and toes to be able to offer unique seasonal images
It was fun to be a part of this week’s Horses in the Morning / Horse Illustrated podcast! I share some fun stories and a little about how I became an Equine Photographer. Go to www.horseillustrated.com/podcast9 to listen!
I’ve been hard at work over the past few weeks updating my Equine Stock Library. This is one of my biggest updates ever with over 1500 new images added, making the total number of images available to over 10,000! My library offers premium equine stock images, making it easy to
I am SO excited to have one of my images not only as the August image in Western Horseman’s 2022 Cowboy Calendar but also as the cover image!
How cute is this cover?? There’s a good story behind it too… I had promised a winter cover to Young Rider magazine, but we had a weird winter and the snowstorms weren’t lining up with my original models’ availability. It was mid-March, and I still didn’t have my image so