I’m incredibly honored to have my story featured in the Summer Issue of the University of Minnesota Alumni Magazine! Fun fact: I received my degree from the U of M in Vocal Performance with the intention of becoming an opera singer! The beautifully written story by Ellen Ryan documents my
had a fruitful mentor session earlier this year where I received feedback on my work and input on how to better present myself as an Equine Commercial and Stock Photographer. One thing she mentioned is to take more of a storytelling approach to my stock library photoshoots. This was a
Today, I’m excited to share some recent work for USRider. I shared in an earlier post that a big reason why I chose to focus on Commercial Photography is that working with Equine Brands allows me to make a wider impact on horses and horse owners. Creating images for US
It’s like getting a wrapped present in the mail when I see an issue of Horse Illustrated in my mailbox containing a story and photos I submitted. I never know which images they will pick and how they will arrange them in the magazine. When I got to the opening
As I was cleaning stalls the other day, pondering the meaning of life, my thoughts wandered to the meaning of my work. In 2021, I shifted my business from serving a mix of commercial and portrait clients to primarily serving commercial and editorial clients. The “why” behind
I just returned from a fantastic trip to Kentucky, where I attended the American Horse Publications conference and created new images for my Equine Stock Library! I love visiting Kentucky because it’s pure horse country! I spent a day photographing everyday activities around a dressage training barn, such as riding, cleaning
For years I’ve been wanting to get a silhouette of a horse in front of the northern lights. When I saw how strong they were last night, I knew it was possible! We have trees to the north, so I had to get very low to get my horse above
A client I’ve really enjoyed working with for the past few years is Boehringer Ingelheim Equine Health. Their agency is located in Minneapolis, which makes working together easy because there’s no out-of-state coordination, casting, or travel involved. Minnesota has an incredible array of beautiful horses, skilled riders, and gorgeous locations.
It was a great privilege to photograph a world-class showjumping competition like the Longines League of Nations at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Before this event, I had never even been to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala FL, much less had the credentials to photograph there. To
This is the sixth year Purina has chosen images from my Equine Stock Library for their Horse calendar. This ongoing collaboration speaks volumes about the timeless appeal of my photography and the connection it creates between brands and horse lovers. For this calendar, I worked with McCord Design Group. They
In 2023, Nutrena Feeds made big changes to their SafeChoice® line of horse feeds, reformulating them with new ingredients to be even more beneficial to horses. To reflect these changes, they needed fresh packaging design featuring new photos to represent each product. Initially, we discussed a custom photo shoot for
In the past month, I’ve been disappointed to see several posts and ads by reputable equine brands using AI-generated images. Very believable AI-generated images. In one case, I know the brand has a policy against using AI media and wasn’t aware the image was fake, but more and more, it’s
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
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 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