Equigraphic - A Visual Love of Horses

Back in Action!

2012-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

There has been a long lull here at Equigraphic, I know. But, the big news is I HAVE RELOCATED TO AUSTIN, TEXAS!! Hot times - I am back in horse country. 2010 was all about my other specialty working as a performance photographer (rock stars! aerialists daring gravity! theatrical grande dames! gotta dance!). 2011 was all about 2 long distance moves in 1 year. 2012? I want to get back to Equigraphic in earnest, back to horses, and back in the groove. If anyone out there wants to collaborate or has connections you think might need to be made, please let me know. 'd love to know about the equestrian action around here, so any info is greatly appreciated.

More art!

2010-02-19T09:54:00.001-08:00

I just won a writing competition. With a piece of writing randomly drawn from a 5 year old journal I pulled out of the bookshelf. I guess it is time to start writing some articles, stories, etc.

Relational Riding Rules!

2010-02-10T23:25:00.000-08:00

Michelle Binder at Relational Riding Academy is genius horsewoman and teacher. I have never met anyone who did not learn life changing amounts from her, whether in a couple lessons here and there or as a regular student. She teaches a basic foundation for all disciplines, but you can build and build with her basic knowledge. The well being of the horse is always first, and she has taken and rehabbed serious cases, allowing these thrown away equines to live quality lives for many more years, all the while bringing joy to their people. Whenever we talk about her, we always say that she is the best, most magic, miracle worker, amazing teacher. Check out her site, but by all means BUY HER VIDEO!!! Hey, I helped name it.

Sign on to support Gerd Heauschman defeat rolkur

2010-02-10T23:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.wu-wei-verlag.com/neu/ua.php?Aktion=ChangeLang&LANG=en&DIR=gleiche

The deadline for the meeting that was the origianl catalyst has passed, but the mission is on, so sign on and back up the one man who is doing the most to ban rolkur.

Equestrian France

2010-01-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

It looks like I will be having an equine oriented trip to France (at the very least) this summer. I shall be going to the Cadre Noir at Saumer, to ride Cleveland Bays and Shagya Arabs with RaceRare, The Living Museum of the Horse in Chantilly, the Royal Stables at Versailles, and hopefully to photograph my colleagues at Equibaroque in Brittany. I am trying to sort out where else I will go and what else I will do. Horsey colleagues have invited me to visit in Dreseden, Holland, and Belgium, and I am sure some of my Brits would also tke me in. We shall certainly visit Mont Saint Michel. Let me know if you have ideas about where I am and my cameras should find ourselves in June or July.

3rd place looks pretty great!

2009-12-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

I received notice yesterday athat one of my pieces was accepted for the Ex Arte Equinus competition by Art Horse Magazine. It was awarded 3rd place in the photography category. Entering was one of my Equigraphic launch activities - I am so pleased! To be puublished in the annual and in the March 2009 issue.

Speaking of Pictures by Jake

2009-11-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here is another Jake portrait of me from the year after the one of me and Belle. This is my in town steed (and is on the blog of faboo bike shop where I got my sweet Dutch bike.

And after the work....

2009-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Well, more work, but I have gotten out to the barn twice in the last week or so. Erin is thinking she shall return and we are dipping our toes back in the water. Bella is as wonderful and kind and gentle and sensitive as ever. I love her so. She is the one on my About page on the site. Photo by my pal Jake Shivery of Blue Moon Camera.

Reveling in a job well done

2009-11-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

All the feedback to Equigraphic.com has been terrific. I was advised of just a couple little tweaks, but for the most part folks have commented that not only do they love the imagery, they love the sites look and function.

If you need web services, I highly suggest http://www.tinfoilhat.com

She worked with me to make the perfect site, balancing my strong sense of aesthetics and her knowledge of user experience and web trends to create a beautiful and functional site for a reasonable price. If you are thinking of a site creation or reworking, I suggest checking her out.

If anyone here has any more suggestions, please let me know. Of course if you know anyone who uses horse photography or might benefit from any of my services, please let me know. Marketing, your time is nigh.

Loooook!

2009-11-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

Cards! By my talented designer hubby Lee Moyer:

Oops!

2009-10-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

And, I forgot to mention my trip to NY. I wound up getting to go shoot at the Saugerties, NY show. My niece was riding her 2 show jumping mares! Dana is a talented 14 year old show jumper. I gave her her first riding lesson years ago. That daisy jump really ruffled a bunch of the horses, but 'Rika moved right on out over it. They got 5th in the classic.

Teaching

2009-10-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

I am off to L.A. for a long weekend of teaching and photography with Wendy Rover of Roving Horse Henna (my partner in crime on the henna horse image). We will be presenting our first workshop on building portfolios by collaborating with other creative professionals. We were selected because our work has been making the powers that be in the henna community internationally think things like "upping the game" and "outside the box" and "pushing the creative envelope". I am really excited. Not only do I love working with Wendy, I love traveling, and I also love teaching. I have guest lectured at all levels, from elementary to college. I have judged student competitions. But, this is the first time I am teaching to a an adult community of creatives outside the photography world. I think it might become a specialty. I love learning about others arts and passions, and we have already been invited to teach in England next spring. Oooooh... an international educator!

The web site is almost perfect and it is taking everything in me not to link to the test site right now. I am so happy with it!!!! Watch out world - here comes Equigraphic! Maybe I should be thinking about teaching horse photography : )

Oh the anticipation is killing me!

2009-09-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

I wanted my next post to be a "Ta-daaa!" But, alas, it will have to wait a bit longer.

I am currently in CT with my sister and her family. Thursday, it turns out, we are bound for a hunter jumper show in Saugerties, NY. This was a complete surprise to me. But, when I show up to horsey friends and colleagues houses and they say, "Are you coming?" the answer is always, "You bet!" I shall be posting from that no doubt. I think you all will be looking at my niece and one of her beautiful warmbloods by Friday, if my connection is good.... existant.

On another line of thought, I am often asked what my 2 major sub specialties of photography have to do with one another: horses and performance (theater, dance, etc.). To me it is so obvious - horses are beautiful performers, dancers and models every one of them. As with people, my standards are not that of an exacting industry, but I believe beauty is everywhere. Context, meaning, passion... these all lend their own kind of beauty and power to any image, horse or performance. It is these things that catch my attention, likely more so than a perfect form. Though, those are nice, too. Maybe I'll have some to show you this weekend.

I'm jumping up and down!

2009-07-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, the new site is pretty far along in coding. I think it might just be done by the end of the month!!!!

Also, I will be in the NY area late August and early September. Let me know if you have equestrian photographic needs or desires that I can fill.

eep!

2009-07-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

The new portfolios arrived in the early Fed-X drop. It will take time with my living amongst them to appreciate them fully. But, they are glorious, and I look forward to taking them out int he world for all to see. Now, all I need are some business cards to leave in the hands of those with mouths gape, and I should be all good. Well, all good to go pound pavement. Look out equestrian world, Annaliese is on your trail. As it were.

This is, I believe, the oldest image in my book and on the site. This is my pal's 4 year old son at the barn in Maryland where I was a therapeutic horsemanship instructor (NARHA Certified - at the National Center for Therapeutic Riding). Sweet old Fandango was fading here - I was surprised by how haunting his visage really was when I first saw the images. Nasty old white horse melanoma!

Also, an update

2009-07-11T08:09:00.002-07:00

The web site has long been in the programmer's hands. I await its arrival with bated breath.

The Equigraphic Portfolio was made yesterday.

The collection of Equigraphic cards is getting made today.

Let me know if you/know anyone who might want/need an email or postcard announcing our launch, please.

Photographed beautiful Andalusian filly again yesterday. 4 months and so big!! Still so pretty, so evidence of that later.

But, first off to support our new farmers market on its opening day. I want them all to sell out of all their yummy stock. Gotta support our local small farmers and reap the tasty in the mean time!

HorseSmallCR

2009-07-11T08:09:00.001-07:00

HorseSmallCR
Originally uploaded by compassionateeye

OK, the first horse henna shoot has been declassified by a presidential order. Who else out there has a pale gray they would not mind ornamented? I'll admit, henna lasts rather longer on a horse than a person... maybe once summer is over and many are returning to pasture ornaments and growing out coats.

Done!

2009-06-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

The galleries are sorted, sized, retouched, ordered, and have been handed off to my programmer. I am so psyched! Now just to write the dreaded "about", and it is all programming and a little back and forth and ANNOUNCING!!!

Not that all this computer work has kept me from shooting my shiny new camera... Above: today at the parade - The Shiny New Wells Fargo Coach steps off in front of the old US Customs House

It's a big life out here

2009-06-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

I know - tomorrow I finish all my work on the site and the beta should be right after that (there is already an alpha!). I have had some great projects lately, some Equi oriented and some others. Recently I had this great shoot. While it is not equine, I am so excited about it that I felt I could admit that I do actually turn my camera to other beautiful subjects, too.

The foundation has been laid and now it's being framed up

2009-05-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

So delighted - after... an entire lifetime of working taking horse pictures, my new web site is being built. The basics will be test ready when I meet with my web guru Monday night. Then the ironing and last details, and I can reveal it to you!!

In the meantime - The Logo.

It's been quiet... too quiet...

2009-04-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it hasn't been quiet anywhere in my life but here. I have been crazy busy with lots of fun things like home refinancing, gear research, a couple big shoots (one of them horse related but all cloak and dagger for now), facilities management (what some of us call yard work and spring cleaning when home is office and office is home), and a wee trip up to British Columbia (during which I got exactly zero picture of horses).

One of my key collaborators on another major project has proclaimed May 1 the beginning of his full time work on said effort. OK, that means I need to be ready to put in some serious hours, too. What does that lead to? I have to get this site up post haste! And, so I will. Almost all the gallery images are processed; I have a date with my glorious web designer at www.tinfoilhat.com; and I am pleased with my command decision to cut all galleries back to ten images each. Ha! I can feel it coming together now. I am almost jumping up and down.

My pup

2009-04-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

It has gotten so busy around here. I mostly stumble around ina daze, completing things off my list, and looking to it for my next move. Horse time has been little, but in the meantime, here's our dog Lego enjoying the spring morning.

Project Healing Horse

2009-04-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

When the army started the Horses Helping Heroes project at Fort Meyer in my home state of Virginia, I was thrilled. I grew up riding at Great Falls Horse Center which had one of the first therapeutic riding programs in the country hosted there. I have been around TR for my whole horse life, and I eventually become a NARHA certified teacher after I washed out of social work proper. My Mom volunteers, too. And she told me about the great program for vets which utilized other service personnel as volunteers and the beautiful caisson horses as the four footed therapists. Of course, like all good therapeutic horsemanship, it quickly worked its magic.

I have been telling the folks at Forward Stride where I currently volunteer about the programs since I first heard of it. Well, I just heard from their Executive Director that they will be one of the next 12 sites to develop a program:

From the site:

Project healing Horse

raises money and promotes therapeutic riding to heal our wounded veterans. At facilities across the country, we honor those who have given so much and we share our love of horses.

Watch our film. Learn about this exciting therapy and how you can help by making a donation.

Totally watch the film!!!!

And, it turns out the gys who produced the film and are working to advance the availability of this program nationally are FROM OREGON (at least that is where the program address is):

Life-long friends George and Don own a company that bakes cookies for horses. Many say they bake the finest horse cookies in the world. It’s not a hugely profitable business. And, although not getting rich, they did discover the wonderful world of horses and the wonderful people who ride and love these magnificent animals. They also discovered the magical bond that exists between horse and rider. They then became national sponsors of a disabled children’s therapeutic riding organization.

While at a therapeutic riding center in Woodside, California, they marveled as a young wounded veteran, who walked with great difficulty, mounted a horse and began riding slowly, then faster and faster, until together they flew around the arena, the veteran beaming from ear to ear. George and Don wanted to share this experience with the world. Thus began Project Healing Horse.

They produced their movie and created this website to promote and raise money for veterans therapeutic riding programs across the country. They hope you will watch. Learn. And donate. And, the next time you visit your local tack store, consider purchasing a bag of Joker’s Treats Horse Cookies™.

Similes

2009-03-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

I thought of a funny comparison: asking a photographer what camera they use to make great pictures is like asking a trainer what saddle they use to do great training. I think my brain will be running all day with this and all the limitless places it can go (artist/brush, ballerina/pointe shoes, musician/instrument etc.) Good tools are great, but they only take anyone in any field so far. Anyone else going to jump in on this?

Another from yesterday

2009-03-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to get away from editing these lovely pictures. The foal just makes me sigh and feel all happy inside. SO, here's another of her.