Fire and Earth Photography and Design

All the King's Horsemen

2010-09-02T10:36:00.005-05:00

I love unique photo and design projects that I can work on for a client. It lets me open up and truly portray my style and creativity, knowing that it will be shown to the public eye.

I am currently working on a project involving several characters with their horses, based in fairy tale times. We are compiling settings and models to assist with our vision of creating a fantasy world based on a fictional story. This will eventually become a wonderful exhibition, illustrated story and possibly a bigger production.

Most of the images will be composites since there are no castles, mountains or knights saving fair maidens in the midwest. Composites consist of 2 or more images blended together to create one complete image.... kind of like a collage, but you don't know where one image begins and the other one ends... actually it should look as if it was pohotographed that way without combining images.

Here are some of our first character:

IDCTA Mini Event - Lake Geneva

2010-08-23T10:04:00.006-05:00

Wow!! We had a BLAST this weekend at the IDCTA mini event at Geneva Equestrian in Lake Geneva, WI. It was the first time Fire & Earth photographed any event at this beautiful facility and we were very impressed with the level of riders, horses and staff at the show. I don't think we could have taken a bad photo of anyone that day (it also helps when the skies are clear and the temperature is tolerable).

Here are some of my favorites...

Creepy Crawlies and Such

2010-07-19T12:12:00.004-05:00

I hate bugs.

I hate when they crawl on my arm, buzz in my ear, crunch under my feet, attack me in swarms and, on that one rare moment, land in my ice tea!

However... they make the most interesting models in a photographer's studio... if you can keep them still. I decided to fight my fear of these little monsters by taking them out of their environment and putting them into mine, using them for their brilliant colors and attributes.

I never knew how beautiful they really were until I got them in front of the lens.

Thanks to the little creepy crawly, thousand-leggy little guys for your patience and help....

However..... I'm STILL not going to share my ice tea.

The Amazing Sully

2010-07-08T10:16:00.007-05:00

I have always enjoyed photographing high action... capturing that split second in time that we never see with our own eyes in real time. I have photographed horse racing, pole bending, barrel racing, jumping, cross-country..... and have mastered them all. But to photograph something smaller and faster... like a dog running as fast as he can and jumping into a lake.... that can be tricky..... but OH SO MUCH FUN!!!

Thanks to Darcie and her amazing Border Collie "Sully" for a wonderful photo session at the lake. His amazing athleticism is seen in every photo here and I am surprised his feet ever touched the ground!

Blink and you'll miss it.... but if the camera gets a blink in.... I get GOLD!

A Different Kind of Business

2010-05-14T15:28:00.008-05:00

I have been photographing horses and riders in the show ring for several years, and I never get tired of it..... but it's nice to be able to step back and be able to photograph the other side of show business. =)

KYB Dressage has been my client since I started photographing their champion horses and riders at several dressage venues, including exhibitions and clinics. I recently helped them launch their new website: www.kybdressage.com (entirely custom designed by Fire & Earth along with most of our photos). This website is being used to showcase their business and help promote their services and identity in the equestrian world. Their talent in the show ring is obvious through all of the photos and videos on their website and such, but they recently asked me to leave the show ring behind and catch them doing what they do best: enjoying the time they spend with their horses.

Both Kassie and Yvonne, along with Agata and a couple of the Young Riders in the KYB JRYR program put aside their top hats, tails and formal gear and opened themselves up to the camera showing the unique relationships they have with their horses. It is always a pleasure to be asked to photograph such a vulnerable and special moment between horse and rider.

Here are some of the photos from recent photos sessions with KYB Dressage and their horses...

Kylie and Sonrisa

2010-03-30T11:06:00.004-05:00

It was still a little too early to start photo sessions in the year, but the owners of Kylie and Sonrisa couldn't wait!! The trees were still bare, the grass still dull and the recent rain made sure that there was a nice thick mud patch every foot or so in the pastures. It was a hard environment to work in, let alone something that would make a good backdrop in any direction.... but you have to work with what you have!

And so I did.

Time For An Upgrade

2010-03-03T11:02:00.004-06:00

Upgrade.

That word makes me giddy when I hear it. I love upgrading anything that needs upgrading when an upgrade is available for any upgradeable item I have. =)

Well, in this instance, we are not talking about my iPhone (that I can't live without), or my Adobe Suite software (that I can't live without) or my camera (that I can't live without). I am talking about OUR LOGO for Fire & Earth.

We started out with a great logo, but as our business grew and applications changed, we had a hard time implementing our logo in our marketing materials and digital media. It's a BIG undertaking.... materials to update, website and online pages to update and making our customers aware of the change.... but is WELL worth it.

We now have a cleaner, bolder and easier to read logo that is easy to place anywhere on any media and speaks a little more about what we do. It's not JUST graphic design anymore, its MULTIMEDIA design (yes, ladies and gentleman, we do videos and more).

So here you are... pass the word.... the upgrade has LAUNCHED.

By the way, in case you wondered... that's my new puppy on my blog header photo. His name is Vader and he is the cutest Yorkie-Poo in the universe. I checked.

It Doesn't Get Better Than This

2010-02-22T11:08:00.018-06:00

Photography can be a "tricky" profession. Why tricky? It's because you can get all of the best schooling, go to all of the most informative workshops and have the best equipment... and you STILL won't be a good photographer. Why? Because it takes TALENT and HARD WORK and most of all, GREAT customer service. Being a good photographer is HALF the business success... the other half is being good at running a business... as most would say. I truly believe that. 95% of my new business comes from word-of-mouth.

95%

That's a BIG number! This number is based upon how my customers feel about me. I must be doing something right!

Now there is one other thing that helps each and every photographer produce a FANTASTIC photo, instead of just a plain old GOOD photo... and that's the customer.

I had the pleasure of doing a series of photo sessions with my long-time client, KYB Dressage. They own and operate an equestrian and equine training business and have been champions in their sport for many years. As business clients, they know what it takes to keep an image and succeed in their industry, which in turn, helps me as a photographer when I come to do a photo shoot for them. They ALWAYS cooperate and are willing to go that "extra mile" to help me get the best shot. Without cooperation between client and photographer, that FANTASTIC photo can never happen.

Sometimes as a photographer, I may ask the client to do things that might require a little more work than expected..... even something that can be very difficult. I always take into account safety, especially working with several 1500 lb animals. However, sometimes it's necessary to do things that require a little work, inconvenience and, most importantly, PATIENCE.

See all of those models, especially on location, in magazines? I never thought they had to work hard... I mean.... look at them... look where they are? How could they POSSIBLY be working hard. Well I have news for you.... they work alot harder for those shots than you think!!!

So if you want a photo session with me, be prepared to help out a little, stand for one more minute and be willing to change locations.... because your images will be as FANTASTIC as these, if not better!!!

The client was very cooperative in letting her dogs off-leash to help get this wonderfully energetic shot of her dog

Tuxedo Thyme - Beautiful black Arabian stallion

Kim Barteau of KYB Dressage demonstrating liberty training with Boater, friesian stallion own by Grand Prix Equestrian

A few students of KYB Dressage and horses they train with

Here are all of the students together. This image is completely Photoshopped. I placed each student and horse pair in this photo to create one big group photo, since most of the horses were a little "energetic" in the cold, winter air.

Why Professional Photography Costs So Much

2010-02-15T11:08:00.003-06:00

I was there.

I took photos with my father's camera for a long time before I started my own business with my own camera. I dropped off my film rolls at Walgreens, paid $0.25 per print and practically ripped the package of finished prints out of the store attendant's hands when I came to pick them up.

After 1000's of photos and many years later, I went to my first horse show and asked the photographer to photograph my horse and I in the ring for the FIRST time.... it was REALLY special to me. After the class, I went to the photographer's area and looked at my proofs on her laptop... they were to DIE for. I have never seen such gorgeous images. I don't like my image in photographs, but this woman made my horse AND I look like we belong on the cover of a magazine in EVERY shot. She was also able to time EVERY shot at EXACTLY the right moment of the stride of my horse... no one could do better. I would have bought every one of those photos.... but I did narrow it down to about 5 because I knew there would be some payment involved on my part, and I had already spent alot of money just to GET to the show...

Then I asked for the price of a 4x6... and she said $45.

Silence.

I couldn't believe it. $45 for a 4x6... are you nuts!?!? I pay $0.18 per 4x6 at Walgreens, even in this digital age. But it was my young mare's FIRST show and my FIRST time showing her and the photos were so amazing, that mare looked like she could beat every horse in the country in those shots. I couldn't pass this up.

So I picked the best shot and bought it.

Instead of arguing about price or grumbling under my breath as I wrote the check for the photo, I wanted to know more about WHY my photo was $45 instead of $0.18 or even $5.00. The photographer, Susan Sexton, replied with the best response I think anyone could have given me. She was kind and courteous, and when the conversation was over, I left very satisfied and with a new appreciation for photography and art. Susan created ART, not a snapshot. She had so many years of experience, done so much trial and error, had so much intelligence about composition... and color..... and light.... how can all of that just cost $0.18?!?!

I understood.

Not everyone will understand because many do not NEED that professional look, or need that shot to be perfect, or are just too used to paying for prints that are $0.18 each. But for those of you that want to understand this better than I have explained it here, please take the time to look at this link and read this fantastic exaplanation: Why Custom Photography Cost So Much

I am not saying that you HAVE to pay $45 for a 4x6 if you can just do it yourself for $0.18 (remember to factor in the cost of your camera, cards, software, computer, etc...) but I would like you to read why THAT print from a TRUE professional costs as much as it does.

If you truly understand, as I did.... you'll know that the photo of YOUR unforgettable moment in time by that pro photographer is truly priceless...

....and you got a GREAT deal on it.

Winter Portrait Sessions

2010-02-12T09:08:00.006-06:00

Winter in the Midwest can be pretty brutal this time of year (yes, it's February... unfortunately). It makes it difficult to photograph since my camera pretty much stops working below 15 degrees and I WANT to stop working below 32 degrees. =)

As a passionate photographer, it's hard to let anything stop you from being creative. Since the days are shorter and the sky is drearier (is that even a word?), I have to be a little more "inventive" when it comes to breaking away from the usual natural light I use for most of my portrait sessions, in order to keep things rolling and to keep my sanity in check.. But it's hard to find anyone who is willing to have a portrait session in the winter.... until now.

It all started when I was be contacted by several competitors in the equine show circuit who needed to get current photos in the winter months for a publication deadline. One particular client needed a cover photo for a popular magazine that circulated within the equine community... so it HAD to be extra special. The client was concerned with the request since it was the dead of winter with the temperature in the teens (with no signs of moving up) and blizzards in the forecast for the next week. She needed a really nice shot of her daughter on her horse, in a non-show type pose... very casual... with a Chicago theme incorporated somewhere in there..... perhaps a skyline. But how can we do that... she asked?

As a graphic designer (my first love, with photography a CLOSE second), I knew anything is possible with Photoshop, as long as the shots are setup correctly, you shoot everything you need and then some... and you KNOW what you are doing in Photoshop.

So.... within a small dark NON-heated arena (in the dead of winter), with 2 strobes, my camera, and with very cooperative subjects (that were such good sports about standing in freezing air with no winter clothes on)... I was able to pull it off... and THEN some:

Notice the lights in the building in the back right of the skyline? I added that little touch! Thank you Sarah and Sabey for a beautiful cover shoot for the POA Magazine!

Below are some more photo sessions I did for some very talented young women for their show circuit publications. Keep it coming... I'm havin' a blast working with such gorgeous models!!!

Photo Sessions - GO PRO!!!

2009-10-26T12:21:00.010-05:00

These days, everyone has a camera, whether it's on their phone or a nice digital SLR they picked up at Best Buy.

Cameras have come a long way since digital became the "norm," but having an expensive camera with expensive lenses doesn't make you a photographer. No offense to anyone out there, but if you TRULY want to take good photos, you have to put the time and effort into it and REALLY get to know your stuff.

As a photographer, I am constantly learning, on a daily basis, and I don't just mean surfing the internet and looking for shortcuts and tips and tricks or copying other photographers' styles! Being a photographer takes much more than just learning how to use your camera. You may take great shots than you did before with the new equipment you just bought, but snapping away left and right is not what it's all about! I always believe that practice makes perfect, but to be a GREAT photographer, you need to be able to go outside the boundaries and have an artistic talent, and some people just can't "see" the shot. You can take photos all day, at different angles and at different settings, Photoshop the heck out of an image, and STILL not get that award winning shot. Now, by all means, I don't think that I am that award winning, #1 photographer, but I am going in the right direction. I am lucky enough to have the artistic eye in my family, even from before I knew what art was, and I never stopped building on it.

My point is that sometimes if you really want that great shot or great art piece, you have to turn to a professional. A good professional provides experience, ease, valuable consultation, great product and fantastic quality. A good professional will help you avoid the mistakes and take you right to success with your product.

So...... get it done right... GO PRO!!!!

With that, I give you some examples of some great photo sessions I had with some very talented and beautiful people and horses. Thank you so much for your time and your efforts. Every picture you helped me create deserves to be on the cover of a magazine!

September 24, 2009 - Not Just Horses

2009-09-25T15:48:00.008-05:00

I never really cared too much about insects... even those creepy ones with more legs than I can count. I don't MIND them and I'll even hold them in my hands, but I don't like them invading my vegetable garden... but invade THEY DID.

I went out to my tomato plant that was growing wonderfully in my new Topsy Turvy one day and noticed each and every leaf on the top half of the plant was GONE. All that was left were little nubby green stems. Even some of the green tomatoes had been half-eaten!

I immediatly thought a rabbit, or birds, or even a raccoon.... but then Adam (my fiance) noticed a big, fat and VERY green creature slowly crawling up the main vine of the plant. I would have missed it easily if Adam didn't point it out. It was the biggest and greenest caterpillar like insect I had ever seen. So I immediatly found my plastic "little critter" container and placed it in there to observe this alien creature I had never before seen in my life.

After researching this little tomato leaf eating monster, I found that my innocent little tomato yielding plant was the victim of the "Tomato Hornworm" which is the larvae of the "Hawk" or "Hummingbird" Moth. I am a sucker for learning new things, even if it is about insects.

So I did what every good photographer would do.

I took him downstairs to my studio for an "up close and personal" photo session... and THEN I let him go and gobble up someone else's tomatoes.

Explore the possibilities of everything... you never know what you'll end up with in the end!

(Click on each photo for a bigger view and more detail)

These little guys usually hide under a big leaf on the plant, almost impossible to find!

Movin' along

Hopefully this gives you an idea of how big these guys are

August 26, 2009 - Homework

2009-08-27T11:26:00.005-05:00

I have spent countless hours photographing animals with and without "their humans" and I never really had a chance to experiment with just people by themselves. I always marveled at all of the photographers who captured the essence and soul of the person in their portraits. One such photographer, Shelley Paulson, really blew me away with her gorgeous images. She truly captured the personality of people, so well in fact, that you thought you KNEW that person in the photograph. I wanted to know people and know how to bring out their personality with my camera.

I am always looking for ways to advance my knowledge in both photography & design so that I can always stay on top of the game, give my clients fresh perspectives, as well as keep up with modern technological advances in the market.

I was thrilled to know that Shelley Paulson was offering a photography course on photographing people and I jumped at the chance to participate. I want to share my first assignment with you which required me to shoot in several types of lights. Thanks to Allicyn Smith, my model, I was able to catch some great shots. Thanks Allicyn and I hope you enjoy the photos!!!

Sidelight

Doorway Light

Direct Light

Backlight

Open Shade (my fav)

August 14, 2009 - iPhone

2009-08-14T10:16:00.013-05:00

I must have been crazy not to purchase one of these amazing cellphones earlier!

I spend most of my day in the field or in the car when I am doing my photography work, so it is essential to have some method of communication so that I can keep track of my website, orders, customer questions, updates and tools. I had a Blackberry for a while, but the internet capabilities were limited. The phone eventually took a nose-dive and froze up on me for good, so I decided to take advantage of a great ATT deal and got the iPhone 3G (not the new 3Gs, but I am told it's NOT that much different by ATT).

Anyway, long story short, Adam (my fiance) has named my new iPhone "my boyfriend" since I have been paying more attention to it, than him, lately! I have downloaded almost 30 apps and I think I am in techno geek HEAVEN (yes I am a tech buff)!!

So to share in my joy, I am giving all of you iPhone users a set of free iPhone wallpapers that you can put on your iPhone.

1. Right click on any picture and click "SAVE AS" and save them to a spot on your computer.

2. Import into iTunes and sync with your phone.

3. Once on your phone, find the photo and choose "set as wallpaper" and now you have a beautiful image greeting you everytime you touch your iPhone!!

4. Let me know how you like 'em, just send me a Facebook message, comment here at the blog or shoot me an email!!!!

I love my iPhone.

July 10, 2009 - Halflinger Inspection

2009-07-13T15:15:00.005-05:00

I had the wonderful pleasure of photographing a Halfinger inspection last week at Tudor Oaks Farm in Barrington, IL. It was a beautiful day for photographs, especially of such well groomed and high quality horses that were representing the Halflinger breed. Here are some snapshots I took of the facility and the inspection.

Here is a small panoramic of the main grounds, starting from left to right: the main stables, outdoor arena and field where the in hand portion of the inspection was taking place.

Here is the front entrance of the main stables. They began the inspection with measurements of each horse in the main aisle. The attention to detail was amazing!

Here is a poster that was hung to promote HOPE for the Halfinger Breed... how beautiful!

This is Tudor Oaks fine stallion "Nottings No Limit" and WOW, was he a head-turner. He was everything in one package: beauty, elegance and great movement! His coat was so mesmerizing, I couldn't take my camera off of him!

For the inspection, Tudor Oaks displayed several elegant carriages around the property. Halflinger horses excel in many disciplines, especially in driving.

Here is another fantastic horse that was inspected at liberty. All horses were measured, inspected in hand and inspected at liberty. The judges inspected every aspect of the horse including movement and personality.

A kind eye was seen in every horse. Halflingers are such a noble and kind breed... I could see it in every horse that walked passed me. So strong and energetic, yet so gentle and personable.

I couldn't take a bad picture of any of these horses at any angle! They always posed as if they KNEW they were in front of the camera!

I love to groom my own horse for hours on end.... mane, tail, coat, hooves... you name it. However, I stand no chance to these amazing manes and tails!

Some of the youngsters found that inspection time was actually "play" time and insisted on leaping and bounding around the triangle.

And some of the others knew it was time to get serious and show off their beauty for the judges.

You can't go wrong with a head shot of a Halfinger!

I even got the chance to see a baby Halfinger... they are strong and courageous from the start!

Showing off with mama.

Proud handler and horse, ready to go.

July 7, 2009 - Photo Session Season is HERE!!

2009-07-08T11:54:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again! Time to schedule your photo session, especially since we have a special rate going on right now. Everything is green, flowers are in bloom and the weather is beautiful... so stop procrastinating and let me know where and when and I will have my camera ready. Just look at the photos I did below of Kayla and her horse at Summerfield Farm just last week.... you're missing out on a fantastic opportunity to get professional photos of you and your four-legged family (I do dogs too)!

Thank you Kayla for your wonderful modeling and thank you Kathy for the use of your gorgeous facility....

May 6, 2009 - Lamplight on a Sunny Day

2009-05-07T11:29:00.004-05:00

What a beautiful weekend to photograph the USDF Lamplight Equestrian show in Wayne, IL. The sun never gave up and the temperature was perfect. Here are a few images from the show that I played around with. Enjoy!

X - Halt - Salute

Jessica ALWAYS loves to pose for the photographer and make a GRAND exit out of the ring.

Artistic black and white lengthening

I had to brag about the sky in this photo

This photo does not do this horse's tail justice... it was one of the most beautiful full tails I have ever seen on a non-friesian horse!

Concentration

Jessica making another GRAND exit! Good job Jess!!!

Sijmen fon LaClar and Heather McCarthy going down centerline

This horse had a beautiful head and neck, I had to show it off!

Bob and his horse Gabriel, ridden by Jessica Valenti. That's not how to get "ears" for a photo!?

Gabriel and Jessica in the ring

Jessica's family and Gabriel's owner

May 5, 2009 - Photomerge

2009-05-06T12:15:00.005-05:00

As usual, I am always trying to find something better and unique to offer my clients. I was playing around with images from the past weekend at the USDF Lamplight Equestrian show in Wayne, IL and came upon a new and fresh idea that some of you might be interested in: the PHOTOMERGE. I can take any consecutive images and blend them together to make it look like there was several of you in the same image.

Take a look, and if you are interested in one of these from images I have taken of you, please let me know and I can make a unique PHOTOMERGE for you!!!

April 20, 2009 - Midwest Horse Fair

2009-04-23T10:26:00.011-05:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to join a client and friend of mine, Tiana Ng, at the Midwest Horse Fair. It was an exclusive outing since she was showcasing 2 of her stallions on Stallion Avenue and I am her official photographer and designer. Her business, Classical Baroque Horse LLC, made its debut with Friesian Stallion "Mattias" and PRE Andalusian Stallion "Valiente." Mario A. Contreras of MC Horse Training also came with several stallions to represent the IALHA registry in their breed demo.

It was a wonderful weekend to get lots of photos and I have posted a handful of them here for your viewing pleasure!!!

Great Lakes Friesian Association breed demo participants

An andalusian stallion warming up in hand for h'aute e'cole (high school dressage)

Trainer Mario A. Contreras warming up PRE Andalusian stallion "Eclipse"

Trainer Mario A. Contreras warming up PRE Andalusian stallion "Valiente" in the sunset

Jessica warms up another Andalusian

Tiana tries her hand at riding a new stallion

Another trainer demonstrates his stallion's talent

The coliseum showcased new and exciting demos every 10-20 minutes of different breeds and acts. These guys were too cute not to photograph!

I have always had a special place in my heart for minis.

This mini wasn't too fond of the orange fencing!

Tiana and her Friesian Stallion "Mattias" after the GLFA breed demo

Jessica warming up a rare and beautiful palamino Andalusian

Jessica tries to combine both Western and Spanish style riding!

Jessica showing off his amazing movement

Chon and his amazing stallion marching down the street

Tiana took a break from dressage and showed the true beauty and grace of her stallion "Mattias" in a red dress ensemble

The Double L miniature driving team caught everyones attention with their amazing drill team

The IALHA breed demo presentation

March 20, 2009 - Violet & Sonata

2009-03-20T16:44:00.022-05:00

Photography has always been a passion of mine, but it was really sparked by my first ever passion: riding, especially dressage.

I began riding at the age of 15 by taking a trail ride with my friend on her birthday at a small livery stable in Willow Springs, IL. I fell in love with riding right then and there. I soon volunteered at that stable and began to lead trail rides and take Western Pleasure lessons from a local boarder. I did barrel racing, pole bending, parades and lots and lots of trail riding.

A year after I began riding and after three accidents involving me sailing through the air, landing on the VERY hard ground and my horse running away home, I decided to take a hiatus for a year. The riding bug got worse and I couldn't stay away any longer, so I looked for professional instruction to help me ride better and help alleviate this "falling of my horse" business. I started taking lessons in the only discipline I knew, Western, and was having a good time.... but something was missing still. It wasn't until I overheard a conversation one of the trainers was having with her students at the barn.... "... yes, Sanderson is a Friesian Stallion and he's in the far aisle."

FRIESIAN!?!? I LOVED Friesians... but I never saw one. I always drooled over the beautiful black flowing manes and gorgeous tails in all of the horse calendars I owned, but to see one in real life, and IN THIS BARN!?!?!? I had to ask about him.... and so I met Lisa and learned about dressage.

She still has that Friesian, and yes, he is big, black, beautiful and now I am the proud owner of his one and only daughter (as of date) who turned out even more beautiful! Her name is MOONLIGHT SONATA (some people call her SNOTTY for short, but she's really got great temperament, they just like to give me a hard time). Her movement is fantastic and her personality is second to none and I would never trade her for any horse in the world. Below is a little timeline that I pulled from the thousands of photos I have of my precious mare, to date. If you ever have the chance to keep a photo record of your horse over the years, don't hesitate. I still think I don't have enough photos of her!

Many of these photos are from before I became a pro photographer... just to give you an excuse on why most of the photos are not really pro quality... but you can see as time progresses, so does my skill.... =)

This is Sonata's Daddy, Sanderson, Friesian Stallion (FHANA & FSHR). Still around today and available for stud. See him at his website here: http://www.sandersonfriesianstallion.com/

This is Sonata at 2 weeks with her gorgeous Mommy, Allegra. This photo of Allegra does not do her justice. She is a big 17.3h and beautiful mare with fabulous movement who is living happily with her owner on private property. I wish I had a better photo of her!

Sonata at 2 weeks old, still trying to find her footing!

Here is Sonata at 1 month old, standing proud as ever... she has always been a little show off!

Here she is at 2 months old, already growing so fast that she is practically as tall as her mother!

3 months old and starting to finally lose all of that mousy gray hair and show her true colors.

5 months old and I weaned her from her mother. It was very easy and she really took to her new human friends... as well as other four legged animals.

Sonata's first show in hand (and mine too). We won third and even beat out some warmbloods! Sonata went on to win USDF All Breed and become one of the top FSHR (Friesian Sport Horse) horses in the country!

Sonata is little over a year here, playing the snow.

Here she is as a 2 year old... and really bleached out from the sun!!

As a 3 year old, I took Sonata to her first ever inspection for FSHR.

She did so well, that she got Reserve Champion and wowed everyone, including myself! As a 5 year old, she will be going to the ISR/Oldenburg inspection to get into the pre-mare book and hopefully breed to a wonderful Oldenburg stallion in the future (my favorite breed).

Every once in a while, I get the chance to photograph Sonata at liberty. Here she is as a late 3 year old, full of herself as she ran around the pasture.

Since I didn't get a chance to show her undersaddle, I had my wondeful fiance Adam take some gorgeous photos of us in the dressage ring at my stable. She is 4 years old and 17.2h in this photo.

And this is the last photo I have so far as an early 5 year old, first time outside after the winter. My position needs lots of work, but I am proud of how far she has come. Hopefully this year, we'll get a chance to strut our stuff in the show ring and have fun doing it!

February 23, 2009 - More Shelter Photos

2009-02-23T16:40:00.007-06:00

Here are the rest of the photos that I finished correcting. Do you know anyone that would like a photo session? If so, please have them contact me and I will give them a free photo session in my South Elgin studio if they mention that they saw the Animal House Shelter photos on my blog!

Koala

Leo

Mandy

Viola

February 18, 2009 - Animal House Shelter

2009-02-05T09:26:00.011-06:00

As my business has been growing throughout these past couple of years, I have wanted to try a variety of photo subjects and be able to be more experienced with different types of photography. But in order to be able to gain experience and get GOOD at it, you have to be able to practice! My problem is that I have a lack of models available. So I sat down and pondered, of course while I was browsing the internet (one of my favorite things to do), and came upon a wonderful and extremely talented photographer who is a fellow member of the Equine Photographers Network: Julie Poole of Julie Poole Photography. Her animal work is amazing and I want to be able to offer that quality of animal portraiture to MY customers (as well as people too)!

So I spoke with her and she graciously offered me some advice about volunteering at an animal shelter. I could have plenty of models to gain experience and experiment with, and in return, the shelter has pro quality shots to help their animals get adopted. It was a win win situation! I found Animal House Shelter while I was browsing online for some local shelters. They graciously accepted my offer and my first portrait date was a success! I have posted some images from the session of both dogs and cats that are available for adoption. If you or someone you know is interested in adoption, please give these guys a call and let them know that you saw there animals on Fire & Earth's website! Here is their website: Animal House Shelter

Ester

Elaina

Chester

Captain

Buddha and Baby (brothers)

Bobo

Blackberry

Apple

Thank you to everyone at the Animal House Shelter for helping me with my wonderful models! In the future, I will donate a portion of my profits to help benefit the Animal House Shelter during the year.... so please check back and see how you can get both professional quality photos of your loved one and help the ones out there without a home!

January 29, 2009 - Shoot Lots and Shoot Often

2009-01-30T16:31:00.007-06:00

The only way to really get good at photography, especially in this digital age, is to have your camera with you as often as possible and photograph as MUCH as possible. Try different angles, lighting... play with settings. At this time, though, you should know your camera inside and out and have the basics of photography practically implanted in your memory. Then you can take all of those high memory compact flash and/or SD cards and fill 'em to the brim with images of anything and everything you see through the viewfinder of your camera.

Since I tend to photograph a lot of events throughout the year and go into "show season mode" with my camera, I tend to forget that I can really benefit from shooting OUTSIDE the ring.

I was shooting a dog show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL and was finishing up the day by packing all of my equipment in my car. It was getting close to early evening, but there was still some daylight left. I heard a steady thump, thump, thump from across the fairgrounds and was determined to find out the source. I finished packing my car and began driving towards the rhythmic sounds to another event that was taking place at the fairgrounds: the Chicago Anawim Powwow.

I paid the admission fee to get in, since it was open to the public, and the first thing I saw when I walked through the gate was a gentleman of Native American descent in the most beautiful costume I had ever seen. There were hundreds of dancers in costume of every color and every design. It was a dance contest between all of the tribes. What a PERFECT chance to get some GREAT shots!!!

I asked the organizers for permission to photograph the event and was eagerly granted access to the entire event.

Since there was no pressure, I casually walked around and I was able to get shots of every different angle, as well as experiment. I was not used to being able to freely shoot whatever I wanted since most of my venues required particular shots at particular times and at particular angles!

All in all, don't be afraid to get out and just SHOOT LOTS AND SHOOT OFTEN because you never know what you'll get!!!

January 26, 2009 - Animal Portraits

2009-01-27T10:12:00.005-06:00

I had the opportunity to use my brand new home portrait studio in South Elgin, IL to photograph some adorable animals. My studio is open by appointment only to anyone who would like portraits done of themselves, family, kids, animals, etc. Our studio is also mobile, so please let me know if you are interested in having us come to your location for professional and high quality photographs!

This adorbale dog is one of my favorites - a Jack Russel Terrier named "Jelly Bean." She is one of the sweetest and most obedient dogs I know! What a model!!

These are my two new adoptive little critters. Part rabbit? Part squirrel? NOPE! They are CINCHILLAS!!! These guys are native to South America's desert areas and have the softest coats I have ever felt. This particular pair is very easy to care for and LOVE to be handled... they even watch TV with us in the evening!

Contact me to schedule your portrait session today!!!

December 23, 2008 - Happy Holidays!!!

2008-12-23T10:18:00.002-06:00

I would just like to wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday season! Thanks to you, we were able to get a beautiful portfolio of gorgeous photos in 2008. I look forward to what the future has to bring and I hope that 2009 is a wonderful and happy year for everyone!!

November 26, 2008 - Photoshop is My Best Friend

2008-11-26T10:55:00.009-06:00

I have always firmly believed in getting the best possible image straight out of the camera with a little or no Photoshop involved. It makes a better quality image, and more importantly, just makes life easier for a pro photographer that has hundreds, if not thousands of images to proof on a day to day basis.

However, when you're elbow to elbow in a crowd, trying to get the best angle at a $50,000 Grand Prix Jumper class, the sun is lower on the horizon and at your right shoulder instead of behind you like you would prefer, then you're stuck with whatever you can get when trying to get that "WOW" jump shot at the closest jump you have access to... and I got this....

Not too bad... but could have CERTAINLY been better. The background is really busy and the angle of light is too harsh. I can always do some little touch ups and lighten the darker areas and bring out the horse and rider a little more. So I did a little of that and here is the result:

A little better, but I have something much more different in mind. I decided to do a little more Photoshopping than normal and perform one of my "famous" background changes. I chose to go with a sky color and have the light source come from the same angle as the original photo.

Using a sky blue-like color and white, I used the Render-Clouds filter to create this background, with some of my personal touches of dodging and burning. The result is a gradient-cloud-like background that I think will really bring out horse and rider and give them a type of "supernatural" quality:

Now the hard part: removing the subject from the busy background. There is no easy way to do this and that is why I do charge an extra design fee to do such a dramatic change of scenery. In Photoshop there are several types of tricks that you can do, using the features made for cutting out backgrounds and such.... but to really get a NICE and CLEAN edge that looks REAL, you really have to get down and dirty and take the time to do it right.

To really get a nice edge and make the transfer seamless, you have to mask the layer and cut out the subject pixel by pixel. I normally zoom in almost as far as I can and carefully trace the edge, constantly zooming in and out to make sure I am cutting out the correct edge (everything is just squares and colors when zoomed in that much!). It can take as little as 15-20 minutes or as much as 60-90 minutes because it all depends on the detail of the image. Horse tails and manes that are flowing are VERY difficult and take a lot of time because I actually cut out all of the individual strands and blend colors. I believe that if you're going to take the time to do something, do it right the first time.

And here we go....

I left the bar in because we need to see the horse jumping over an object (although I do have many other ideas). After inserting the background, we now have our finished photo that I have entitled "Sky's The Limit" :

Wouldn't this look great for an equine ad in a magazine, inside cover... I'm thinking feed or supplements... what do you think? =)

Thank you for reading my blog and please let me know if there is anything you would like me to answer with information and examples in this blog. Also, don't forget to subscribe to this blog on this page by typing your email in the subscribe box in the upper right hand corner!!!

November 4, 2008 - SW Dressage Championships

2008-11-06T12:18:00.005-06:00

I have never been to Texas, but have always wanted to visit The Lone Star state for it's great people, horses and environment! We were fortunate enough to be given the chance to photograph the Southwest Dressage Championships in Katy, TX at the Southwest Equestrian Center... and what a wonderful show it was!

Granted it was Halloween weekend and I was eager to get my new house ready for all of the little trick-or-treaters, but I was more eager to photograph all of the talented riders and horses at the show in Katy, TX.

The weather was GORGEOUS (80 degrees and sunny all weekend) and there were plenty of competitors to photograph, not to mention that we had to find our way around the large equestrian center we had never visited before. Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of show management and their volunteers, everything went smoothly.

I loved seeing all of the award winners get their ribbons and medals and catching their expressions! They really did a nice job with the awards ceremonies and it made the competitors feel very special and proud.

It was a great change of pace to be able to go to a completely different environment (especially out of state) and be exposed to a whole new group of horses and riders. They all made for beautiful photographs, both in the ring and candids. Some were so determined to go out with a bang that even if they didn't have a chance to get their horses to the awards, they were going to do their victory lap anyway....

Saturday night was very special because the Houston Dressage Society put on a competitor dinner and show. One of the performers was a very talented man: Dan Keen of Dan Keen Horsemanship. This man was one of the many fortunate enough to be picked for the Mustang Challenge, a program that brings wild mustangs, that would otherwise be destroyed, to trainers all across the country. These trainers have 100 days to train the mustangs under saddle and then compete in front of a panel of judges and people like you and me to see who has the best trained horse. All horses are then auctioned to wonderful homes. If you don't know anything about this program, I urge you to click the link in my blog (Mustang Challenge) and read more about what this wonderful program does for the true American Horse.

All in all, it was a fantastic show and I really did my fair share of hard work. So many wonderful photo opportunities, so little time to get to all of them!

(Some of us got a little tired out)

I would like to thank everyone at the show and everyone that we met in Texas.... you left a GREAT impression on me... and I can't wait to come back.

October 17, 2008 - Holsteiner Inspection

2008-10-17T10:01:00.007-05:00

This photo taken at the Holsteiner Inspection at Meadowbrook Farm in Sycamore, IL is of a beautiful Holsteiner mare owned by Ken Borden of Little Bit Farm, Inc. What gorgeous movement and suspension! Her name is "Sindirella" and if you would like to see more horses of fantastic quality like her, please contact Ken Borden for sale horses and stallions at stud here: Kfbjr2@sbcglobal.net

I always love photographing inspections because the horses are always so well turned out, there is usually only on ring which makes shooting easier and I can get up close and personal with each horse to get those GREAT shots! At most inspections, horses are run in hand, under saddle, at liberty and over fences. I am so amazed at the phenominal quality of these carefully bred horses... they truly show their talent at the inspections and I am always excited to be present at these events.

Please contact me if you have a horse going to an inspection and would like photographs. If there is no official photographer for the event, I would GLADLY come and photograph your horse as well as any other horses in the inspection. My calendar is starting to fill up for the 2009 season, so as soon as you get your show dates, please contact me to reserve a photographer for YOUR event!!!

October 2, 2008 - Portrait Studio NOW OPEN!

2008-10-02T09:59:00.005-05:00

We now have a fully functional portrait studio open at our office in South Elgin, IL. This studio will be open for both human and animal portraits. We can do all of the following:

Family Portraits
Senior High School Portraits
Kids and babies
Engagement and wedding
Dogs, cats and other small animals
Sports team portraits
Product images
Christmas/Greeting cards ... and much more!!!!

The studio is open by appointment only, so please contact us via email at: fireandearthphoto@gmail.com or by phone anytime at: (708) 217-0986

Proofs will be shown to you immediatly after the photos session and you can place an order that day, or we can place proofs online for you to view and purchase at a later time. Our sitting fee is normally $50, but for the upcoming holiday season we will discount the sitting fee to only $20.

Contact Fire & Earth today to reserve your session time... they are filling up fast!!

"Merlin" - African Senegal Parrot
Owned by Violet Jackowski

October 1, 2008 - New Package

2008-10-02T09:41:00.003-05:00

Due to several inquiries and a great deal of interest, Fire & Earth will now be offering digital files via EMAIL. In the past we offered a digital file for $20 for personal use only that would be placed on a CD and shipped to you via USPS mail. Many of you requested to receive them via email so you can save on shipping charges or you needed the file ASAP for specially permitted use in an advertisement, website, end of year award announcement, etc.

So now when you log onto our website at: www.fireandearthphoto.com, click on PROOFS in the menu to get to our proofs area, you can now choose the package DIGITAL FILE EMAILED and we will email your file to you within 1-3 days. In order to place an online order, you must provide a valid email address where we will ship the photo to. If you would like us to send the photo to an alternate email address other than the one you provided with your online order, please indicate the email address in the COMMENTS section of your order.

Print orders and digital files on CD will still take up to 14 days to get to you via USPS Priority mail. If you choose to order DIGITAL FILES EMAILED with your print orders, the digital files will arrive via email in 1-3 days and your prints will still take up to 14 days to arrive to you.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at: fireandearthphoto@gmail.com

Thanks again to all of you for your wonderful and valued support!

September 19, 2008 - Reining

2008-09-19T11:39:00.009-05:00

The equine sport of reining has always interested me. Its so amazing how these horses are so disciplined that they respond to the smallest of movements from the rider. I started riding years ago by volunteering as a trail guide and rode mainly Western, also riding barrels, poles, flags, bareback, etc... but then I took the leap into dressage and have been in love since. However, if I had the time and money, I would easily buy myself a reining horse and do both disciplines!

Its rare to have the opportunity to photograph reining in my area, so when I saw that they had reining classes at the WIS-ILL D.B.G. Promoters Open Show in Hampshire, IL I got my camera out and made sure I took lots of photos!

There were only a handful of riders, but they performed so perfectly! Here are some shots:

... and since my camera shoots 10 frames per second at the highest quality, here is an animated video of layered photos of a reining spin...

http://www.fireandearthphoto.com/reining.html

September 4, 2008 - Depth of Field

2008-09-08T10:35:00.009-05:00

I have opened up my BLOG to anyone interested in presenting a question that they would like answered. Just send me an email at: fireandearthphoto@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to answer your questions and post examples here on this blog. Make sure you subscribe to the BLOG by typing your email in the white box on the right of this screen and click on the SUBSCRIBE button.

Q: How do you make the background blurry?

A: This is a very common question. The answer can be pretty confusing to the amateur photographer, so I will try to answer it in the least complicated way! In photography, we have something called "depth of field." This is the area that is in focus when you look through your viewfinder. The illustration gives those of you our there who are visual learners (like me!) a better understanding of this.

The length of the depth of field can actually be manipulated by the photographer by changing manual settings on the camera.. so of course you would have to be in a manual or semi-manual mode where you would have control of your aperture (clicker here to see what the aperture is) or what we call f-stop (click here to see what f-stop is).

To open and close your aperture, check your camera manual (which is the best book you can have to help you.. I ALWAYS carry around mine) which will tell you how to change the f-stop/adjust the aperture on your camera. If you want to get a blurrier background, shoot with a smaller f-stop such as F3.5 or F4... or if you have a lens like mine, you can go F2.8. All lenses and cameras have limitations to what f-stop they can do, so check your camera manual to see what f-stop it supports, as well as check your lenses... they will have it written on the actual lens, such as F4 written on my Canon EF 7o-300mm lens for my Rebel XT indicating that it can shoot a minimum of F4 as an f-stop. Here is an example of a camera set at F2.8 (with a lens that that opens wide to F2.8 of course... BIG bucks!!)

As you narrow your aperture (setting your camera to a higher f-stop) to let less light in, your depth of field gets BIGGER and more of the area behind and in front the subject is in focus! This is especially perfect if you want to get an entire landscape scene... you WANT everything in focus!

So I hope this helps in answering your question. If anyone else out there has a question, let me know!!!

August 27, 2008 - Where Did the Time Go?

2008-08-27T10:14:00.002-05:00

WOW!!! It's been a busy show season. So busy, in fact, that I keep forgetting to post another BLOG!!! If you have any ideas or have any photography/design questions, I will be more than happy to help! I love sharing advice and teaching others to become better through my own experience as a photographer, so PLEASE don't be shy and tell everyone about my blog . I will answer questions and give examples... just send me an email or post a comment!!

I will be at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL this entire weekend forthe USDF show. If you are a competitor and would like your photo taken during your ride, send me an email or see me or my assistant in the food pavilion. All photos will be taken first come, first serve by request only.

See you there!!!

July 15th, 2008 - Riding For A Cure

2008-07-16T12:02:00.014-05:00

Yesterday morning I got up at 5:00am, too excited too sleep anymore even though my alarm was set for 6:00am. It was going to be a big day and both my mare and I had never done something like this before... since she is only 4 and we are both schooling in dressage. But we made a commmitment and we were going to stick to it. We were not alone and the best part is that we were all going for the same reason... to raise money for a great cause....

On July 14th, at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL I participated in one of the most wonderful fundraisers and one of the ONLY fundraisers that allowed my horse to participate too: "Riding For A Cure" to raise money for Breast Cancer Research through the University of Chicago Hospitals. Each horse and rider team were asked to raise atleast $150 in pledges and to ride 20 miles through the Wayne/Dupage trails and Lamplight grounds.

(All we had were cell phone cameras with us since I didn't want to put my expensive equipment at risk and had no way to secure it... sorry about the quality!!! Here is the group on Dunham Road, walking towards our lunch stop... that's me turning around!)

The weather was absolutely PERFECT: 82 degrees with clear skies all day. We started out with registration and the organizers had some snacks and orange juice all ready for us for breakfast (as well as carrots and apples for the horses). My friends and I all participated together as a team, so we got our horses ready before we went out on the trail... complete with pink ribbons, pink bows, pink polo wraps, pink saddle pads, and we had pink hats, pink shirts, pink ribbons in our hair... and Amanda even went a little further and had her mare wear a pink wreath and pink glitter!!!

(Marilyn and her horse, Mercedes Storm and me and my mare, Moonlight Sonata, stop in a beautiful field to pose for a portrait)

There were 3 trail groups: the advanced/fast group (canter and trot), the intermediate/medium (walk/trot) and the beginner/slow group (walk only)... which was very nice because you can go at a pace your are most comfortable with. The organizers even provided fly spray for the horses and had outriders and volunteers ride with the groups in case there were any problems. There was always a medic following the group and lots of support from fellow riders.

(Here I am getting scolded by my friend Amanda on her mare, La Femme Serlait: "You don't have enough pink ribbons in her mane!!!")

We rode for 2 hours through gorgeous prairies of wildflowers, wooded paths and even creekside paths. It was so nice to ride up and down rolling valleys and fields of tall grass... I had never done that before!! Lunch was served at a private residence owned by the Jenson's (what wonderful and generous people) in which they allowed all 100 horses and riders to stop and rest. The organizers had prepared a full lunch table with all types of sandwich wraps, fruit and drinks as well as buckets of apples, carrots and water for the horses!!! Volunteers promptly ran up to us and held our horses so we could eat. We even had a private musician play music as we rested and ate!!!! WOW!!!! I was SO impressed.

(I look so serious! Thanks for catching me when I am not looking Tiana! That's why I am usually BEHIND the camera.)

(Megan and her horse Dillan AFTER the ride... she looks like she can get back on for another 20 miles!)

(Here is most of the gang...starting from the left to right: Megan and Dillan, Marilyn and Storm, Tiana and Dirk and Violet and Sonata... we are missing Amanda and Serlait, and Lisa and Cuchicheo)

(Marilyn and her horse Storm showing off their pink saddle pad embroidered with the names of the people she was especially riding for.)

After lunch, we took one BIG group photo and continued back on the trail for another 2 hours until we reached our goal back at Lamplight Equestrian Center. We all got off our horses, rinsed them off and got dressed to go to the benefit dinner and silent auction... and wow, was it a blast!! Lisa Dent from US99 helped get the evening going, as well as a live band and wonderful items for both the live and silent auctions.

(Here is only a third of the whole group of riders! We were all trying to get together for one big photo!)

(Tiana and her horse Dirk looking pretty in pink for the camera as we all strolled down one of the many back roads in Wayne.)

Thanks to everyone who participated, as well as all of my friends who shared the day with me for such a wonderful cause. I will never forget this day and I hope that all of you reading this will participate in the 2009 "Riding For a Cure" to fund breast cancer research and help find a cure.

(Heading back... can't wait to do it again next year and I hope to see all of you there too!!!)

July 13th, 2008 - IDCTA Members Really Score

2008-07-16T11:33:00.018-05:00

The IDCTA has really been busy this year with their show schedule. I have been honored to be their official show photographer for many of their shows around the northern Illinois area: everything from Mini Events to Dressage Shows to Clinics! I love photographing their shows because there is always a great turnout, and latelymany of the shows have been booked to a maximum number of riders, forcing some show managers to use multiple rings... how FANTASTIC!!!

I get so excited watching all of the lovely riders and their horses, especially at this last dressage show that I did at Fox Valley Saddle Association in Hampshire, IL. I love dressage, since I am a dressage rider myself, and to watch all of these riders makes me want to get in the saddle right after each show!

I am very impressed with all of the beautiful horses and how professional the IDCTA staff is with all of the show activities. and I look forward to each and every weekend I get to come to any of their events!

July 8, 2008 - A Long Pause... But We're Back!!

2008-07-09T11:01:00.013-05:00

It's been pretty hectic around here, yet we are still keeping busy every weekend photographing events. I haven't had a chance to post since my days were filled with countless hours of traveling without access to the internet anywhere in site! But I'm back and ready to share!!

I was so excited when the IDCTA asked me to be their Official Photographer for their Spring Kickoff Dressage Show at Lamplight Equestrian Center in June. I was scheduled to photograph the NIHJA show at Silverwood Farm, but they had a change of management and had their own photographers come for the event, so everything worked out well with changing my plans!

I live very close to Lamplight and have shown there several times, so I was very familiar with the grounds and could easily adapt to the layout. I have always loved to stop by their various venues to shoot stock photography or just have fun practicing, so I was excited when I was allowed to be THE photographer of the event. The weekend called for rain and storms, but we persevered and got wonderful shots of several of the dressage riders. Everyone was in great spirits despite all of the mud, wind and rain and the riders and horses showed off their true talent! I had such a wonderful time and I hope to be photographing there again soon!!

June 9, 2008 - Storms, Wind and Dressage

2008-06-09T10:35:00.011-05:00

It was a beautiful weekend, despite all of the weather activity we had. We were spared the searing heat due to 30-40mph wind gusts and cooling rain. Luckily most of the rain held out until AFTER the show each day! Tempel Farms is a beautiful facility located on hundreds of acres in Wadsworth, IL. With green rolling hills and beautiful treelines... every background was perfect for great photographs! I have always loved photographing shows at Tempel because of the location, but also because some of the best horses and riders turnout for the show. Friday started out with some ridiculous wind gusts that kept blowing over all of the fences that outlined the dressage rings. Tempel workers kept scrambling from ring to ring picking up fences that would be eventually knocked down again within minutes. Ring 4 was ok, so Adam was able to keep photographing in that ring. Adam is my fiance and business partner, as well as ONE HECK of a photographer (he also does most of the Photoshop work at Fire and Earth). Hilda Gurney and Tom Poulin were trying to judge in the main ring, but without avail due to the fences blowing over and spooking horses. Hilda, however, immediatly went on a mission. She jumped out of her judges box and scrambled over to show management with some ideas, and then running from ring to ring, evaluating the situation and trying to find a way to get the show going without losing too much time. Finally, after clearing one of the warm-up rings that had a small, yet wind-proof fence, Hilda Gurney had management place one pickup truck at "C" and one at "A" and the show could now go on!! I was photographing everyone in the "new" Ring 1 and was simply thrilled with all of the various upper level horses performing! Dr. Michael Kohl had ridden some lovely and talented horses, including at the Grand Prix level, which was a treat to photograph.

Jochen Hippenstiel, Tempel Farms trainer, also rode some amazing horses in my ring and made everything look so easy. I was also amazed at all of the young riders who performed such difficult combinations and transitions in their FEI Young riders test. FEI Young Rider Ashlee Todosijevic controlled her Friesian with such ease and mastered every movement. Her Friesian showed such amazing power and grace, but seemed so obedient and listened to Ashlee intentively throughout the entire test.

Amanda Solner and her gorgeous mare "La Femme Serlait" saw blue all weekend, winning all of their classes and achieving her qualifying scores for Regional Championships. Congrats to Amanda and Serlait!! I knew you could do it!! Tempel Farms always does the most wonderful job in hosting a USDF Show and I always look forward to being their Official Show Photographer. Thank you to all of the competitors and Tempel Farms for allowing Fire & Earth to capture all of the wonderful memories.

June 3, 2008 - Cross Training, FVSA Style!!!

2008-06-03T11:45:00.011-05:00

Fox Valley Saddle Association is a beautiful facility located in Hampshire, IL run by a very wonderful community of equestrians. In quoting their website: "Fox Valley Saddle Association (FVSA) is dedicated to creating, stimulating and maintaining interest in riding and driving horses, to foster social activity and to work together for the common advantage of persons interested in riding and driving horses. " I have always enjoyed photographing their open, schooling and breed shows which bring a variety of talented riders and beautiful horses in the ring to show off their "stuff".... and WOW, can they really put on a show!!

I photographed one of my favorite events at FVSA this past weekend: the mini-event. Riders and horses are challenged to a variety of disciplines all in one day: dressage, cross country and jumping. Normally in the equestrian world, we have the sport of EVENTING which "is an equestrian event which comprises dressage, cross-country and show-jumping. This event has its roots as a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding. It has three main formats, the one day event (ODE), two day event and the three day event (3DE) (Wikipedia.org)." Mini events, usually schooling shows, allow the rider to compete in shortened "tests" in each of the disciplines... allowing both horse and rider to compete all day long safely, yet being able to test in each of the three disciplines.

I was SO AMAZED at all of these riders and their horses performing so fluidly and strong in each of the disciplines. A dressage rider myself, I could not imagine soaring over jumps on the cross country course like these men and women (and children) did... and they made it look EASY!!! It looked like they were all having a lot of fun and I am glad I had the privelage of being there all day to photograph everyone.

Sherry Rowlett and her horse "Black Tie Affair" (photo on left) were amazing as they took the rock jump like pros (I have a bias towards big dark horses since I have a dark bay, 17.2 hand, 4 year old mare mself). Black Tie Affair didn't hold back and took Sherry across the course, without a care in the world... and WOW, what dressage movement!!

How about Laurie Merrifield and her horse "Sweetie Pie" (photo on right)? They really knew their way around the jumping course... what talent! I can tell that Sweetie Pie was listening to Laurie... the ears were moving back and forth listening to both rider and what was in store for him at the next jump!

Brenda Folak and "My Cup of Tea" (what a great name!) were sparkling in the sunshine as they both flew effortlessly over the log jump. If you look close, you can see the smile on Brenda's face! (photo below)

The weather was gorgeous, the facility was beautiful and the people were so supportive and outgoing.. I couldn't have asked for a better show!!!

May 22, 2008 - A Day at the Races

2008-05-22T11:43:00.012-05:00

Every once in a while, when my schedule allows, I try to experiment with my camera at different local venues. Just the other day, I decided it would be a good time to go to Arlington Racetrack in Arlington Heights, IL... since I have never photographed racehorses before.

I had been there before with friends, enjoying what the park had to offer and betting $2 on who I thought would be the winner, which I usually determined was the cutest looking horse or whoever was wearing my favorite color saddle blanket!! Anyway, this time I was on a mission and I wanted to make the most of my little solo excursion.

I first started in the courtyard and snapped a couple of shots of the jockeys coming by on their horses, just before they were to go through the tunnel onto the track, where they were met with another group of riders in western gear, ready to guide the horses to the gate. I didn't know it, but these western geared riders actually snap a lead rope onto the thoroughbred and that lead rope is secured to the western saddle. The horses are then exercised once away from the gate, still attached to the guide rider, for a short distance... then they are taken to the gate. The moment the last horse makes it into the gate, they open the other side and begin the race with a bell!!!

It was pretty exciting and made for an array of great stock footage, as well as more experience and practice for myself. One of the things I tell every aspiring photographer is to photograph ANYTHING and EVERYTHING and keep practicing!!!! Since digital has been on the market, it's so easy to snap away and preview what you just did that same second, so there is no reason you can't practice your heart out! I learn something new each and every time I go out on a photo excursion, show/event and private portrait session... you just have to stay behind the camera and keep practicing. Experiment. Try different angles. Play with the settings on your camera.

All in all, just stay focused (ha ha)... keep an open mind... and practice, practice, practice!!!

MAY 19, 2008 - A Fun Weekend For All

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This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing some of the finest hunter/jumper riders this show season!
Although Sunday was a chillier than most were comfortable with, it didn't stop 30+ riders from coming out to the Fields and Fences Equestrian Facility open hunter/jumper show in Gurnee, IL. The sun peaked through the clouds every once in a while and made for some really beautiful photographs of some really shiny, well-groomed horses! I love photographing at Fields and Fences because everything is easily accessible, the backgrounds are beautiful and the shows are very well-managed... which makes for an enjoyable experience for everyone!

The competitors were all in high spirits and the horses really performed well. I had Allison, my assistant, take several candid shots since the schooling ring was right next to the show ring and the audience was seated outside next to the ring. I am training Allison to help with photography so that we can photograph more and more competitors at all of the events we attend. One of my biggest pet peeves is not being able to photograph everyone because I know that many of my customers forget to request us to be at the ring during their performance because showing can be very stressful, and the last thing you worry about is asking the photographer to be there at your scheduled time. I know because I show Dressage... and even though sometimes I want to forget my "bad" ride, I still would have appreciated a nice portrait of me and my horse in the show ring.

Sometimes it's very difficult to be in several places within a 5 minute window to photograph several riders, so that's why I am looking to train others to help me out so that we can get everyone at the show! We have several big shows coming up this year and I want to make sure that we get as many competitors as possible, but just in case, get your request in ASAP before the show... and I will put you first on the list!!!

May 15, 2008 - A "Semi-Good" Start to the Season

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We photographed our first big show of the season and it turned out to actually be a REALLY big show! We had expanded our proof viewing system to include 2 self-view proof stations and moved our tent to another location on the show grounds at Silverwood Farm. We normally station ourselves near vendors, directly next to the walkway to the main dressage rings, but I wanted to try something else this year. This time, I chose to setup the tent in the concession area where there were no other vendors except for the food trailer, but I now had the cover of the main pavilion roof (just in case it rains and for relief from really sunny days) and now clients can view proofs in an area where they normally are during their breaks in the day... not to mention that I don't have to fight over one electrical outlet with anyone anymore!!

Saturday was beautiful, with just a twinge of a chilly breeze and mostly cloudy skies. I only had one photographer that day (myself) with Adam joining me on Sunday so that we could have 2 photographers to cover all of the rings. The whole day went smoothly without incident, but on Sunday, the skies opened up and the temperature dropped. Unfortnataly due to high wind gusts and the dreary weather, we had to pack up everything and leave... which wasn't too bad since everyone else had the same idea!

All in all, it was a great weekend for photographing beautiful horses with talented riders and "hanging out" with a great bunch of down-to-earth people!

April 8, 2008 - What Can We Do For You?

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It's almost show season again and time to get all of my equipment ready to go to the showgrounds! Every year I try to improve on the way we do things at Fire & Earth, from workflow to software upgrades, to customer service to new hardware. For three years now our business has been growing steadily and we have been invited to more and more venues each year, with more customers requesting portrait sessions and graphic design work. Even though I know that we have been doing better, I would still like to know what the customers think. I am thankful for the many compliments about our work and what we have to offer, and I would love to hear what YOU, the customer, would like out of us as photographers.

Do you enjoy seeing proofs at the show?

Is our website helpful and easy to use?

Is our online proof/order area easy to use?

What can we do better at the shows?

Please tell us what you want in a photographer!!!

Please send us an email and tell us how we can better accomodate you! All responses will be anonymous and you don't have to include any personal information. If you would like a response back, please indicate that in your email and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Your feedback will help us know what our customers are looking for specifically and help us change and grow in a way that works for our customers the best. Thanks to everyone that uses our services and we hope to see you in 2008!

March 2, 2008 - A Good Cause

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I get so busy from day to day working, taking care of my horse, running my business, running errands, etc... that I take each day for granted. I always say that "I will just take care of that tomorrow... or next week... or sometime next month... I'm just too busy." But there are men and women out there my age who don't have the luxury of being able to say "I will just wait..". because they have little or no time.

What I mean is that every day, more and more men and women are diagnosed with breast cancer and they don't know who much time they have. Their lives are suddenly turned upside down and I can't even imagine what they must go through.

Breast cancer can be a terrible thing, but many have overcome it with help from people like you and me. One such person who is going the "extra mile" and has taken the next step when it comes to giving is a friend of mine, Kristin Pruden. She will be participating with 2 of her friends in the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer in Chicago this year. They are making a difference in people's lives by helping to raise money that will fund research and aid in helping those who are living day to day with this uncurable disease, and Fire & Earth is proud to give a donation for this cause.

Please join us at Fire & Earth and add your donation to help her reach her $1,800 goal. With every penny, we can help add years to someone's life. You can access her donation page at the following link, as well as more information about the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer:

AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER

February 13, 2008 - Happy Valentines Day!

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I would like to wish all of you a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I looked around for a good Valentines Day photo and found this one of Linda and Maverick at a private photo session that I did at Indian Hills Training Center in the fall. These two were so much fun to work with and I found out that Maverick loves to give kisses!

It was a beautiful day and all of the leaves were changing, so I took the opportunity to give a couple portrait sessions at the stable where Iboard. To set up this shot, I had Linda interact with her horse as I kneeled on the ground and shot the two of them with the tree leaves as a background. It was a simple shot, really, just taken right in the driveway, where if I was standing at eye level, I would have a whole row of cars, dirt driveway and ugly concrete and wood fencing in the background!

It's amazing what you can do just by changing the perspective or angle... you get a whole different picture.

I usually try to photograph horses either kneeling, or use my little foldable chair. I do this because I find that photographs of horses taken at eye level make the horse look shorter and stockier. Getting lower to the ground creates a picture of a longer legged, leaner looking horse.... but be careful about getting too close to a horse while on the ground... it takes longer for you to get out of the way!!!

Thank you to both of these guys for the wonderful"modeling" you gave me to capture such a precious moment!

February 5, 2008 - Something Different at the Show

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One of my favorite things to do is just to go to a show and experiment with different camera angles, lighting and subjects. I am fortunate that I live by Lamplight Equestrian Center, a national show ground for equestrian sports. Every once in a while, in my free time, I will stop by one of the shows and "play" with different camera techniques and take different types of photographs. I was trying to get more "behind the scenes" photographs of the riders and horses, that moment before they go into the ring. I tried to get more dramatic lighting and some "artsy" cropping, combined with black and white to create a different and powerful effect. Black and white photography can tell a different picture if used just right. The beauty of digital, however, allows me to convert any color image to black and white, and even allows me to create a semi-black and white image in which only part of the picture is left in color to create emphasis on a particular part of the photograph.

February 4, 2008 - Photographic Models

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The Andalusian breed has always been a favorite of mine since I first fell in love with horses. I always marveled at their majesty and beauty... truly a horse of kings. When I finally had the opportunity to purchase my own horse, I wanted something of a baroque nature with long flowing mane and tail, beautiful movement and a "kingly" presence about it. Well... my first horse was not quite an Andalusian... more like a thoroughbred... actually, EXACTLY a thoroughbred off the racetack. But, over time, my first horse taught me everything and made me a better rider and owner, and I will never forget everything that he did for me.

Now I have my dream horse... not an Andalusian... but close! I do have a lovely Friesian x warmblood cross that has both fantastic movement for dressage and the most beautiful and majestic presence! I am truly blessed to have had her from 3 days old to the present day at almost 4 years old... and yes... she has a beautiful mane and tail!

I am always looking for "models" to photograph.... so if you have a beautiful horse that belongs on the cover of a magazine, let me know! I would love to take pictures of your horse and submit pictures to publications, just like I did for Haylo Farm's little paint foal that made the cover of both "Back in the Saddle" and "Equine Wellness."

Thank you to Mario Contreras riding Andalusian stallion "Santiago" (standing stud at Rothrock Andalusians) for allowing me to capture this beautiful photogaph.