In the Spotlight

Here's a dramatic no-flash shot of the sort I love to get when I can, of the Arabian stallion Bey Ambition and his handler at a recent local event.

Judy Wood
http://judywoodartphotographyjusttheart.blogspot.com

Horse in the snow, near Square Butte, Montana

Purchase this image here, cards, prints, canvas giclee of Horse in the snow, near Square Butte, Montana

Sometimes in winter, the light and air have a wonderful quality.  This was one of those days and it was awesome to be able to have a horse in the scene as well.  One of my greatest joys, is being able to share the scenes I find in Montana with you.

I hope you enjoy Montana photos by Donna Ridgway.

Unicorn

I've been in unicorn mode for the last couple of weeks, working on creating them and putting them in interesting backgrounds. This one started out as a photo I took of a Gypsy cob yearling, and has gone elsewhere. I'm enjoying the process of pushing the photos I take into new areas. Stay tuned for more "unreal" photo art.

Judy Wood

Blog: http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com

Website: www.judywoodartphotography.com

Approaching the herd

I have a new horse photography client in my geographic area, and have been out to her place a couple of times since we first met in the late fall/early winter. I love her set-up and her herd, plus she is in a very nice prairie setting. The only thing lacking so far in our association has been decent weather, and that's something that I hope time will correct as our very long and harsh winter finally shows signs of a slow departure.

This shot is a merged one where I took one photo of Mable leading her boy Michael, and merged it with a different shot of the mare herd. I also altered the colors and added a mild wood texture. I'm quite happy with the end result. I've got lots of shots of Mable's horses in my portfolio already, and I hope for many more to come in the future. You can check her website to learn more about her operation, and my website (under the Western gallery) to see more photos from her place. 

Snowing again!

Snowing again this morning and for a change not in the minus twenties (or thirties) so I felt the need to run south of the city to get some more snow shots of my favorite herd while the getting was good. I never know for sure what I'll be offered by these horses when I go out there. Often as not they will be clustered around the rather unscenic fences and shelters which don't make for good backgrounds. The mare herd was exactly in that situation this morning, but the large group of youngsters in the north pasture was out in the field and sheltering in the trees, perfect for my purposes.

Of course as soon as they spotted me they started coming my way, since being youngsters they are pretty curious in general. Even the occasional one that exhibits a bit of "worried" body language still seems inexorably drawn to the intruder in their space, to get close enough for at least a sniff. I have to get my "incoming" shots quickly as in no time at all I'll be engulfed by the herd, and with my big lens on the camera, that just doesn't work for me. 

Overall it was a good shoot. Fingers got chilled a bit but not the searing pain I usually experience when I'm out in the colder weather. There was enough snow coming down that it was occasionally a bit confusing for the camera to figure out what I was focussing on, but I'm happy with the morning's outcome. More snow is possible in the next few days, and as long as the temperature doesn't take a dive on us, I'll head back out for another go-round. No such thing as too many "horses in snow" shots--or horses in any other circumstances, for that matter. As addictions go, this one is relatively harmless!

All my photos are for sale. Contact me to inquire further. More photos can be seen at my home blog

Working cowboys

On the weekend when I wasn't at the dressage show at the stable where I ride (doing photos, not showing), I was at a working cowboy clinic/camp held at a ranch about a forty minute drive from the city. The clinic event for the afternoon I was there was calf roping, but one of my favorite shots wasn't an action shot, rather was this one of the instructors having a visit before the afternoon session started. In the background is the picturesque old-style barn, now 100 years old and still in good working condition.

I have posted this shot and a few more, plus a write-up on the camp on my "home" blog, which you can read here http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com/ "When Worlds Collide" June 23rd posting.

I met yesterday with a web designer so there is now officially some hope that I will have a photo display and sales website in the not too distant future. Thanks for checking this out.

Sunset ghost herd

I have done quite a few of these "ghost" images, which appeal to me on a number of levels. I like to create images with a bit of visual ambiguity, where you have to look a second time to understand what you are seeing, and make your own interpretation of what is going on.

I try not to duplicate my posted images from one blog site to another, so you can always check my "home" blog page http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com/ to check out a lot of other visuals, not all equine, but lots of horses there.

All of my art photos are for sale in a variety of sizes and presentations, prices start at $40 for a matted 8" x 10" image on photo paper with archival inks. Thanks for looking. By the way, I just recently discovered that if you click on the images on these blogs (mine too) you get a nice enlargement of the image. Much easier viewing that way!!

Wild girls

I did a photo shoot for a friend a few weeks ago. Mostly she wanted shots of her partner working with his Clydesdale, plus a few other of their horses. I was happy to be there since they had such an interesting assortment of horses and other species in a very nice setting. Having good backgrounds is a bonus for me. I was done with my other shots and went to see what else I could find to shoot when these young mares came charging out of the trees. The black one is a Canadian by breed, the other two are Hackneys (not the pony, but Hackney horses, which I hadn't seen before).

Contact me by email to purchase prints or for inquiries. judywood@sasktel.net

See more photos on my blog: http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com/

Appaloosa muzzle

This is a favourite shot from a client's photo session last summer. Sitting here at the end of about six weeks of very cold winter weather, with a couple more months to go, it's nice to think about how darn hot it was last August when I got this shot!! Luckily for me, this was a client who is on my wavelength and was just as happy with my odd crops and close-up detail shots as she was with the more "regular" photos.

Prints available in various sizes and formats, email for details judywood@sasktel.net

Visit my blog!! http://judywoodartphotography.blogspot.com