“No, I don’t ride horses” usually brings a look of surprise to the people I meet. It’s always a bit of a shock to my horse art collectors when I tell them that I’ve never owned a horse and I don’t ride horses. I’d rather be on the ground.
The only horse photographer that doesn’t ride horses.
Occasionally, I attend horse photography workshops and horse photography events around the western United States. These workshops and events are attended mostly by women. Some are professional horse photographers, some are horse artists in another medium that are there to observe and sketch and snap a few reference photos. But in my experience, all are current horse owners or have owned horses and have ridden horses at some point in their lives.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been on a horse but it’s not an experience I particularly care for. I’ve never been very comfortable on a horse. I’ve tried western, english and bareback and none of these disciplines seem very comfortable to me. It’s not a fear- it’s a comfort thing.
Each time I have ridden a horse, I always think to myself- I’d rather be on the ground.
Enjoying horses with a camera in my hand.
My favorite way to enjoy horses and experience horses is with a camera in my hand. Even if I don’t have my fancy camera, I simply enjoy being around horses even if I have my smart phone. I love photographing horses and capturing their expressions and grace and style. I love the way I feel when I’m around them- peaceful-content-calm.
I try and relive that experience when I am creating my final art work. My goal is to capture that emotion I feel and present it in the photograph.
Horse art collectors who don’t own horses.
I also hear from horse art collectors that “I don’t even own a horse but I love your work”. It turns out that many people who buy my horse photographs are not horse enthusiasts: owners or riders. They recognize the emotion in the photographs and are compelled to but it- as I am compelled to create it.
Jody Miller is a professional photographer specializing in Horse Photography, Equine Photography, and Equestrian photography. Her work can be viewed online here in her gallery section, and she is also featured at these Arizona Galleries: Arts Prescott Gallery CO-OWNER, Dragonfly Arts in Cottonwood and Coops Coffee House at Talking Rock Ranch, Prescott Family Diner.