Author Description

Born in Minot, North Dakota, I am the youngest of six kids. When I was seven, my father retired from the Air Force near the base in the Florida panhandle. Not only was I fortunate to have grown up on a peaceful bayou, but I was also located close to the base stables where I kept my horse and spent endless hours. This setting of time and place led me to an interest in photography to preserve my wonderful memories. A deep, never-ending passion for horses grew out of this life along with lifelong friendships that are always intertwined with my love of photography. In my younger years, eventing and dressage were my passions. I was fortunate to attend Westmoreland Davis Equestrian Institute for a year under the instruction of Olympic Gold Medalist Tad Coffin. I think those experiences are what inspires me to capture the movement and essence of horses. I met my husband when I was managing the summer 4-H horse program for the University of Florida, and he was one of the riding instructors. After getting married we moved to Fort Collins, Colorado for his PhD studies. Colorado, with its abundant wildlife and astonishing landscapes, expanded my photography passion beyond horses. Learning to capture the majesty and light of the mountain landscapes is a challenge I love and an art that I still am trying to perfect! After Colorado we moved to our current home state Missouri. Here we started a new adventure raising a family and breeding Quarter Horses. We raised, trained, and showed our horses, stood our own stallion and had a small band of broodmares. Having all ages of horses in the pastures really allowed me to work on my photography skills and develop my own style. A great photograph evokes something. Maybe it is an "oh wow" moment, or an "I want to go there", or a warm, sentimental emotion, or a feeling of our minuteness in God's majestic creation. Regardless, once that feeling is evoked, one wants to share it. I strive for my work to connect in this special way.