Sombrero Ranch - Day 1

Words cannot describe this place and the wonderful people that are part of it. Vast is an understatement. We shot extensively on their main ranch, with thousands of acres of pasture at our disposal. This was the real deal too, not just some show put on by rookies.

Ed, our main wrangler, is a true Marlboro man, modeling for ads overseas (since they're banned here now). His experience and ability to manage the other riders and the horses really helped get the job done quickly. Being easy on the eye and a bit of a ham sure made things easier too. ;)

The first day was quite an experience, let me tell you! First, they gathered up a group of 50-60 head from their winter range. It was really cool to see so many different colors, breeds, and personalities of horses, all in one corral. One by one the hands roped horses out, tacked them up, and gave each one a quick "tune up" since they hadn't been ridden all winter. Talk about a real live rodeo, right in front of our eyes!



There was a brand new baby, who was absolutely adorable, of course!


This shot was taken with my new Lensbaby 2.0 that Candice kindly gave to me.



One of our lovely models galloping after the herd.



Through the stream, again and again...



Driving the heard down the hill





And back up, yet again...



Someone pinch me - I'm dreaming. :D

Wild horses in Colorado

For those who don't know, I'm up in CO for 2 weeks photographing wild horses, the famous Sombrero Ranch, and also an 400 head horse drive. Yes, I'm in heaven! :)

Here are some of my wild horse shots so far, nothing spectacular, but I'm having an absolute blast! Did my Photoshop presentation for the group tonight, which was honestly a little nerve-wracking in front of Scott Trees. My worries were totally unfounded, as he's such a down-to-earth, friendly, and knowledgeable guy.

Tomorrow we head to the Sombrero Ranch to shoot the cowboys riding, branding, shoeing, breaking, training, and more. Scott will be along to help us "find the light" he's so famous for. He did a impromptu DVD presentation tonight too, which was very inspirational.

Lots of good prizes have already been given away, like Red River paper, notecard starter kits, and even a sensor cleaner... I'm waiting for something special. :) The weather has been great, everyone is getting along wonderfully, and we're learning a ton. What could be better?

Some photos from the trip so far:


Our wild horse finder and guide yesterday, Jim Beall



Cute little bachelor band.



The group shooting the first trio.



These guys ran along side of the car for a bit...



This grey guy was too darn cute!



Here they are after they crossed in front of the car. "Do you think they still see us?"



Well off we go then, at a smart trot! This guy could be a lower-level dressage horse.

The last herd was quite a large one, especially compared to the others. There were two babies, but one mom kept hers quite far away up on the hill, so no great shots of that little guy.

Do you think they wondered what all us crazy photographers were doing? Looks like it!


The last herd, which we willed into existence.



Fun with the point-and-shoot


Finally, sunset after a long, hard, but enjoyable day.

Hunt Cup Show

Ariana's mom called me to come shoot her daughter at the Hunt Cup Show yesterday. It was held at Westworld and I ended up shooting quite a few more people -- hey, I couldn't help it, they were there. :) But I could only stay a few hours.

There wasn't an Offical Photographer hired, so I'm sure people were grateful to get any pro shots at all. I hate showing when there's not a photographer, especially if it's an important event.

More Than Just a Piece of Paper

This morning, my mom called to tell me my cousin had passed away just a few hours before. Since this girl was only a year or so older than me, it was truly a shock. We weren't very close as I only saw her a few times a year, but I've never lost someone even remotely close to me, and it's still very hard to believe she's gone.

All day, I've been searching my house and computer high and low just to find some photos of her beautiful face to help me remember her more clearly, but I can't find even one. I'm a photographer by trade and I can't even find one image of a family member that I've known my whole life ... how horrible is that?

I'm writing this to really stress spending the extra time to get good images of your family, friends, and pets while they're with you. I don't mean pay me to take photos (no business when I'm crying), but take out your OWN camera and snap away. Every sports event, every family gathering, every special moment - you can never get the time back. But if you have a photo of that snapshot in time, it's so much easier to bring the memory into your head.

"Live each day as if it were your last, for one day you will be right."

You will be greatly missed Kristen.