"Love Me Tender"
What do horses know of "Love"? What does anyone know of "Love"? In February, when we celebrate Valentine's Day and see red and pink heart shaped candy boxes and red roses everywhere, I prefer to go to this sweet place in my heart where I feel at peace and safe. This image takes me right there!
Whatever your plans are for this month, may you find your true feeling of "Love", whatever it may be!
This image was taken at Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in San Luis Obispo in April 2020. The world was reacting to a global pandemic, and these rescued mustangs reminded me what truly matters. The image has been added to the Fine Art Gallery.
Featured Image for January 2023
How we greet the new year starts from within. Find your center, connect to your heart, realign with your soul, remember your true essence, bring your attitude of gratitude, and step forward with curiosity. Here's a beautiful horse at Return to Freedom who reminds me of all of these principles. May your 2023 be full of wonder and delight!
This image was taken at Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in San Luis Obispo in April 2020. The image has been added to the Fine Art Gallery.
"Mustang Mood Light"
I have a whole series of photos of this herd moving across the hill where we were watching them, late in the day. I love the rich color in the dust they stir up when the sun is low in the sky, and the high contrast that produces these beautiful less detailed horse shapes that just represent the whole iconic horse image. I spent a day with the mustangs in San Luis Obispo last month (without my camera!) and just reconnected with them and the magic they bring to my life. They remind me to be present and worry less; to be here now.
This image was taken at Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in San Luis Obispo, California on July 17, 2021. This image of the month has been added to the on line Fine Art Gallery!
"July Sunset"
I love watching the horses move together and I love a sunset, so here you go! This image has been added to the on line Fine Art Gallery!
This image was taken in San Luis Obispo on a Return to Freedom photo safari on July 17, 2021.
"Sensing"
Wild horses are always using their eyes, ears, and sense of smell to inform their next move. To approach, to run, to move away, to explore… they use the data they collect through their sensing to decide if it’s safe to explore, safe to connect, and ultimately, when it is safe to rest and to sleep.
I was in a conversation this morning about the uncertainty of the future. From a grand scale for the human population, the pandemic is still unpredictable, financial investment analysts are shrugging their shoulders, and severe weather events can occur almost anywhere. L.A. had tornado warnings last month! So, now is a really good time to go inward and do some personal sensing about what’s really important TODAY.
Live life like there’s no tomorrow. Be your ultimate self in every moment, today.
This image was taken in San Luis Obispo on a Return to Freedom photo safari on March 15, 2021.
"Jalama in Black & White"
Jalama just has this amazing presence. She seems curious about what I'm doing and she'll even influence the horses around her to come look, just because she's standing there watching me. I just love this horse!
This image was taken in San Luis Obispo on a Return to Freedom photo safari on March 15, 2021.
"Portrait of a Mustang"
Cristo was branded, identifying him as a Mustang. I was curious about the branding, and found this information on the internet:
When a wild horse is rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), they are given a freeze brand on their neck. This marking indicates that the horse is federally owned. Each one is unique and has identifying information like birth date and capture location. Captured horses are freeze branded on the left side of the neck by the BLM, using the International Alpha Angle System, a system of angles and alpha-symbols that cannot be altered. Although it is generally accepted that freeze branding is less painful than hot-iron branding, it is still less commonly used. This is due to the fact that freeze branding is more expensive because the materials are less common and can evaporate if they are not kept properly cooled.
This image was taken in San Luis Obispo on a Return to Freedom photo safari on June 29, 2018.
Wild Mustang Featured Image for September, 2021
"Into the Sunset"
This band was making their nightly migration to the part of the sanctuary where they would spend the night, huddled together for safety and rest. It's interesting to watch them. Sometimes they graze their way from one spot to another, sort of moving in various clumps in the same direction, subtly so that you aren't really sure if they have a direction, but they do. Other times, they walk in a line, like you see here.
This image was taken in San Luis Obispo on a Return to Freedom photo safari on July 17th. The sky was a bit blah, so I dropped in a few clouds and some nice sunset colors to create a little more mood in the image.
Featured Image for July 2021
"I can fly"
I took a departure from my usual style this month. I found this image of a beautiful red roan mustang that I photographed from above in a barn in May of 2019 and I love how it shows off her mane, but there was nothing but the dirt floor underneath her. "How can I create an image that gives us something to look at -- and gives HER something to look at besides the ground?" I asked myself.
So I looked for an image looking down from above to put underneath her and found this image on Unsplash by Ed Maughan of Wales. It felt ok for a red haired mare to be matched up with the coast in Wales. As I worked on this image, I got the feeling that the mare and I could just fly off this cliff and over the beach and on down the coast. My experience this past month has been of a re-emergence into what feels like a more normal life without masks in public. It has felt freeing and like a taking off point into the future. So here you are, my image for July 2021. May you fly. May we all fly.
This image will not be printed or sold. It is a collaboration with Ed Maughan and is purely for the celebration of life and the beauty on this planet. Thank you Ed. #edmaughan @edmaughan
"Shades of Gray"
I liked the flowing manes of these mustangs and how they were running side by side, so I cropped in on the heads. I like the mystery of "who's behind the horse in front?!" I like the white eyelashes, too! Enjoy.
This image was taken at Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in San Luis Obispo, California on March 16, 2021.
For more information on the Mustangs living in sanctuary, how to sponsor a Mustang, or to register for a tour or photo safari, visit the Return to Freedom website.
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