Located
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Laurie Comfort is a world-class photographer.
She has photographed Draft Horses in Texas, Dressage Horses in New York, and Wild
Horses in Virginia, to name a few. Laurie has been riding since she was ten. She is an accomplished
all-around equestrian, having competed in Western Pleasure, Dressage, Hunter,
English Pleasure, Halter and Saddleseat. Horses have built the foundation for
her sensational photography….
Welcome Laurie!
How long have you been a photographer?
I've been
doing Photography since 2001. I was dating a guy whose father ran a large
commercial studio. He got me started and I haven't looked back since. My
main focuses are equine, theater/dance and weddings. I love things with
motion.
What is your favorite
subject to photograph?
My
favorite things to photograph would have to be horses. Especially foals.
I started riding when I was young, so I find I learned to read equine
body language. It helps in judging what they're going to do next.
And let's face it, the beauty of the horse is something special.
Would you rather
photograph inside or outside?
Outside.
I prefer natural light whenever possible. It's more flattering to
almost any subject.
Do you have a favorite
photo session anecdote?
My
favorite story is one that has a photo that most people just drop their jaw
when they see. I have a series of photos of a young boy in a halter class
with a weanling. The baby was acting up as babies want to do in their
first time showing. This foal reared up and unfortunately lost his
balance and toppled over backwards. The child just stood at the end of
the lead and watched it happen. You could tell he had dealt with
something like this before. The expression on the judge is also
priceless. Once the baby landed, it got up and shook itself off. No
one was hurt and suddenly it was the most behaved foal in the ring. It's
a funny and scary photo all at the same time. If someone or the horse had
been hurt, this photo would never have seen the light of day. Since no
one was, it ends up being rather a fun story to tell people when they see the
photo.
What is the funniest
photo you've taken?
My
funniest photo would probably be one I did for a family and their horses.
The youngest girl wanted photos of her and her pony in a stream together.
She was dressed in overalls and a straw hat. They were posing for
the photos when her pony stole the hat off her head and started dunking it in
the stream. Everyone was caught off guard and we all started laughing.
The pony kept the hat for about 10 min before she would finally give it
back to her owner. It made everyone laugh and really brought a relaxed
feeling to the rest of the shoot.
Your equine photography
is lovely. Have you run into any issues with unruly animals?
I do
occasionally run into unruly horses. If they're in a show ring, I find
that usually makes for exciting pictures. However if it's a portrait
session, it is usually a horse who refuses to put their ears up or a dog who
gets distracted. I carry a "bag of tricks" with me to shoot to
help with this. Every animal reacts differently, so I carry various items
that seem to work, no matter what.
What's the secret to
capturing a horse's beauty on camera?
Well, I
find the biggest secret to capturing the beauty of anything, be it horse,
dancer or bride is to understand what motivates your subject. I try and
capture the movement of the horse, because let's face it, they are poetry in
motion. Knowing your subject allows you to try and figure what they are
doing next and travel with them. Also, remember every horse and every breed
is unique. Don't treat them all the same! After that, it's just
practice, practice, practice! :)
Follow Laurie...
Website: http://www.sunflowerphoto.com
FineArtAmerica: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/laurie-comfort.html
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1 comment:
Beautiful photos, checkout my blog at
http://definingwords.blogspot.com/2012/08/romantic-words.html
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