HORSES

I am trying to make photographs that have density, harmony, mystery - Imagery that captures an inner quality or essence. I have chosen to photograph Horses because of their visual grace and beauty and because there is a purity of soul connected with the Horse throughout the ages in many different cultures throughout the world. They are beautiful creatures that inspire mythology. I’ve thought in Romantic terms – like the old English master painters and reflected on childhood dreams and memories. I’ve been inspired by their physicality and their seductive forms. These portraits were taken in various parts of England, and have been an on going project since 1998. I began this work after a commercial sitting with an English Naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. He talked a great deal about his experiences in Africa with the animals he observed for programs for the BBC. He inspired me to photograph in the wild and to use the camera in a reportage way, but my years as a portrait photographer also made me create a space where the Horse and I could interact. I often create a kind of studio on location and isolate the Horses to make them more like icons or symbols. I always have an idea of what I am looking for. I try to capture an expression, the movement that shows off the grace of their being. My pictures are aimed to represent the spirit of the Horse, the invisible quality that makes them unique. The work is rooted in serenity and has a spiritual connection.