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 Mark Atwater is an all around photographer but I gathered his strength and his passion is capturing wildlife, nature and sporting dog images.  With an enthusiastic subject, a sporting dog, that has enough athleticism to leap, swim and run, Mark gets his action shots.  My favorite take away from Mark is not about the process as much as it is about the effort it takes to be a great photographer.  You must know what it takes to get the shot.  It begins by choosing the subject along with the environment (background), becoming technically sound behind the lens, knowing how to evaluate the lighting, and perhaps most importantly, having the drive to get out there and do it!   With the right dog and environment selected, we (the students) head done the path to a shallow pond, cameras to the ready. 

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We are accompanied by a skilled dog handler to assist in the photo shoot. It takes a skilled handler to give the right commands to the dog at the right times. Mark knows before we begin, what type of shots he is looking for.  He also knows how to guide the handler towards the desired result.  However, his subject has a mind of his own and doesn't always cooperate, but Mark knows that it is par for the course and never looses his cool.  CREEDSVA

I took these shots from the sidelines, as Mark gets his own unique images.  Mark taught me how to think and act like a first rate photographer.  He demonstrated what it takes to get the job done and how much fun it can be when all is said and done. After all, it's all for the shot.

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I love cowboys and cow horses, old western movies and western art. Slightly inspired by Beth Dutton, a character from the hit series Yellowstone (Montana), I had the vision, and all the key components for a fun photo shoot.  We made it happen! CREEDSVA

We also created a memory the will last a life time.  Here's to good friends, and cowgirls. 

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   Meet Linda Field Furr, a woman who was born into a legendary horse family in the heart of Virginia's horse country. Middleburg, in Loudoun County, is a land of rolling hills, spectacular hay fields, stone walls, thoroughbred horses, and aristocratic old money traditions, such as fox hunts and steeplechases.  Bearing in mind that Williamsburg, home of Jamestown, our very first settlement in new America, is a short drive from Middleburg, Virginia. Between the two zip codes, the soil is blood stained from soldiers, and horses of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  Middleburg sprung up in 1787, the year that George Washington resided over the Constitution Convention in Philadelphia.  Today, many of the original buildings still stand. It is obviously loved by it's prominent residents, who treasure the history, traditions and horses. This village of 700 people has earned a reputation as the Nation's Horse and Hunt Capital.  Historians and equestrians, alike, flock to Loudon County to take a trip back in time. Born and reared in Middleburg, Linda, our featured equestrian, has taken a trip back in time to a far different place. The wild west. 

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Linda was born Linda Field, daughter of Tommy Field who was recently inducted into the Hall Of Fame of the Virginia Steeplechase Association.  She was introduced to horses on the day she was born, but somewhere along the way, Linda followed her heart to a 21st century sport, Cowboy Mounted Shooting (CMSA). This is a sport for men and women of all ages, that requires a good horse and a good eye.  It is a highly competitive race against time on horseback, with the addition of a pattern of targets (balloons)  to shoot with pistols or rifles. She is an active member of the 1st Virginia CMSA organization. 

CREEDSVA    Linda and her horse Moonshine have competed up and down the east coast for the past eight years.  Moonshine is a stunning American Quarter Horse gelding that is clearly Linda's best friend.  I must admit, I was mostly attracted to Linda's horse, as I knew very little about Linda when we decided to book the shoot. Moonshine is one of the most photogenic horses I had met while photographing CMSA.  Linda invited me into her home, and that was where I learned about Linda's equestrian heritage and her home outside of Middleburg.  I quickly gained a huge respect for her as a horsemen, and I am hoping that our new friendship is a lasting one.  I am excited to return. I guess I had fallen in love with Loudoun County, Virginia that weekend of the photo shoot.  

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Today, the times are scary amidst Covid, however at my farm it's business as usual.  With one exception, we are not traveling near and far to get great shots of people and horses.  So I invited a young lady named Morgan, who loves horses, to join us at the farm for a photo shoot. Using our quarter horse "Hammy" as her mount, Morgan and I didn't have much of a plan but to be creative and have fun.   Hammy was a gift to my husband on Valentines Day, two years ago. That year,  we celebrated the weekend in Chicago and saw the popular play, Hamilton.  That's how Hammy got his name.   This scrappy gelding was a site to behold. Very skinny and full of parasites, Hammy came to us as a crap shoot. We knew very little about his past, except that he was in Louisiana awaiting a ride to Mexico to be slaughtered for meat, when he was snagged up by a rescue organization and hauled back to Virginia Beach. My big heartedness got the best of me and I decided to gamble on him. 

Morgan is a new friend that loves horses. She has a fun personality and is easy to get to know.  She's presently a damn good singer in a rock band, called Candi based in Virginia Beach.  She has lived in NY city while she studied acting, and also Arizona to be a trail boss on an Indian reservation. She loves to model and has a great energy about her. I pointed Morgan to a nearby field and said Morgan, lets start there. The rest was up to her and Ham.  They rocked it!

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Finally just last year, I was ready to purchase another brand new saddle. I looked and looked and was ready to buy, but I couldn't find another saddle that I was excited about. I even shopped at Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas. Nothing got me excited until I located the same exact saddle down in Texas at the Sean Ryan Saddle Shop.  Yes, another vintage saddle, almost identical to my original saddle but in near mint condition. Sean Ryon's grandfather was the proprietor of the saddle shop back when these two saddles were made. The "new" saddle was even better because it was made by George Murray, who was one of their best saddle makers.  Ok, how much did I pay?    $3,500. for a vintage Ryon out of Fort Worth, Texas. For me it is worth every penny.  

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A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse.  Mules themselves are born sterile.   So you will not get offspring from a breeding two mules.  A male mule is known as a John and a mare is a Molly.   ( A male Donkey is a Jack and a mare is a Jenny)  Since donkeys and horses come in many sizes, so do mules depending on their lineage.  Royal Carriage Company used mostly draft horse/ donkey crosses.   Draft horses are huge and sturdy, but also they are gentle giants, mostly.  A draft mule is a great choice for a carriage horse.  

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This mule was obviously a Belgian / Donkey cross as evident of his color.  He does look stunning in red!  Mr. Speight gave me a tour of the facility which was surrounded by a tall wooden privacy fence, right  in the heart of a New Orleans neighborhood.  I cannot imagine that the neighbors would have any complaints as a tourist would have no idea it was there. It was clean and free of any unpleasant odors.  Each animal had it's own stall but no pasture to graze on. Mr. Speight explains that for this reason, each mule is allowed a yearly vacation to enjoy pasture living in the country. 

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Ben Speight, the barn manager, is a Quarter Horse man. He grew up around working horses in the cowboy world.  Which brings me back to my support of carriage horses.  Man has evolved with the horse at his side.  Give this some thought. If you took your history lessons seriously, I have no need to explain this. So in our modern life what is left for the horse?  Cowboys still work cattle with horses and most horses are bred for that work...mostly AQHA horses. Animal rights activist don't stand a chance against ranch owners that rely heavily on their horses. Why is the carriage horse treated differently?  They are bred for their work and have no trouble performing their job. Let them work!

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In closing, I want to thank Royal Carriages for trusting me. I really enjoyed this photo shoot.  But I also want to thank Royal Carriages and other carriage companies for taking such great care of their animals and for allowing them to work.  When the carriage companies close where will the carriage horses go, what will be their purpose....you may have guessed it: meat.  A damn shame. 

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Rich travelled to Ohio from Virginia Beach not knowing which horse he will be assigned to. He and other trainers participating in this challenge understand that it is the luck of the draw.  Rich knows that training Mustangs offers unique challenges due to the strong wild instinct that these horses exhibit. It is obviously a challenge he enjoys since he has rogered up for it many times.  CREEDSVA For Rich and Rulla, this is the first day of training, which takes place in a round pen. Rich's goal for that day was to gain mutual trust and respect. Rulla's goal may have been to resist Rich's efforts at all cost. Today, he uses a hands off approach by incorporating a communication style that horses understand.   Rich has a small human audience eagerly gathered next to the round pen to witness the first time Rich works with his new Mustang mare. Since Rich has worked with many in the past, he has a vision on how this day will go.  He speaks to the audience, explaining his methods.  He does not speak at all to the horse. CREEDSVA

After an hour or so spent in the round pen getting to know the ways of this mare, Rich decides to go with his lariat to capture, then entice, Rulla to accept Rich into her space. He uses a gentle technique where he tugs securely on the rope until Rulla decides to give in to the pressure by stepping forward. Any amount of movement in the right direction, the direction towards Rich, is quickly rewarded by relaxing the pressure created by the rope. With practices of this nature, timing is every thing.  CREEDSVA Typically, on the first day of Mustang training, Rich would accomplish a first touch and maybe a halter. On this day, with this horse, he accomplishes neither. CREEDSVA  At the end of a two hour session both cowboy and horse are mentally and physically tired. Rulla has been especially challenging for Rich. He will press on tomorrow, as he only has 100 days to accomplish his goals according to the rules of the competition, with this seemingly unwilling mare.  CREEDSVA

We had an idea.  Let's do a photo shoot with Dani and her horses in the style of Western Art!    Dani poses as our Indian Princess, using both horses, Stella, the bay and Grace, the chestnut.  Dani's mom, Donna, assists in the shoot and Laura's daughter, Christine, tags along.  

As luck would have it, Dani's parents own the prettiest piece of property, not far from Farmville, VA.  The natural setting is perfect for our shoot with Dani 

On top of that, we were blessed with wonderful weather the day of our shoot. It was like the perfect storm.  All of the factors that make a great shoot were in place.  Please enjoy these images. Bring them into your home as appreciation of beauty, heritage, and earth.