Thursday, September 01, 2011

Isabelle Ann

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Isabelle Ann
Dorset Hunter-Jumper 2009 by Isabelle Ann
Just look at this horse! He was arguably my favorite of all the Festival competitors--wild and athletic and barely controllable (I came to realize that sometimes the rider was unable to control him--I would like to have seen him with a different rider for comparison even though I loved the wildness). When I got home and uploaded the pictures of him, I could see that in every one of them he was watching me! I saw him two years in a row and looked for him this year, but did not see him.

Polo with Cheetahs by Isabelle Ann
I loved this polo pony--the announcer called him "the leaping horse" and he was exactly that. Very exciting to watch. Had fun with the beautiful cheetahs used with the permission of my flickr friend, Connie Lemperle, who's photostream I visit daily just to see what creatures she has captured for us to enjoy and dream about:


1 Tell us a little about yourself
I live in rural Vermont with my husband, Alan, and our dog, Shadow.

2: How long have you been involved in photography?
My love affair with digital photography and the computer began in 1996 when after a diagnosis I had to come to terms with my own mortality and to think about the things I would like to try in this lifetime. I had never used/owned a computer or digital camera, and my husband bought both for me after my first surgery. From the moment I learned how to turn on the computer and connect to the Internet, there was no turning back. The same with the digital camera. Both were so new to me and therefore so wonderfully complex, that I was completely absorbed in learning and exploring them. Then I learned about something called Photoshop and from the day I was able to purchase and install it (I still have the original box the first version came in--it was that important to me), I came to realize that I had magic at my fingertips if only I could master it. I am still tryig to master all three and it has been a truly wonderful exploration.

Before that, I had studied scupting, figure drawing, and dabbled in oils--but digital opened up a whole new world for me.

3: Equipment you use?
I have Canon equipment: 5d, 40d, 7d, and --drumroll, please--Alan just got a Canon 1d Mark IV for me for my birthday. It is the most wonderful camera and I am still trying to customize it for optimal performance for sports photography. I never dreamed I'd have that camera in this lifetime! I use the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens with it and love it. I also have the Canon 10-22, 17-40, 24-105 lenses.

4 Who or what inspires you?
All of the beautiful horses who are here in Vermont as well as those who come here for competitions.

The work and spirit of my flickr friend, Stephen Rasche-Hilpert:

www.equidographie.de/Equidographie/Home.html

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WARAzcrdsPk

... and the art of George Stubbs, Frederick Remington, and J.M.W. Turner, among others.
...and just waking up to another day in beautiful Vermont.

5: Preferred subject matter?
Horses

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.e:
Horses in the wild-- running free, interacting--just being horses and establishing their own social order.

7 If you weren’t a photographer would you have another artistic pursuit? If so what?
If I weren't pursuing photography, I would like to further explore sculpting.

8: Do you have any advice for someone just starting their photography journey?
Shoot what you love -- and persistence is everything!

9: Plans for the future?
To continue to try to improve my photography, refine my art and pursue both with a passion. And to be thankful for every day I am able to try to capture and/or create something beautiful.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Passionate