06/07/2026
Good morning. I hope everyone has been enjoying showing with us at Carolinas CHA this weekend. I’ve enjoyed talking with you and getting to see you show.
The internet hasn’t been great under the arena this weekend, so I will likely have to upload everything that isn’t presently uploaded into the gallery when I get home this afternoon. All of Friday and a portion of Saturday made it up, however.
You’ll find that I took a fraction of the number of images I normally would yesterday. To be very transparent, the reason for that is on more than one occasion I could hear an individual over my shoulder behind me making remarks about the lighting spooking a horse. I eliminated the issue of my own accord for my best guess of who the talk was coming from, but that didn’t keep me from being thrown off my game.
I have photographed these shows since the very first one held in the same way, am very vigilant about the setup of the lights being well above rider’s heads, am CONSTANTLY observing what’s going on in the pen, and have virtually never seen a horse react to the lights. This weekend has been no different. In fact, quite often there are horses tied or standing right beside or practically under them for the duration of the show day.
I don’t like controversy, and any of the many people who regularly show at the events I cover will tell you that I take their comfort and safety seriously. If you have the smallest inkling that these lights are going to be an issue for you when you ride, all you have to do is come let me know beforehand. I absolutely will not be upset. But I can’t spend 40+ hours over the course of a weekend being afraid to do my job for everyone else because someone has gotten into my head about a problem that isn’t actually there for the majority.
I’ll always be a quality over quantity product at these events. Using lights to create magazine quality images forces me to be very intentional in how I shoot, because I get one click to get each image right. Please understand how closely I’m watching you and your horses during your ride-your position in the pen, trying to anticipate a problem cow, etc. I’m not sitting here doing this thoughtlessly!
In summary, please let me know if you anticipate an issue on your part. I’d rather know definitively than hear chatter behind my back or feel like I’m working on eggshells. I apologize in advance for not producing as many images as I normally do while I’m trying to mentally “get back on the horse.” Your gallery link will be in the comments below.
