Sorry I'm so late to the party, I came home from KY with three weddings waiting to be edited!
This workshop was a heart-changing experience for me, mainly because of the work we did for Central Kentucky Riding for Hope. Photographing these courageous children, and the horses that so tenderly carry and care for them was so inspiring. I had my own uneasiness about what it would be like to photograph children with special needs, but all that went out the window when they stood there with those horses, so joyful and proud of themselves. The honor and respect we were able to give these special ones by taking the time to photograph them was felt by both the children, their parents, and I believe, all of us as photographers.
There were storms all around us that night. I'm not even kidding - to the north and south, but we enjoyed beautiful light and dramatic skies. It was hot, like 100-degrees-plus-humid hot. We had to take turns photographing the children riding the horses in the sunny arena, but it was worth the sweat. I can't wait to put these photos in the hands of these families and see how they will help inspire others to take part in the program.
The second night, we had the pleasure of photography two sweet young women and the mom of one of them, who drove hours to be there and be photographed with a beloved horse they have owned for many years.
A big thanks to Carien for organizing the workshop, Shirley McQuillan for hostessing (she really is the hostess with the mostess!), and for all the participants for making it such a positive experience!
by Mary Kinee on Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:45 pm 
