Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer John Miller

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
June 1 2020

Next in my “Behind the Lens” series, featuring members of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild (ERPG), we meet long-time pro photographer John Miller from the Northeast region.

John says he’s “had a few images on magazine covers” though he’s probably being modest, and he’s had a lot of images in calendars.

John’s website is
http://www.spectrumphotography.net/

Where do you live?
Belmont, Vermont

What is your profession?
I've been a professional photographer for 30 years. I started as a ski photographer at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. I now work at a hotel to pay the bills.

Do you have horses? do you ride?
No I don't have horses. No I don't ride.

How did you first get into photography?
I started Spectrum Photography in 2000 and then converted to digital in 2004. We have provided photographic services to individuals, couples, families, seniors, at events, for non-profit organizations and corporations in Vermont and New England for 15 years. It is a family owned and operated business.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I shoot Nikon.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
1990

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
Because I get to spend time in beautiful places. I really enjoy the beautiful places I get to shoot and where I get to spend my time.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
Watch the legs, and getting nice backgrounds.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
I can't think of any stories to tell.


Here are a couple of John’s favorite photos:


The Myopia Hunt Club in October in Hamilton, Massachusetts


“This is a fun story,” John says. “I took this picture while chasing an endurance ride. Then years later I got to meet Anya, one of the horses in the picture.”

___

Behind the Lens: Bill Gore profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/05/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_15.html

Behind the Lens: Genie Stewart-Spears profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/05/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Susan Kordish profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_15.html

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Linda Sherrill profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_16.html

Behind the Lens: Steve Bradley profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Bill Gore

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
May 15 2020

My "Behind the Lens" series, featuring members of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild (ERPG), showcases the West region's Bill Gore.

Most of you probably know him best for shooting Cougar Rock with his team at the Tevis Cup. For over two decades, Bill Gore has been behind the lens recording your endurance ride memories, starting with, in fact, the Tevis Cup. There's a good story behind that, of course, that Bill will tell you here.

Bill's website is
https://williamgorephotography.smugmug.com/

Where do you live?
Auburn, Ca 


What is your profession?
Fuel Transfer Engineer (Truck Driver)

Do you have horses? Do you ride?
I currently have 4-year-old mustang mare. Last endurance ride was Tevis 2004. Usually rent a horse when I go hunting.

How did you first get into photography?
Around my freshman year in high school I received my first camera (Pentax ME, which I still have). I used to carry that camera most everywhere but didn’t have a specific subject to shoot. It wasn’t until 1997 that I got into shooting endurance.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I shoot Nikon. First decent camera I got (at least that was how I looked at it at that time) was a Nikon N90 kit camera. So when I went to upgrade the body I already had Nikon glass, so I stuck with Nikon. I currently shoot a Nikon D5 with a 28-300 lens.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
First endurance ride I shot was Tevis in 1997.

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
Shooting endurance felt like a natural fit. Some disciplines you feel like an outsider, but when shooting endurance I felt like I belonged. The people in endurance are down to earth, always willing to help each other out. When at rides I feel like I am with my extended family.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?

There are plenty of challenges when shooting endurance.

Weather (insert wind, dust, wind, dust, rain, fog, snow, temperature (I can’t feel my fingers anymore) wind and dust). Operator error. Low battery, malfunctioning equipment, forgetting to update camera settings from previous shoot. Low light, you find that perfect spot but the horses arrive before the sun rises. Walking to chosen spot to shoot only to find you need to wade through a creek or swampy area. Forgetting bug spray.

Travel to rides can be a challenge. And stressful. Figuring that if you get up by 1:00 am and out the door by 1:45 am you should be able to get to the ride, park and hike in before the riders get to your spot. But once on the road you realize you need coffee, gas, snack and somewhere along the drive nature calls all cutting into your precious time. Once at the ride you park, grab all your gear (Hopefully) and hustle to your spot. Get there and put up your signs, check settings on camera, check trail to look for any fresh tracks. Then you can hear the front runners heading your way.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
It is very difficult to pick a favorite story from a ride as there are so many.

From the simple; while shooting you notice that there is something just not right about the rider approaching only to realize they only have one stirrup attached to the saddle and the other is in their hand. But having seen the photographer sign they tried to ride past me to get their photo. They didn’t have anything to fix the issue. I pulled the shoe laces from my shoes and was able to patch together a quick fix and she was able to make that last until the next vet check.

To a more emotional story, which seems to happen a couple times a ride while shooting Tevis. When I get to watch a rider approach Cougar Rock with a look of focus, determination and a little fear. And when they make it over Cougar Rock I can hear them sobbing while they praise their horse saying, “We did it.” I always feel honored to be there to memorialize that moment for them.

Any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
When I first started shooting Tevis I met Kate Riordan. That progressed into me helping out showing film crews different locations along the trail. Which led to a very cool experience of being able to go up in the helicopter with a film crew.

All of my helping out/ volunteering for Tevis ended up rewarding me when I received a call from Melinda Hughes. She told me that she had contacted Kate and explained to Kate that she was giving up shooting Cougar Rock. (Which had to do with their photographer falling off CR and getting life flighted out the previous year.) Melinda said she wanted to hand over the reins of Official Cougar Rock Photographer and wanted suggestions for a photographer from Kate. Kate gave Melinda my name and I will always be extremely grateful to Kate for that.

As a side note, the first year I was to shoot Cougar Rock the ride didn’t even go over CR. That was the year they started in Auburn and finished in Auburn.


This is one of Bill's favorite shots, taken at Swinging Bridge on the Tevis Trail.


Bill explains: The photo is a shot of the cover for the Endurance News yearbook 1998. After I picked up the yearbook from the post office in Auburn I ran into Doyle Patrick just outside. As I recall, Doyle was the Executive Director of Endurance News. (I could be mistaken on the title.) While we were talking, Charlie Barieau [early eminent endurance photographer] walked over to us, showed Doyle the yearbook and said, "This is what an endurance ride photo should look like." That was a nice compliment coming from someone I considered a mentor to my endurance photography.

**Top photo is Bill and Diana Hiiesalu, who often shoots with Bill on rides. And, thanks to photography, they are engaged!
___

Behind the Lens: Genie Stewart-Spears profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/05/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Susan Kordish profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_15.html

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Linda Sherrill profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_16.html

Behind the Lens: Steve Bradley profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Genie Stewart-Spears

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
May 1 2020

In today's issue of my "Behind the Lens" series, featuring members of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild (ERPG), we get to meet veteran photographer, journalist, and inspiration to many of us, Genie Stewart-Spears.

Genie has written and photographed for - to name a few! - Arabian Horse World, Western Horseman, Trail Rider, Chronicle of the Horse, Arabian Horse Express, Horse & Rider, Endurance News, Horse Women, Horse Play, Equus, Equine Images, Morgan Horse, Appaloosa Horse Journal, Inside International (AHA), Horse Care, Horse Show, Miles To Go, Ride, and Horseman. Her photographs have appeared in numerous books and calendars, and also in ads.  Most recently she sold an endurance photograph that will be on the side of a regional horse feed delivery truck!

Where do you live?
Southern Illinois

What is your profession?
Equine Photographer and Journalist since 1984 - 2020, but retired except for selling a few in-stock photos, writing a few articles a year, and running an airbnb out of my home (Inn To The Forest)

Do you have horses? Do you ride?
Yep, a now 13-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter and 22-year-old mule that I  trail ride all over the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.

How did you first get into photography?
I began photographing for my articles in equine magazines - how-to articles that included endurance, and then covering endurance rides for magazines.  I got a lot of practice photographing horses in motion at the nearby Paducah Downs, in Paducah, Kentucky.

I was an endurance competitor in the beginning (5-day Outlaw Trail and Renegade Rides were my favorites), and often carried my camera, getting off and photographing other riders (for the purpose of illustrating the magazine articles I wrote). And because I was frequently being asked by riders if they could purchase photos, my work morphed into also being an endurance ride photographer.

One of my first events to photograph and cover for magazines was the 1987 Race of Champions in Utah, followed by the World Championship (1988) in Virginia.  I also photographed and covered a number of North American Championships, more Race of Champions, Pan Americans, Old Dominions and Biltmore Rides, to name a few of the big rides.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I began with a 35 mm Olympus and went to Canon equipment with the 70-200 lens being my favorite.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
Mid 1980s

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
I was drawn to the athleticism of the horses and the riders.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
Biggest challenge was getting trail maps/directions to preview the course. Ride managers or trail bosses back then didn’t comprehend what all goes into finding the best places to capture the essence of the competition with a strong background or foreground with the best possible light.  I often would arrive two to three days prior and explore the trail in reverse, because that is how I would be viewing the horses.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
Endurance photographers often lend aid on the trail to lost or injured riders and horses!

#1 Oh mercy, I’m not a swimmer but I had to swallow my fear of water to get out in the middle of the Shenandoah River (Old Dominion Ride) year after year.  The second or third year a horse was as terrified as I was of the water, dumped its rider and fled across the river in terror. It was in full panic mode.  Suddenly it saw me standing in the middle of the river and I guess it thought I would save it from the water swallowing it whole, and turned straight for me. I was torn between photographing or running for shore! True to being a photographer, I kept shooting and then grabbed its reins. It stood, trembling, until the rider slogged her way across the river to retrieve her horse.

#2 At a ride in Kentucky (Land Between The Lakes), as I was driving to my next spot to shoot, a riderless horse came toward me at a full gallop. I was able to slow him and catch him. Once he was secured, I went in search of the rider who I found in the middle of the trail, conscious but in great pain. She had been full-bodied slammed into a tree. She was helicoptered from the local hospital to a major one in Tennessee where she underwent surgery. Thankfully she fully recovered and returned to competition. As I recall, she was riding the late Dr. Matthew Mackay-Smith’s horse that had its own idea how fast to run the course.

Any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
I was honored to meet and spend time with the late and great (and first ever) ride photographer Charles Barieau during the 1992 Tevis. Some of the stories he shared were wonderful pieces of endurance history! He talked about riding the Tevis Trail (in training) with Wendell Robie and about their adventures. Charles wasn’t into riding as much as Wendell. On one long ride, hoping to turn back for home, Charles told Wendell the horse he was riding was getting tired. Wendell told him the horse was just fooling him and swapped horses (both were Wendell’s horses) and they kept going. Not what Charles wanted!

I’ve ridden alongside some great riders and horses through the years and better yet I’ve photographed and interviewed many of the greats for magazine articles. People like Valerie Kanavy (Cash) and her daughter Danielle who is just as awesome of a rider as her mother; and there’s Becky Hart (Rio),  Jeanne Waldron (Brombe), Crockett Dumas (Grasshopper), Debbie Gordon (Redman),  Maggy Price (Priceless),  Beverly Gray (Omner),  Mary Koefod (Dana’s Northlite), Darla Westlake (RT Muffin), Sharon Ballard (Kidd), Kathy Arnold (Easter Charm), Stagg Newman (Drubin) and so many more greats that make up the sport and made it what it is today.  

While I’m not out there photographing rides anymore, I’m enriched with having been in the midst of great riders and learned from them, not just about riding but about life and how to roll with the punches as well as appreciate the good times.  I thank God for it all.


Below are a couple of Genie's favorite shots and rides over the years.


Valerie Kanavy with some of her horses on her farm in VA (2009)


Stagg Newman with Drubin after the horse’s retirement from endurance (2004)


Annie Whelan during the North American Junior and Young Riders’ Competition in 2015


Valerie Kanavy on Cash (Pieraz) in the 1993 Race of Champions.


Danielle Kanavy McGunigal at 2005 Biltmore finish line.

Top photo is a recent photo of Genie with three of her four poodles that often go hiking with her


___

Behind the Lens: Susan Kordish profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_15.html

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Linda Sherrill profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_16.html

Behind the Lens: Steve Bradley profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Susan Kordish

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
April 15 2020

Next up in my "Behind the Lens" series, featuring members of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild (ERPG), is Susan Kordish, of AZ Cowgirl Photography.

Those of you who ride in the Southwest region have seen Susan behind the lens the last decade. In this article, Susan shifts between saying “I” and “We,” because her husband John is a very important part of her photography business. “He takes great photos,” Susan says, “and one of our Endurance News covers was actually his image. We are two halves of a whole.”

Where do you live?
We currently live in Skull Valley, Arizona. We vacationed here for 10 years prior to moving here in 2005 from Northern Vermont.

What is your profession?
My husband John and I owned and operated a convenience store/gas station for 20 years in Vermont. When we moved here to Arizona we both went to work for the local casino operation. I still work full-time as the Administrative Licensing Technician. My job is to process people's paperwork and do the initial background investigation for gaming licenses (required to work in a casino). I am hoping once I retire to make photography my full-time occupation.

Do you have horses? Do you ride?
I began riding at 8...and I am now 60. My very first horse was actually a Chincoteague Pony. His name was Little Fellow and the man that owned him wrote a book about his early life called "Hundred Acre Welcome" by Ronald Rood. Little Fellow came to me when I was 10 and he was 6. He lived with me until he was 36! Currently I have a registered Morab gelding named Chase. He will be 21 this year. John has a registered Arabian mare named Fancy. Fancy will be 28 this summer.

When I was a kid I competed in hunter/jumper, eventing, gymkhanas and some dressage. My husband and I competed as a team in hunter pace events in Vermont. Since moving here we are trail riders although neither of us is riding lately.

How did you first get into photography?
I casually did photography as a kid with a little 110 camera. My big breakthrough came on our first trip together to the West. We made a trip to Las Vegas in the early 90's. I had met a horseback rider and photographer on an AOL chat room. She said she would take us riding in the desert around Las Vegas. Not only did she take us riding, she took us on a photo safari to the desert near Vegas and handed me her Minolta 35mm with a 70-300 lens and pointed out mustangs in the desert! I was HOOKED! When we got home I bought the same camera and lens combo; I still have it but have moved on to digital. While in Vermont I mostly shot dressage, hunter/jumper and some gymkhana and team penning. I also do some fine art photography and editing.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I currently have two Canon 7D bodies, one has a 70-200 f2.8 pro lens and the other has a 24-105 f4 pro lens. My husband is my second shooter. We both use monopods to help with the long hours that shooting endurance rides entails.


When did you start shooting endurance rides?
I originally shot alone. Our first endurance ride came about in an interesting way. We were set to volunteer at a new endurance ride happening right here in Skull Valley. I first tried to be the Official Photographer, but another photographer (Linda Sherrill), well known in the endurance world, was already chosen. The day before the ride I was asked if I could shoot the ride, as Linda was ill and couldn't make the trip. That ride was the Prescott Chaparral Ride in 2011. I had a Canon XTi and a 70-300mm lens and no website. I was able to get a website up and running in 3 days. It wasn't pretty but it functioned and I had a way to sell. A few years later my husband John started being the second shooter so we could get more images of each rider.

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
We love the excitement and camaraderie of the endurance shoots. We know many of our riders by name and they know us at this point. I love the smiles and kind words they share with us. We feel like part of the endurance family here in Arizona.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
The challenges are to find great locations, and the weather. Most of our rides are a bit of a distance from where we live, so we either have to make a scouting trip or arrive a few days early to scout. The weather is usually great but once in awhile the rain comes and makes it very hard. Had an expensive repair when the rain cover didn't protect well enough...I have since purchased a better rain cover!

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
Every November we photograph the Lead, Follow or Get Out of My Way ride at McDowell Mountain Regional Park down near Phoenix. We always take our mountain bikes because the biking is wonderful there. So, the ride was on Saturday...I spent much of Sunday working on images, so Monday we decided to head out for a bike ride. About 3 miles in...John fell crossing a dry wash. I could tell immediately that he was hurt bad!! The rest of that day was spent waiting for the helicopter to arrive...then meeting the ambulance back at the park. I was dropped off at our travel trailer to arrange to stay a bit longer - we were supposed to head home the next morning. I arrived at the hospital to find John in the ER with a broken femur/broken hip. A couple of days later while John was having surgery to put a titanium rod into his femur I had to learn to drive the truck pulling the travel trailer alone for the 3 or so hour drive back home. Having driven horse trailers I did fine, but yikes. The good news is he is on the mend and he only missed one shoot.

Also...last April while at our first location at the Lead, Follow or Get Out of My Way at Bumble Bee we got chased out of the desert by a huge bull. We were walking back towards the car to catch the last few riders when we started to hear a bull calling out behind us...then crashing in the desert brush...walking faster I looked back and it was coming our way! I don't think he actually had bad intentions towards us BUT we were in between where he was and where the other bull was. We stopped once we were safe and took a few shots of them sparring!

And any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
We have been fortunate to have been published extensively, with covers on The Horse, The Horse's Hoof, Trail Blazer and Endurance News. Many of our photos have been used to illustrate articles and for advertising. Along with our website we have a Fine Art America site. I also have my fine art work available locally at The Prescott Art Market and the Skull Valley Station. In the past I entered many juried art shows both locally and online.

https://www.azcowgirlphotography.com/

Below are a couple of Susan’s favorite shots and rides over the years.


In the Flagstaff Monsoon Fever ride in Arizona, Junior rider Hailey Zehring is riding Andrea Maitland's mustang Wyatt Earp. This made the cover of Endurance News a few months ago.


Brad Person in the Lead, Follow ride in McDowell, Arizona. Brad is Susie Kramer's significant other.


Mary Jane Fridley on Dreamer, in the Dashing through the Trails ride near Goodyear, Arizona.


Here's one of Susan's favorite cover shots

___

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Linda Sherrill profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_16.html

Behind the Lens: Steve Bradley profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/04/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Steve Bradley

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
March 31 2020

In my "Behind the Lens" series, readers and endurance riders get a glimpse of members of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild.

The ERPG was formed in 2019, and consists of a group of two dozen professional, skilled photographers from around the USA dedicated to documenting AERC endurance ride events in the USA.

Steve Bradley, of the aptly named Stevesphoto, was sort of roped into endurance ride photography by his wife Cindy. Since spouses are usually part of endurance, photographing the rides was a perfect option.

His photos have been published in Endurance News, Arabian Horse and the now defunct Trail Blazer magazine. "It is both exciting and humbling," Steve says, "to see your photo on a cover or included in a story line."

Where do you live?
Idaho and Arizona, hate the snow and love the warm after 30+ years of shoveling snow.

What is your profession?
Retired from Law Enforcement (just in time)

How did you first get into photography?
I have had a camera around me since High School. I worked as a wildland firefighter and carried a Kodak 110 and took a lot of fire pictures. I started shooting horses after I met my wife who is crazy about Morgan horses. She was into the show horse scene and I kind of naturally started shooting her in the various show classes.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
Nikon D500, Sigma f 2.8 80-200 and 18-300 Nikon lens, heavy but built like a tank.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
1999 was my first ride, it was at the “Purple Passion” ride in Eagle, Idaho.

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
I like the challenge that shooting endurance rides give me. I try to shoot with great background, good footing for the horses, (most of the time) and show the smiles of the riders as they go by me. My goal is to show the connection between the horse and the rider. I have hiked miles up the trails or rode my motorcycle or mountain bike on the same trails that the horses use to get the best shot of the riders that I can.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
Lighting, it is very difficult sometimes to get appropriate light, the trails dictate where we must go to shoot and then there are the days when the sun is shining and clouds come over and we have to quickly change the setting on the camera to compensate for that change, ( I shoot manual and do not use any auto settings so got to be fast on the dials).

Another challenge is when ride management has to split the different distances and I try to make sure that all riders that pay an entry get a photo.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
I like to tell people how I got into shooting rides. Cindy (my wife) decided that she wanted to try endurance riding. She was trying to tell me what fun it would be (for her) to ride endurance and I could come and hang out in camp. I just couldn’t see sitting around camp and she figured that out pretty fast (cuz I told her so). So at the Purple Passion ride I had worked a graveyard shift and I went to camp to see Cindy. To my surprise she brought my camera gear down and told Pam, the ride manager I could take photos. So I got the good news when I arrived in camp. I had a Canon AE-1 that was manual everything, no stress there. I think I sold those shots for $2.00 each just to cover developing expenses this was BD, (before digital).

One more story, years ago we traveled all the way from Idaho to Arizona so I could shoot the Old Pueblo ride south of Tucson and Cindy could ride it. I bought a new camera and did not take a lot of time to get familiar with it. End result was I shot 6 rolls of 35MM film, all were under exposed as the light setting was set wrong, I gave that camera away shortly after. Bot the camera's fault, but it made me feel better.

And any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
Just want the riders to know all of the ride photographers do the best they can to show both rider and horse in the best light as they go down the trails. If you have a ride photographer at your ride don’t hesitate to ask questions and ask if there is anything we can do to make outstanding photos of you and your equine partner. At the same time please respect our work and follow the rules pertaining to copyright on our photos.

https://stevesphoto.smugmug.com/

Below are a couple of Steve's favorite shots and rides over the years.


Cindy Bradley and Bogar Tucker at the Owyhee Fandango, Idaho


Dave Rabe and Kerry Redente at Mt Carmel, Utah. It's one of 12 shots that Steve took of those 2 galloping by him. The series of pics really shows how in sync the two were running down the trail.


_______

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Linda Sherrill profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride_16.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Linda Sherrill

 

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
March 15, 2020

"Behind the Lens" series is a snapshot, for readers and riders, of the Endurance Ride Photographers Guild members who capture your endurance moments on the trails and in camp.

The ERPG was formed in 2019, and consists of a group of two dozen professional, skilled photographers from around the USA dedicated to documenting AERC endurance ride events in the USA.

Linda Sherrill, of Justus Photography, is a full-time photographer, represented by a stock photo agency in Great Britain, where she was born. She sells photos to various horse magazines each month to illustrate articles, and she's been blessed to have had cover images on Endurance News, Saddle Up magazine, Equus magazine, TrailBlazer magazine, and The Horse magazine, as well as photos featured in books by 17 various authors, and calendars sold by Barnes & Noble.

Linda's business name, Justus, has a unique origin. "There are two men in the Bible named Justus," Linda said. "One was a man who was no one special; he just loved the Lord and did whatever he could to help. That spoke to me; hence the name Justus!"

Where do you live?
Southern New Mexico


How did you first get into photography?
I started photographing Arabian horses at a horse show for a friend in 1992. After that, I was hooked.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I shoot with a Canon Mark IV with a 70—200mm f/2.8 lens.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
I started shooting endurance rides in the midwest in 1996.

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
I competed in the sport for many years (started in 1987) and I love to still be able to see and visit with friends. I love saying hello to everyone as they go by. It’s nice when you’ve been in the sport this long, and can still find a way to connect.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
As I’m sure every ride photographer faces, finding the perfect spot where the sun isn’t against you as the horses go by. It’s a challenge, but I always go out ahead of time and scout locations.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
At the Ft. Stanton ride a few years ago, some Texas riders had just lost a friend to a horse riding accident. I think it meant the world to them to have photos of them all together riding. As they went past me on trail, They stopped in the middle of the trail, lined up for their group photo, and those are still some of the most beautiful photos I’ve taken. The feeling that they all just knew what it meant to have photos of each other.

And any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
There is nothing more satisfying as a photographer than to show a rider an image of their horse and themselves going down trail and getting an audible gasp from their reaction. I love what I do and have so many friends and fellow horsemen who appreciate our efforts to come out to the rides and photograph. It makes it all worthwhile!

www.lindasherrill.com

Below are a few shots from a couple of Linda's favorite rides over the years.

These 2 are just a sample of Linda's varied work





 

Trailblazer cover is a sample of Linda's magazine work


2 horses running to finish line are Nat'l Champion and Reserve Champion at the 2011 AERC National Championships at Stanton, New Mexico



Blake Potter riding Julia Lynn’s stallion at Ft Stanton a couple years ago.


_______

Behind the Lens: Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Dave Honan profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/03/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Dave Honan

 

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
March 2, 2020

The Endurance Ride Photographers Guild, ERPG, was formed in 2019, and consists of a group of two dozen professional, skilled photographers from around the USA dedicated to documenting AERC endurance ride events in the USA.

"Behind the Lens" series is a snapshot for readers and riders of the ERPG photographers who capture your endurance moments on the trails and in camp.

David Honan is a civil engineer, and a self-professed Train and Airplane geek, who has long been a contributor to Trains Magazine; highlights include winning their 2009 Photo Contest and having three covers, including the March 2020 issue currently on newsstands. The American Society of Civil Engineers has featured Dave's photos numerous times in their annual Bridges Wall Calendar, and he's twice had the honor of judging their Bridges Photo Contest.

His equine work has been featured on the covers of Endurance News multiple times, and Appaloosa Journal once.

Where do you live?
Snoqualmie, Washington

How did you first get into photography?
I've taken photos for fun almost as long as I can remember. I've had a lifelong passion for trains, so that's been a primary focus since the beginning. I'm also an avgeek and these days seem to spend more time on airplane photography than anything else.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
I have a couple Canon DSLRs and a collection of L series lenses.

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
Spring of 2016.  My wife, Cortney, had been riding endurance for a few years and saw a post from Karen Bumgarner seeking a photographer for her Owyhee River Challenge. There's lots of great railroad photography to be found in Eastern Oregon, so I immediately accepted. Unexpectedly, I landed an Endurance News cover from that ride -- beginner's luck.

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
The people in the endurance community are amazing, and I've always felt welcomed at rides.  It's really a delight to help create memories for Pacific Northwest riders.  Also, I enjoy using the opportunity for travel to ride sites to engage in my other photography interests.

What are challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
I try to find dramatic backgrounds that are distinctive to the ride. It can be difficult to bring together great scenes with the time of day and direction riders are traveling.  A piece of advice I offer ride managers so they can help identify photo spots is to ride their loops backwards to see the trail as photographers will.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
One year at Owyhee River Challenge I decided to shoot one of the Succor Creek crossings, but the water was too deep to ford in my car.  It took a couple trips of wading across to get all my gear to the far side... and I didn't quite time things correctly, resulting in at least one rider arriving before I got my pants back on.

A nice part about being on trail with a car is serving as additional event support.  Over the years I've handed up countless bottles of water to thirsty riders, and my wife takes particular pleasure in having a place to dump excess layers of clothing.

My worst misadventure was last year at Top o' the World, when my memory card with photos from the Continental Divide Trail failed before I could download the photos at home.  It was heartbreaking to have put in so much effort to capture those photos and come away with nothing. To prevent this in the future, I obtained a portable backup device this winter so I can download photos every day.

And any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
Find me on social media at www.facebook.com/DavidHonanPhotography, or @dwhonan on Twitter & Instagram.  Ride photos can be purchased via my website, www.davehonan.com.

Below are two shots from a couple of Dave's favorite rides over the years.


Cortney Honan and Amira riding the Continental Divide at Top O' The World near Spencer, Idaho


This photo of Karen Bumgarner aboard Owyhee Justice at the Owyhee River Challenge near Adrian, Oregon, made the cover of both Endurance News and Appaloosa Journal
___

Behind the Lens: Get to Know Endurance Ride Photographer Becky Pearman profile is here:
http://tracks.endurance.net/2020/02/behind-lens-get-to-know-endurance-ride.html

Behind the Lens: Get to know Endurance Ride Photographer Becky Pearman

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net
February 18, 2020


The Endurance Ride Photographers Guild, ERPG, was formed in 2019, and consists of a group of two dozen professional, skilled photographers from around the USA dedicated to documenting AERC endurance ride events in the USA.

The aim of the ERPG is to preserve and promote the prestige of the AERC, the sport of endurance riding, and the quality and integrity of their photographers, in a mutually beneficial relationship of support, education, promotion, and protection. They also aim to provide unique, quality photographs of riders and horses for lasting memories of a sport we all love.
You can follow the ERPG here:
https://www.facebook.com/aercenduranceridephotographersguild/

Throughout the year, I’ll be spotlighting an ERPG photographer in Behind the Lens interviews, so that we get a snapshot of the human who’s behind the lens, capturing your best (and hopefully not worst!) moments on the trails and in camp.

Becky Pearman, https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/ is one of our long-time professional endurance ride photographers. In addition to endurance ride photography, she’s been published in numerous national magazines and websites, including John Lyon’s Perfect Horse magazine, US Equestrian Federation publications and online media, and breed magazines including Standardbred and Appaloosa. Some of her highest accomplishments are having been the US Endurance Team photographer in France for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and covering the 2015 Young Riders World Championship in Chile for FEI and USEF. She currently has 49 magazine covers to her credit.

Where do you live?
Ivanhoe, Virginia

How did you first get into photography?
I inherited my dad's Zeiss-Icon 35mm camera when he passed - I was 13 that summer. My mom gave it to me out of nine kids. I never looked back. I started taking pictures of all the horses I could, and by the time I was about 19 I got my first money for competitive trail riding prints of my friend's horses. I still have that camera!

I have never had formal photography education besides my ninth grade teacher schooling me in darkroom techniques and camera settings. I worked on my high school yearbook staff.

What equipment do you normally shoot with?
Canon 7d Mark ii, which is a phenomenal crop sensor sports camera. Favorite lens is a 70-200 2.8 Canon. I’m getting ready to invest in my first full frame camera body!

When did you start shooting endurance rides?
I shot my first endurance ride in 1988 (I had been shooting CTR until then).

Why do you like shooting endurance rides?
My mom told me once that "horse" was probably the first word out of my mouth. Since then, my obsession with horses has never waned.

I love shooting endurance for the the natural action of horses and riders truly enjoying going down the trail with joy. I love the outdoors and seeing new places, experiencing all kinds of weather conditions and saying hi to riders on trail.

What are some challenges you find in shooting endurance rides?
Crummy lighting in the East regions because of so many wooded areas. Lack of accessibility to the best photo spots.

What are one or two of your favorite ride shooting stories/adventures/misadventures?
One time while shooting the Million Pines ride in Georgia about 2008, I had to park along Interstate 16 and climb a six foot fence to get to my photo spot at "Bobcat Rock". I was told to back my truck way up the bank to sort of be out of sight. Well that year I got my truck stuck. I just got enough cell service to call ride management and they sent Danny Herlong to pull me out. Which he did while I stayed in my spot shooting. 

I'd have to say my favorite memories though are of sitting in the rivers waiting on horses at the Big South Fork ride in Tennessee and Ride Between the Rivers in West Virginia. I was usually able to capture some unusual action in these spots and the beauty is incredible.

Also in 2018 at Leatherwood in North Carolina when it snowed. I'd been shooting over 30 years and that was the first time I ever shot endurance in the snow.

And any other pertinent info you’d like to share with us?
If you are reading this and ever plan to get into endurance photography, it can be the most rewarding, challenging, frustrating, crazy and (sometimes dangerous) way to "eke" out a meager income. But, it is super tough to be competitive in this digital world - be prepared for a challenge.

If you are reading this and are a customer of ride photographers, we thank you for your on-going business. Please be respectful of our copyright limits and always check with the photographer if you are not certain how that photo can be used, displayed or shared on social media! Now let's ride!

Below are three of of Becky’s favorite shots over the years.

This is at the spring Sand Hills Ride in South Carolina. I would get this sunrise shot while riders warmed up for the 50 miler. It was used on convention magnets a couple years ago, and a vertical shot like this one made the cover of Endurance News that year.

 
This family is the Issacs from Tennessee. Karen has been in AERC for about 25 yrs, and I photographed their daughter Madeline getting a bath in a horse bucket when she was a few months old at an endurance ride.

 
The group shot was taken at Leatherwood two years ago when it snowed. I had been photographing endurance about thirty years then and it was my first time shooting riders in the snow!