Week11 - Introducing Carol Walker

What do you enjoy most about photographing horses?

My favorite photographs of horses are liberty shots. When the horse is free, without tack and handler, they are at their very best. The stallions get puffed up and strut, and even the oldest mare or gelding, feeling the wind in their manes, takes on an air of nobility. Horses at liberty will often kick up their heels and play, arch their necks, and show off, reminding us how beautiful horses are, and why we are so inspired by them.

What are you striving to express in your images of wild horses?

With the wild horses, I work to approach them in such a way that they feel comfortable and relaxed enough that they engage in their normal behaviors, such as mutual grooming, nursing, playing, fighting, sleeping, and even mating! Anyone can get a picture of a wild horse running away from them - what I try to do is to get close enough to capture their personalities.