Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus

QUESTION 2.    How do you balance technical precision—ears, stride, frame—with the unpredictability of a living, moving partner?

• ANSWER 2.     While I do some work under saddle, the majority of my photography is now portrait work where the challenges of working with a living animal are more difficult. Due to the horse not always being predictable and sometimes I only am able to get the horse’s attention for a short time span, shooting often needs to be quick to get the right moment. Technical precision sometimes gives way to the immediacy of getting that photo, which unfortunately, means I have occasionally totally lost focus or gotten home and found that I shot something too light/dark, or it is just slightly out of focus, just enough that I can’t use the photo. I set my camera to what I have found to be the best settings for getting the best photos, but sometimes the horse moves at the wrong time and I just miss the focus. Because horses are not like still life or even a human model where you can make sure everything is in focus, I have to depend on the best equipment I can get and my ability to predict where the horse is moving at any time.

Stacy Lynne Wendkos
Photographer

BIO:    Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, I am a fine art photographer with a lifelong passion for the medium. I began photographing at the age of eleven and have continued to develop a practice centered primarily on equine fine art. My work seeks to capture the emotion, individuality, and quiet power of each subject. Drawing on a background in art history and the discipline of dressage, I use light, shadow, and thoughtful composition to reveal the beauty, strength, and spirit of the equine form. Beyond equine portraiture, I also explore still life, florals, and nature through a fine art lens, creating imagery that is both timeless and intimate.

WEBSITE:    SLW -FineArt

QUESTION 3.    Horses have long been symbols of freedom and elegance—how do you avoid clichés and keep the narrative fresh in a genre with strong visual traditions?

• ANSWER 3.     When I think of horses as symbols of freedom and elegance, I think of a horse standing on hills or galloping in fields. I try to make my photographs much more intimate and to elevate them to fine art. It is not about the horse in general or as a symbol. It is about the horse as an individual. Just as people can be symbols of strength or patriotism, when you narrow down the focus to one person, you can capture the essence of that particular person and leave the symbolism behind. That’s what I do with horses. I strive to make each photo about that horse and not a concept. I look at the features that make that particular horse special. Sometimes it is the pattern on their coat, sometimes even a scar, maybe an interesting marking, or the look in their eye. With some horses who have interesting patterns, such as a pinto or Appaloosa, I work to use those patterns to make more abstract images, which captures personality and adds something that keeps the eye and attention constantly moving around the photo.

QUESTION 1.    What specific moment or expression in a horse tells you “now”—this is the instant worth preserving?

• ANSWER 1.    When I am photographing a horse, I look for certain postures and poses. I want them to look alert and have a soft eye. When the eye is soft it allows the personality to shine through and that is the moment I am looking for. A lot of it is instinctive for me at this point. I can feel when a horse arches his neck a certain way or looks at me a certain way that “now” is the right instant. When I get that moment it is absolutely magical. The presence and magnetism of the horse bursts through and grabs the viewer’s attention.

"Friends" - Technical precision and timing to get everything in focus

"The Stretch" - Bringing out the personality of the horse.

"Ghost 2" - More abstract image to keep my work unique and the viewer looking at the photo

All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Stacy Lynne Wendkos.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.

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