Flip, Ryder and the One who Loves them...

Meet Samantha and her beautiful retired racing thoroughbred, "Flip of the Summer", better known as "Flip" and her adorable spoiled pooch "Ryder".  I cannot tell you how grateful I was to be given the opportunity for this shoot.  What a humbling experience I had.  I felt completely taken with the beauty this great beast had to offer my lens. This horse took my breath away.  And don't even get me talking about the sky.  WOW.  Superb.  As always, I aim to learn a lesson of some sort with each shoot.  This lesson taught me so much.  First, was how relevant it was to stand in front of the sky at varying angles.  I never knew just how blue the sky could get depending on where the sun was positioned according to the subject matter.  Let me just say again.  WOW.  Second, I was reminded of how deep a love can be between an animal and it's owner, like that of a parent and child.  It was so special to see the bond Samantha had with her four legged children.  I felt like such a "people watcher" as I absorbed her facial expressions change from huge grins, to gleaming eyes to serenity and peaceful sighs.  It was magical.  But the most important lesson of the day for me was that it wasn't at all about me.  Sometimes as the photographer we forget there is much more at play than simply our talent, our "eye" and our knowledge; there is the person or subject you are shooting and the true beauty that lies within, there is the one and only creator of such beauty.  That is who it really is all about.  For some reason I felt so close to Him that day.  Maybe it was the calm feeling the farm and fields gave to me, maybe it was the love that was felt, maybe it was the grandness in Knowing that ALL of this was here because HE gave it to us.  What  blessing.  What a beautiful thing.  If you like these images I am about to show you, give thanks to Him.  Samantha...thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful day with you and your gorgeous babies Flip and Ryder.

  
Kassi Clifford