Shawna Nelson Fine Art Photographer - Summer 2007 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Shawna Nelson Fine Art Photographer

by Leah Rakali

"Unspoken Love" – Photograph by Shawna Nelson
Photographer Shawna Nelson shoots a variety of subjects including landscape, still life, nature and horses. She lives largely on her small farm in West Suffield, Connecticut, with a Percheron mare and her grey colt and a blue Great Dane with a new litter of puppies.

Shawna relates her first step into photography. “There is a day still fresh in my mind when my new neighbor brought her Morgan home to her farm to retire her from the show ring. I can still remember how she looked prancing, with her long wavy tail trailing behind her in the wind as they walked up the driveway to the barn. I was in love. I ran to my room to get my camera to see if I could get photos of her before she went into the barn. I was too late. To this day, I always have a camera on me.” Since that day Shawna has continued to have horses, and dedicates part of her time to pursue fine art photography. Shawna comments, “I very quickly learned the path that I wanted my work to take. I became more interested in shooting display pieces as art that all could enjoy, not just the owner of the horse that I was shooting. My work is primarily digital, which allows me a multitude of creative processes.”

Nelson prefers shooting with natural lighting rather than flash photography, feeling that what is captured is closer to the truth of the moment. She remarks, “When I photograph horses I try to capture an image so that even people completely unfamiliar with horses can appreciate the beauty and magnificence of these creatures.”

She includes the following quote on her web site. “And indeed, a horse who bears himself proudly is a thing of such beauty and astonishment that he attracts the eyes of all beholders; no one will tire of looking at him as long as he will display himself in his splendor.” –Xenophon

Shawna Nelson is exhibiting her photography at the Massachusetts Our Horses, Our Art exhibit in Northampton, Massachusetts, July 22-28, 2007. To view more of Shawna’s work visit her web site at www.windancerphotography.com.

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