I only rode a horse once, on a slow walk through the woods in North Shore Lake Tahoe as a teenager on one of those pay-to-ride journeys with a group of folks.  I loved drawing horses when I was a kid, and couldn't wait to move to California from New England so I could work on a ranch.  Back then, we thought California was Hollywood and otherwise millions of miles of ranches - or vineyards.   Ironically, when I arrived in California in 1965, and ever since, horses have mostly been beautiful animals I've admired in far off fields as I drove by them, and little else.  I've rarely even stood next to a horse, nor petted or ever fed one.  

But then I did this photo shoot, on a ranch just a half mile down the street from my house.  I talked to the horses, petted them, fed one grass over the barbed wire fence, and marveled at the young newborn who was so playful but would not get too close.  Perhaps a missed opportunity in life, not having been involved at all with these lovely animals.  Nevertheless, I always loved them in movies, photos, paintings, TV shows, and now have a recent memory of engaging them a bit, albeit with my Nikon J1 camera.  The harsh afternoon light was challenging, but in some ways, rendered my friends in an angelic light.  See also my YouTube four-minute video from my brief shoot-out at this little ranch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPULCXVahj4

the papaROYzzi