Marcie Lewis Photography western horse portrait.

Artist Spotlight: Marcie Lewis

I am excited to spotlight Marcie Lewis Photography.  Marcie loves to capture the affection and communication between horse and rider and I think she does an amazing job of doing that.  You can feel the love between the pairs when you look at her photos.  Her style is variable and she does not limit her creativity when shooting horses.  Each photo and session is unique to the horse and owner, and that is what makes it special.  Photos from her range from natural beauty to gorgeous art pieces.  I am thrilled to feature her and share some of her work with you.  Thank you Marcie!

 

How did you become a photographer?

I have been a photographer for 15 years. I have been a part time professional photographer for 4 years.

Once I did not have to buy saddles and riding gear I was able to specifically purchase the cameras and lenses I needed to progress. I took workshops locally and on location for more hands on work with models, etc. I basically had fallen in love with light, how it plays out and how it makes images so interesting.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse portraits. Dressage.

How did the horse become one of your primary subjects?

My daughter and her horse started in eventing. With a small point and shoot I got many wonderful pictures.  As my skill increased I found that I needed better equipment to be able to take the really spot on shots.  When I was able I poured my money into gear and training. However, I never left the ponies, even when my daughters horse was sold and she went to college. There is no connection closer than a person and their horse. They are trusted partners and seeing that connection and being able to show it in print is wonderful for both the owner and myself.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse and rider portraits. Horse licking another horses nose.

How do you describe your work?

I don’t describe it as work.  Meeting new people and meeting their horse and being outside is not what I call work ! Being with someone and their horse is like walking in on a conversation that started before I got there. People naturally invite me in and then it becomes more like a chat between friends, no matter how many horses or people, its cozy and always fun.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse portraits.

What is your creative process?

I meet with people, talk to them about what they are looking for in their shoot, I get to know the person and look for what makes them special and then meet the horse to find out what makes this horse special.  It is all about capturing the moment for the client so they can have it for the rest of their lives. From there its easy to complete the shoot based on collaboration between the owner and the horse. Once the shoot is done, there is the editing, bringing out the best of each photograph and making it special.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse portraits. Sunset ride.

Describe how a photo shoot usually runs.

I meet with my client, talk about their vision of the end product prior to going to the location or barn.  I want to have the person ready with their choices of outfits or costumes, their horse is shiny and ready to go. I arrive early to take a light walk to see where the best places are to shoot at and watch the sun. When client and horse are ready we start off with what I like to call “Ice Breakers” which are a few shots to get the horse used to the sound of the camera and me moving around them. Then we settle into capturing the way the owner communicates with the horse, the bonds are usually amazing to watch and shoot. A shoot can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the where and the whens. There are always locations that are challenging and short attention spans from the pony that have to be worked out.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse portrait.

Tell us a little bit about the most important horses in your life.

The most important horses to me are the babies, the new owner horses, the old owner selling and the older horses. Yep, that is all of them ! You just never know what is going to happen. Its important to have new photos taken every couple of years. People change and horses change and things happen that are out of our control. It is so important to capture moments that are fleeting and hold them forever.

Marcie Lewis Photography horse and rider portraits.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your photography business?

I do memorial portraits of horses for their owners. If I can get out to them, I will do portraits free for horses in the area that are older than 25 because they have been such good partners.

Marcie is located in Santa Rosa, California.  If you would like to contact Marcie to inquire about a photo shoot or look at other samples of her work you can email her at [email protected].  Please do not copy or distribute photos without permission.