Out on a limb

I remembered receiving my 2010 Congress edition of the Equine Chronicle in the mail last year... if you haven't had the pleasure, think Sears wish book, and almost double it again.  It's big, and glossy, and beautiful, and with six hundred and seventy some pages, it's a heavy duty read.  Of course, though, I shamelessly, thumbed through the pages until landing upon the ad I had created.  There, amongst all the biggest names in the business, was my work.  It was a thrill, to say the least.  I smiled, right out loud!

This time... I wanted to be different.  So, instead of looking to the magazine for inspiration, I looked at my favorite home magazine.  Clean, and tidy, and when the idea struck, I went with it, I was worried that my clients would think I had lost my mind, but I trusted that they wouldn't go with it unless they believed in it.

So here, is our ad, for the 2011 Congress Edition of the Equine Chronicle, can't wait to have this one in my hands!  Thanks to Taylor, Shauna, Marven, Troy, and Alicia, Tim & Bev.

Congrats Taylor, and best of luck at Congress!

I go back. | Moncton Equine Photographer

Picture it, Moncton, 1989 (or there about). A friend of a friend was getting rid of old horse magazines, my sister rescued them from their fate, the dump (this was before recycling was invented!) In the pile were Horse&Riders, Western Horseman, and a number of Quarter Horse Journals. I couldn't get enough of them, but the Journals were my favorite. I remember looking at the pictures, over and over and over. Stallions at stud, you know, the big ones at the time, Zippo Pine Bar, Impressive, Zips Chocolate Chip, Genuine Doc, etc. Reading the ads for people showing at Congress and Worlds. I remember looking at those pictures, the details, the set ups, over and over, until the pages were nearly falling out. I remember picking out my favorites, and my favorites were in different categories, because, well, that's how nerdy I was/am. Favorites by most original name, colors used in the ad to compliment the horse, and best background. I remember chuckling at unfortunate pictures, you know the ones where you have a side profile shot and someone is standing on the other side of the horse, and suddenly, when you look quick, their leg looks like an appendage that nice horses don't bring out in public. I still laugh when I capture those myself. (by the way, if I have one of those of your horse, it's an easy fix to get rid of it, so don't pass up a good side shot because your horse is showing more of themselves, than you'd wanted!)

Safe to say, I loved those magazines.

Now, imagine my reaction when asked to create an ad for a magazine, just like the ones that I had poured over as a kid. I was immediately nervous, excited, happy, overwhelmed, you name it, I felt it. I worked with Shawna & Marven of MacLean Quarter Horses, from Prince Edward Island, Taylor Fielding, and Edie or "Shes that Sweet". At the time of the design Taylor and Edie were sitting in 7th place in the Nation in Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure, the whole team will be traveling and competing at The All American Quarter Horse Congress this year.

The long wait is finally over, the current issue of The Equine Chronicle was released today, and uploaded to their website. It's a little bit surreal, I've probably overloaded their server with views of it myself, just to be sure that I'm not dreaming, that it's really there!

Here is a copy of the Ad design, if you'd like to see it in the magazine, go to The Equine Chronicle and click on the link on the right hand side of the page to view the digital version. It sits on page 201.

Thanks to everyone involved who made this possible. I can't wait to have my own copy in my hands. It makes me wonder, if someone, somewhere out there, will look through the magazine and be inspired as I once was. It's a nice thought anyway.